The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hi,
    I am looking for a good-quality Tele for Charlie Christian-type sounds. Are high-end Teles really worth the money? If so, which ones? If not, what lower-priced Tele would you choose to mod to your taste? Thank you for your insights!

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I have a Fender FSR MIM Tele. Reversed Bill Kirchen style switch plate. Pretty nice neck. One of these days I might install some compensating saddles and alnico pickups but it’s not pressing. $800 CDN or $550 US. There are days when I think I could sell the rest of my guitars.

  4. #3

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    Partscasters made with quality parts like Warmoth,etc. I have built several from scratch. Not really all that hard to do, just make sure the neck and body pockets have matching widths.
    Look on TGP for sale forums for good deals on used ones others have built as well. Around $500 to $1k

  5. #4

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    a tele has little to do with charlie christian...he was dead about a decade before the first fender solid...and to add a cc type pickup to a tele does not charlie christian make...

    its a combination of a huge number of factors...from pick to speaker...

    for low buck. you can pick up nice squiers these days for minimal $$...

    if you want something better, there's many guys out there...rick kelly, nash, kirn.jw black. etc etc...everyone has their favorites!...so so many

    find one you like the look of..and go from there

    cheers

  6. #5

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    Are you looking for a Charlie Christian pickup, and not necessarily Charlie Christian’s sound?

    If you like thicker necks, a used 1950s Baja Tele is an awful lot of Tele bang for the buck. Not so CC-like in its factory configuration, but a great guitar nonetheless.

    I have a custom built guitar that’s shaped like a Jazzmaster but has a Tele bridge and switching. The body is heavily chambered mahogany with a maple cap. There is a Vintage Vibes CC in the neck position and a VV humbucker-sized P90 in the bridge. I have never heard a solid body guitar thunk like an ES-175 like this one when strung with TI 12 flats. It’s uncanny.

    All this to say, I think a chambered mahogany Tele body with a CC pickup in the neck, through the right amp—maybe something in the tweed family—can get a very nice “classic” jazz sound, though maybe not exactly like Charlie’s actual sound.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil59
    Hi,
    I am looking for a good-quality Tele for Charlie Christian-type sounds. Are high-end Teles really worth the money? If so, which ones? If not, what lower-priced Tele would you choose to mod to your taste? Thank you for your insights!
    Charlie Christian played a hollowbody guitar to get his sound.

  8. #7

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    If you are looking for a straight up generic Fender Tele, I don’t think there’s much better value out there than a used MIM Tele from the 90’s.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    a tele has little to do with charlie christian...he was dead about a decade before the first fender solid...and to add a cc type pickup to a tele does not charlie christian make...

    its a combination of a huge number of factors...from pick to speaker...

    for low buck. you can pick up nice squiers these days for minimal $$...

    if you want something better, there's many guys out there...rick kelly, nash, kirn.jw black. etc etc...everyone has their favorites!...so so many

    find one you like the look of..and go from there
    cheers
    Good point. Maybe I should have substituted "archtop" for "tele" in my question. Maybe that's the better way to go. But for now, I am thinking in the general CC neighborhood. I like teles more. And CCs on a tele are not rare.

  10. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
    Charlie Christian played a hollowbody guitar to get his sound.
    Yes, I know. Maybe I should look for an archtop instead. But I like teles more. And CCs on a tele are not rare.

  11. #10

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    I have had a Squier Affinity Telecaster for I think about 12 years now. It was $180 new. I've played many gigs on it. I did eventually replace the pickups with noiseless ones and the electronics with better quality stuff, but the original pickups sounded surprisingly good. The neck is a bit under 1 5/8", so it is quite narrow but I find myself adapting to that surprisingly easily, given that I usually prefer a 1 3/4" neck. I periodically go look at more expensive Telecasters, but none of them seem to play or sound all that much better.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by jads57
    Partscasters made with quality parts like Warmoth,etc. I have built several from scratch. Not really all that hard to do, just make sure the neck and body pockets have matching widths.
    Look on TGP for sale forums for good deals on used ones others have built as well. Around $500 to $1k
    I agree completely, if you want excellent quality at a great price.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 08-03-2020 at 06:09 PM.

  13. #12

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    Make sure you peruse the longest-running tele thread on the Forum for some great pics and ideas!

  14. #13

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    If you are going to modify it get a Squier Tele. Rout it out to your heart's content. The hardware can be swapped out for tonier ones for another $100 or so. The basic construction and wood used is sound.

    I like McNelly; not exactly CC Blade but nice nonetheless:


  15. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by wzpgsr
    Are you looking for a Charlie Christian pickup, and not necessarily Charlie Christian’s sound?

