Telecaster advice needed

[Eddie Lang]

My only electric is a 1950s thin body fully hollow Gibson with one P-90 and I don't know anything about solid body electrics. I have a Fender American Standard Stratocaster, but I never really played it. For some reason, I never warmed to it.

I have recently had the chance to play a friend's late 50s early 60s Telecaster and, well, I liked it a lot!

I know that buying one from that vintage is absolutely out of the question, so I thought that I might trade my strat for a tele. I have been offered a trade for a Fender Baja Tele (MIM I think). I don't have the chance to play one before meeting with the guy and it is long drive to meet him so I'd like to get some opinions from those who know about that model before thinking about it further more. Here is my question (keeping in mind that I loved the vintage Tele): What's to like or not to like about the Baja Tele (from a clean jazz tone perspective)? Second, if it is not an advisable trade, which Tele could be a good one (perhaps with money going one way or the other)?

One more thing: the guitar is to be played through an Henriksen JazzAmp 12 or a 1958 Gibson GA.

Thanks in advance for the advice and opinions.

[Help!I'maRock!]

the Baja is an incredibly flexible tele, due to the 4 way switch. lots of rock players like the pickups too. you may also want to look at the MIM 50s or 60s Classic teles (though the electronics aren't as good). or if you just want to go cheap, the Squier CV series are excellent.

[PTChristopher]

I am sure that the Baja will be nice enough, but there are two things that would be downsides:

1. The neck PU will be a touch brighter than you may expect. For Jazz, I'd rather have the Texas Special, or even a Duncan Quarter Pounder. Both will have more fat-o-sity and sound great for jazz.

Easy to change the PU if you do not like the stock PU.

BUT,...

The Baja should have the 1 5/8 nut width, which is just too much of a squeeze in my opinion. There are plenty of Tele configurations with the extra 1/16th (so 1 11/16 nut width) and this extra bit makes quite a difference.

I think the best deal on a jazz-ready, solid body, single coil Tele is the American Special. 1 11/16 nut width, fatter Texas Special PU and the silly-named, but great working "grease bucket" control config.

All on my opinion.

Chris

[Eddie Lang]

Thank you both for the replies. Helpful.

Going cheaper is not a goal. I already have the American Standard Stratocaster up for trade and that guitar, by the way, is in like-new condition. I don't mind either having to add money if needed.

I had not realized that the nut on the Baja was 1-5/8. Definitely a deal breaker for me.

Also, I'd rather find the Tele that comes with the best suited pickups instead of doing any mods.

I don't play rock, dirty blues either. I am really looking for the model that will give me a great (jazzy) tone when played clean.

I'll have a look at the specs of the American Special. Thanks.

Please, keep the opinions and advice coming.

[PTChristopher]

>>> keep the opinions and advice coming.

Plaid pants look great with a nice turtleneck.

[bluemood]

Everything Telecaster Guitar Forum - guitars, gear, amps and strings you need to know about Telecaster is here

[Retroman1969]

I agree 100% with PTChristopher on this one. Back when I was playing Teles for jazz, I wanted to upgrade from my Standard MIM (although it did clean jazz tones very well). The first one I tried was a Baja Tele, because I liked the vintage look and it had all that circuitry for more tone options. I flat hated it. It was way too harsh and bright in any of the settings, and the neck felt too narrow and chunky.
The American Special I liked really well. It had all the positive attributes for Tele-jazz playing: Wider neck with flatter radius, that "greasebucket" tone circuit which cleaned up those Texas Specials pretty well.
I liked the '69 Classic Thinline (the one with the standard Tele single coil neck pup). As well as its Squier Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified counterparts. Those came really, really close to the mellow woody, yet open sound of the archtops.

Of course tone is all relative, but I'm picky about a nice traditional Jazz sound and those were my impressions on the Teles.
Best of luck on your quest.

