Fender Telecaster (partscaster) and some revelations

[jim777]

Thanks for that It's a 2012 Mexican Standard Telecaster neck, not a Baja neck or a black label.

[gitman]

In fact, I do own 10 archtops. That said, having done a couple of gigs with the Telecaster, I have to say that with the exception of Rythym guitar (which no solidbody guitar does very well, particularly if they are humbucker equipped) a properly equipped Telecaster really is the only jazz guitar a gigging jazz guitarist needs.

But need and want are two different things, as many of here know perfectly well.

My Warmoth parts-Tele was put together by me in December 1993 and has ca. 1550 gigs under her belt, at least 50% of these were bigband + danceband jobs.
Yesterday I bought an Eastman Romeo with a single coil pup at the neck - compared with the 2 hb equipped version it is perfectly suited for all kinds of comping/rhythm work while the hollow body/solid spruce top gives it a tonal depth and punch so dialing in a tone reminiscent of Grant Green and even George Benson is possible without too much outside help (heavy eq etc.). Using only the neck pup it does come very close to that mythical „Tele on steroids“ ideal ….

[Stringswinger]

Thanks for that It's a 2012 Mexican Standard Telecaster neck, not a Baja neck or a black label.

Thanks Jim! That is the great thing about this forum, the collective knowledge that is found here.

[Stringswinger]

My Warmoth parts-Tele was put together by me in December 1993 and has ca. 1550 gigs under her belt, at least 50% of these were bigband + danceband jobs.
Yesterday I bought an Eastman Romeo with a single coil pup at the neck - compared with the 2 hb equipped version it is perfectly suited for all kinds of comping/rhythm work while the hollow body/solid spruce top gives it a tonal depth and punch so dialing in a tone reminiscent of Grant Green and even George Benson is possible without too much outside help (heavy eq etc.). Using only the neck pup it does come very close to that mythical „Tele on steroids“ ideal ….

That sounds like a great Tele. Over 1500 gigs. Wow! Can you post pictures and tell us about it?

[gitman]

It started life in December 1993 - after having discovered Danny Gatton and already being a longstanding fan of Ted Greene and Ed Bickert I finally succumbed and ordered the neck+body from Warmoth, via fax ... it's a hollowed-out swamp ash body with chambers left and right of the center part so it's really light. The neck is a mix of birdseye and flamed maple with a boatneck contour. The frets have been dressed ONCE in 29 years. Initially it had the original Joe Barden pups in it and an ordinary Fender Tele bridge (with compensated brass saddles). About 13 years ago I discovered Chuck D'ALOIA and the tones he got made me swap the pups to a set of DiMarzio Area T models. These pickups are dead quiet, balanced and offer a great range of typical and not-so-typical Tele sounds. Then about 2 years ago the old bridge was replaced with a Mastery T-bridge, to great effect. It's was once finished with a few coats of boiled linseed oil and now and then I wipe down the neck with really fine steel wool and a fresh coat of thin oil + polish when it's dry - the rest is natural patina. The many hours spent working that neck (mostly strung with 0.11's) have rounded the edges to a perfect shape and the whole instrument resonates like no other Tele I have ever had my hands on. I'm not saying it's the best Tele I ever played but it cannot be replaced either.
Look :