    If you like thicker necks, a used 1950s Baja Tele is an awful lot of Tele bang for the buck. Not so CC-like in its factory configuration, but a great guitar nonetheless.

    I have a custom built guitar that’s shaped like a Jazzmaster but has a Tele bridge and switching. The body is heavily chambered mahogany with a maple cap. There is a Vintage Vibes CC in the neck position and a VV humbucker-sized P90 in the bridge. I have never heard a solid body guitar thunk like an ES-175 like this one when strung with TI 12 flats. It’s uncanny.

    All this to say, I think a chambered mahogany Tele body with a CC pickup in the neck, through the right amp—maybe something in the tweed family—can get a very nice “classic” jazz sound, though maybe not exactly like Charlie’s actual sound.
    Thanks, Matt, I am looking for a classic jazz sound with an edge, and maybe through a tweed. Will look into Tele Baja.

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by lukmanohnz
    If you are looking for a straight up generic Fender Tele, I don’t think there’s much better value out there than a used MIM Tele from the 90’s.
    That's the vibe I'm getting, thanks.

  17. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    a tele has little to do with charlie christian...he was dead about a decade before the first fender solid...and to add a cc type pickup to a tele does not charlie christian make...

    its a combination of a huge number of factors...from pick to speaker...

    for low buck. you can pick up nice squiers these days for minimal $$...

    if you want something better, there's many guys out there...rick kelly, nash, kirn.jw black. etc etc...everyone has their favorites!...so so many

    find one you like the look of..and go from there

    cheers
    Thanks. I actually have a Kirn tele, bought used. Excellent guitar, would not change those pickups.

  18. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by marcwhy
    Make sure you peruse the longest-running tele thread on the Forum for some great pics and ideas!
    I have started that, but it could be a long-term project!

  19. #18

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    I found a '52 reissue on reverb a few years back for $850 I think, best money I've ever spent
    I love the neck, and tone on this one... it's been played, and isn't perfect, but it has so much mojo

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil59
    Are high-end Teles really worth the money? If so, which ones?
    I could be embarrassed to admit how many Ben Franklins were handed over for my Nocaster, but having had several Teles pass through my hands while shopping I can say without reservation that I love this guitar. And it took about 20 seconds after I found the guitar to know that. It's the neck profile, radius, frets and sound of the neck p'up with the old-style wiring.

    There are a bazillion variations out there - but you should know that real Telecasters have a 7.25" neck radius. I might accept 9.5", but the charm of the instrument for me begins to get lost beyond that.

  21. #20

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    Might be hard given quarantine and all, but there is no substitute for going into a good shop and trying like 20 different teles. Get the one whose neck melts into your hand. Everything else can be modified.

    I chanced upon a MJT thinline with a Fender MiM 50’s neck. The relic job had given this particular neck a rolled edge feel that was just right. I bought it on the spot for, like, 500 bucks maybe. Changed pickups and later refretted it to jumbo frets. It’s my favorite guitar. Closest production neck is the latest professional series.

  22. #21

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    If we’re talking bargains...My 50’s CV Squier sure packs a good value punch. $399 brand new and it feels and sounds great, to me. I’ve seen a few used ones locally go for $250 which is a screaming deal.

  23. #22

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    I have a Traditions Jerry Reid I bought for $600 it's the best tele I ever owned. A few years after I got it I found another in a local Sam Smash for $225 that's insane for what it is.

    If you can find one, they're real jewels.

  24. #23

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    As others have mentioned, CC of course, did not play a Fender.

    People do stick CC pickups in em...I dunno...tele neck pickups sound great. Why change?

    I can get great CC sounds with my stock tele pickups. Heavy strings, pick hard, lots of downstrokes. Use a tube amp, or whatever you use, crank it up so the hardest notes you hit have some hair to them.

    And swing dammit!

    Last edited by mr. beaumont; 08-12-2020 at 10:26 PM.

  25. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    As others have mentioned, CC of course, did not play a Fender.

    People do stick CC pickups in em...I dunno...tele neck pickups sound great. Why change?

    I can get great CC sounds with my stock tele pickups. Heavy strings, pick hard, lots of downstream. Use a tube amp, or whatever you use, crank it up so the hardest noyes you hit have some hair to them.

    And swing dammit!

    You're probably right. Too much time spent on equipment, not enough on playing. Time will tell. I like your thought about pick hard, lots of down strokes ( I assume you mean that, correct?). I have switched to mostly down strokes paying Django music as well as CC. I also pick too hard. Are you saying this could be a plus at last?

  26. #25

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    Yes!

    And yes...my phone updated and autocorrect is out of control. This piece of shoot doesn't think I ducking curse anymore either. Son of a batch.