[ruiner54]

i bought a mim tele for half the price of an American ands its extremely versatile and surprisingly great for jazz. it has been my best purchase out of the 6 electric guitars i have owned through my life. i dont think you can go wrong...plus do many companies make alternative pickups that you can do anything you want with it. i highly recommend it

[ES350]

I really liked the 50's MIM Tele stuff. The maple neck version is a nice guitar, chunky neck but not too big, fairly light weight overall as far as the ones I've owned or tried. The neck pickup is pretty good although you could swap in something a bit better very easily...and the price is right if you find them used.

[Help!I'maRock!]

Originally Posted by ES350

I really liked the 50's MIM Tele stuff. The maple neck version is a nice guitar, chunky neck but not too big, fairly light weight overall as far as the ones I've owned or tried. The neck pickup is pretty good although you could swap in something a bit better very easily...and the price is right if you find them used.

this is the one i have. i bought it used and the previous owner had put an SD '59 humbucker in the neck position. eventually, i replaced it with a standard tele SD Alnico II along with a 4 way switch.

[SamBooka]

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

I agree 100% with PTChristopher on this one.

What do you mean "on this one" ?

[SamBooka]

Originally Posted by Help!I'maRock!

this is the one i have. i bought it used and the previous owner had put an SD '59 humbucker in the neck position. eventually, i replaced it with a standard tele SD Alnico II along with a 4 way switch.

How do you find the SD balances out with the stock bridge pickup?

[Retroman1969]

My experience and impression of the Baja and the Am Spec were the same as his, is what I meant.
Sorry, I thought that was self-explanatory.

[SamBooka]

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

My experience and impression of the Baja and the Am Spec were the same as his, is what I meant.
Sorry, I thought that was self-explanatory.

Teasing..

[Help!I'maRock!]

Originally Posted by SamBooka

How do you find the SD balances out with the stock bridge pickup?

dunno, i never had the stock bridge pup. it has an SD Jerry Donahue in the bridge. that pickup rocks.

[mr. beaumont]

Go for an american standard or special. The pickup will do jazz just fine...folks (particularly tele players, it seems) love to fix stuff that isn't broken with mods...make sure you use a good jazz amp too.

I like a lot of the vintage reissue teles, but I like a fat neck profile, and nut width doesn't bother me as much. The modern teles with the wider nut widths have a shallowwer profile, but it's still pretty comfortable.

[Retroman1969]

Originally Posted by SamBooka

Teasing..

Aw, missed that!
Sorry again, I've been flat on my back today with a slipped disk and pumped up with muscle relaxers, so I'm.... Oh, hey! The giant talking paisley mushroom is back!

[Keira Witherkay]

i have an American standard Fender telecaster and it's awesome for jazz...even with the stock pickup and with the tone pot rolled back a bit ..... i also had a usa stratocaster which i sold cos it was just not jazz enough sounding so i understand

in my books i would avoid the mim range and just get an american standard or special and you won't regret it and want to upgrade in 3 months ....they keepers

[Hoopskidoodle]

If you want a nice guitar for not a lot of money (albeit money tends not to be an issue on this board) you could do worse that to get yourself a Squier CV50s Tele. Swap out the neck for something chunkier and more radius-ed (unless you like the modern C 9½" radius one that comes with it-- I swapped mine out immediately more vintage baseball bat of a neck, that is chunkier even than the one on a Fender '52 reissue, w/ a tusq nut and Fender Tuners)

One nice thing about this guitar is than it's already routed for a mini-humbucker in the neck position (all of the cavities come shielded too) I put a Seymour Duncan SM-1 vintage mini-humbucker in mine. I also put a SD Hot Lead Stack in the bridge (which doesn't matter for jazz, but it makes the guitar the most versatile I've ever played.) Finally, I installed heavier compensated brass saddles (it comes with uncompensated thinner ones) a and a four-way switch for an addition series tone (again, not really pertinent to jazz).

