talk me out of selling my tele

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 07:25 PM

I have a '52 tele reissue, which has a nice neck and records well... stays in tune
but lately I'm just more into humbucker sounds or strat sounds... the tele 'bite' is not really my thing, but it is a useful flavor for the studio... i have a comins gcs-1, which i love and a MIJ Stratocaster '62
and what i have been jonesing for is a PRS DGT
should i keep the tele and modify it with a neck humbucker (and probably some bigger frets)
or just get rid of a very nice guitar for something new that has more thick tone i love and is easier to play???

**Jim Soloway** · 02-03-2019, 07:29 PM

I've owned three nice Tele's. I've regretted selling all three of them.

**sgosnell** · 02-03-2019, 07:38 PM

It's not as if you would have a problem finding another tele if you wanted to replace it later. For me, the only question would be how much you need the money.

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 07:40 PM

if i do keep this one, i will be putting a decent amount of money into it... routing for a humbucker in the neck, buying a humbucker for the neck... and also i will need to refret it with medium jumbo frets... the frets are so small...
i don't want more than 3 electrics in my apartment (small nyc apt)
the DGT is about $2000 used, so I could come up with the other $1000 easily?

**FourOnSix** · 02-03-2019, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

I've owned three nice Tele's. I've regretted selling all three of them.

I once owned one nice Tele and also regretted selling it. Of course, it was a '53 blackguard, and I sold it before such was worth 30,000 big ones.

I now have a Hahn 228, and will never sell it (despite my overall preference for archtops).

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 07:56 PM

were you guys happy with the teles "as they were?"
or did you feel like they needed mods?

**Jim Soloway** · 02-03-2019, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by patshep

were you guys happy with the teles "as they were?"
or did you feel like they needed mods?

One stock '89 Fender American Standard and two very customized Warmoth partscasters.

**FourOnSix** · 02-03-2019, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by patshep

were you guys happy with the teles "as they were?"
or did you feel like they needed mods?

I was a strat guy all the way at the time. I didn't "get" teles. Now I do.

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 08:04 PM

You live in GDL? I really want to visit there... very cool... do you gig there?

**KirkP** · 02-03-2019, 08:07 PM

Unless the tele has already been hacked, rather than heavily modify it I’d sell it and try to find something closer to what I wanted.

**Hep To The Jive** · 02-03-2019, 08:14 PM

I live in the same condition as you, so my electrics are 2 teles (one noisless single coils and another all humbuckers), and one hollowbody. Thats all I need for my career right now as far as electrics go. But if you're talking PRS, i dunno man... maybe you should sell it, if such thought could even cross your mind

**Jim Soloway** · 02-03-2019, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by patshep

You live in GDL? I really want to visit there... very cool... do you gig there?

We've been here since August. We're really just getting settled in now but it's an amazing city.

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 08:18 PM

PRS will have better playability and that beefy les paul type tone...
the tele has a lot of potential, but will cost me $600 in upgrades...and the strat covers my slinky single coil needs pretty well

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 08:19 PM

next time i want to do PV and GDL, and stop by the village of tequila too
I hope you love it, I hear it is a great city

**deacon Mark** · 02-03-2019, 08:27 PM

I am going to go to work in my usual occupation now. If you are not completely sure about selling then seems to me you still need to discern if selling is actually going be ok with you and the almighty. Therefore my suggestion is to sit in silent prayer and put the responsibility on God. What does he have to say about you selling? Is this something you should be doing and like the great Ignatius of Loyola, if you still are not content with the situation it needs more discernment. Ok............I am done for today

**Cunamara** · 02-03-2019, 08:36 PM

Doesn't the Comins cover the "humbucker" sound? The Strat may cover the "slinky" single coil thing, but the Tele ain't about that glassy slinky tone. I'm not you and therefore really can't advise you. I'd keep it, but that's because I like the Tele sound- nothing else sounds like that.

**blille** · 02-03-2019, 08:44 PM

The Tele is IMHO the most flexible guitar. It will be useful and you would miss it IMHO. but it’s all a personal choice. Putting a SD Seth Lover in the neck is a pretty popular mod but I don’t think yours is routed for a HB.

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 08:48 PM

This is the problem, taking it to a tech... routing, buying a pickup and then the frets, we are talking a lot of money to get it up to where i want it... it may be worth it at that point... but that's a lot of money invested
one thing i don't seem to vibe well with is the small radius necks... i'm not sure if i ever will

**Phil59** · 02-03-2019, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by patshep

This is the problem, taking it to a tech... routing, buying a pickup and then the frets, we are talking a lot of money to get it up to where i want it... it may be worth it at that point... but that's a lot of money invested
one thing i don't seem to vibe well with is the small radius necks... i'm not sure if i ever will

Either keep the Tele and leave it as is or sell it. Don't put that kind of money into it. If you want something else, determine what that something else is and sell the Tele as is to fund the next purchase.

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 09:19 PM

that's what i'm thinking, i could just sell it and get another nice tele... say invest another $500-1000 in something badass...

**djelley** · 02-03-2019, 09:29 PM

It would be a crime to take a ‘52 Tele RI (which they don’t make anymore) and do all that to it.

**marcwhy** · 02-03-2019, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by Phil59

Either keep the Tele and leave it as is or sell it. Don't put that kind of money into it. If you want something else, determine what that something else is and sell the Tele as is to fund the next purchase.

This.

**rpjazzguitar** · 02-03-2019, 10:37 PM

I have the Comins GCS-1. It's great, but it doesn't sound anything like a Tele.

It has a distinctive sound, which is why I bought it, but it isn't suitable for everything.

Having a Tele will eventually prove useful, I would think.

Speaking purely statistically, I rarely read anybody lamenting keeping a guitar.

**patshep** · 02-03-2019, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

I have the Comins GCS-1. It's great, but it doesn't sound anything like a Tele.

It has a distinctive sound, which is why I bought it, but it isn't suitable for everything.

Having a Tele will eventually prove useful, I would think.

Speaking purely statistically, I rarely read anybody lamenting keeping a guitar.

of course not, i don't want my comins to sound like a tele.... i'm not 100% sure i want a traditional tele tone, i actually liked my g&l bluesboy semi hollow better as far as tone, and the seth lover was so much better than the tele neck pickup

**medblues** · 02-03-2019, 11:06 PM

Here is a $200 solution: Buy a Fender licensed neck you like (from Warmoth, USACG, stratosphere etc) with the jumbo frets ($ 160-200, even cheaper used) no need for refretting. Buy a single-coil-size stacked humbucker from Wilde pickups for $ 50-75 so no need for rerouting. You can convert back and forth depending on your needs (play covers, sell as stock etc).