All of that was about what a Baja Tele cost, but I have exactly what I want (neck, pup and electronics wise) rather than a one size fits all stock guitar.

[Philco]

Don't want to hi jack the thread but does anyone know where I can get a 12' radius Tele neck for my thin line. I would prefer a rosewood or ebony board and I would truly like to have a Fender neck....so I can keep the value of the instrument.
I wonder if the Fender Custom Shop would make one?

[wizard3739]

Try the Warmoth Factory. They will make you a neck to your exact specification, better than the original. I have one from Warmoth made from all Rosewood on my tele and it is absolutely perfect.

wiz

[Jim Soloway]

I'd suggest playing a bunch, both Fender and other makers, both vintage style and modern style. There's a very large range out there and you should at least experience some of it before you make a decision. Some people swear by the vintage style bridge. I much prefer the modern bridge. (And they're VERY different). Some people like the very round vintage fingerboard, others prefer something a flatter more modern feel. And one thing you can be sure of, if there's an optional way of building a Tele, someone's done it and probably on a fairly large scale.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Originally Posted by Philco

Don't want to hi jack the thread but does anyone know where I can get a 12' radius Tele neck for my thin line. I would prefer a rosewood or ebony board and I would truly like to have a Fender neck....so I can keep the value of the instrument.
I wonder if the Fender Custom Shop would make one?

+1 on what Wiz said (or USACG). To "keep the value of the instrument" just keep the original neck and swap it back if you need to resell it.

[Philco]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

+1 on what Wiz said (or USACG). To "keep the value of the instrument" just keep the original neck and swap it back if you need to resell it.

Yes I think that's my only option. Thankfully it's a good one.
Thanks guys.

[Marcis]

You can try Yamaha Pacifica Mike Stern model. I own one of these for couple years and its really great for kind of fusion or funky staff - you van get even relatively warm jazzy tone with it.

[RoyaleT]

Guitar fetish sells Tele style Xavier guitars with 12" radii. They have necks also, but do not list specs for nut width or radius in their descriptions. Less than $100.

[Eddie Lang]

Thanks for the replies.

I haven't had the chance to play one yet, but on paper at least, it seemed like the American Special might be what I'd be aiming for. That is until last night...

Like I said in the original post, I have an American Standard Stratocaster that I have never really played for some reason. Last night, in an attempt to confirm my decision of trading or selling it, I spent more time than I ever did playing it. In the end, with the right tone settings, it could be a guitar that I could live with except that I realized for the first time how heavy this thing is! It really makes me wonder if I really want a solid body after all.

This week, I may have a little time on my hands and I'll try to get to the music store to try whatever Thinline Telecaster they have. Maybe that will do the trick. If not, I'll just stick to hollowbody electrics and acoustic archtops.

[Hoopskidoodle]

Originally Posted by Eddie Lang

Thanks for the replies.

I haven't had the chance to play one yet, but on paper at least, it seemed like the American Special might be what I'd be aiming for. That is until last night...

Like I said in the original post, I have an American Standard Stratocaster that I have never really played for some reason. Last night, in an attempt to confirm my decision of trading or selling it, I spent more time than I ever did playing it. In the end, with the right tone settings, it could be a guitar that I could live with except that I realized for the first time how heavy this thing is! It really makes me wonder if I really want a solid body after all.

This week, I may have a little time on my hands and I'll try to get to the music store to try whatever Thinline Telecaster they have. Maybe that will do the trick. If not, I'll just stick to hollowbody electrics and acoustic archtops.

Partscaster with a chambered body... The lightness of a semi hollow body guitar without the feedback.

[Eddie Lang]

Originally Posted by Hoopskidoodle

Partscaster with a chambered body... The lightness of a semi hollow body guitar without the feedback.

Please enlighten me.

[Eddie Lang]

Plus I play in a duo and a trio and we don't play at high volume. Feedback is never an issue with my fully hollow body so am I wrong in not anticipating any feedback with a thin line tele either?