I'm liking my tele more and more...

jeepnstein · 11-16-2010, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reuben

Also, check out the forums at tdpri.com. Lot of hardcore Tele enthusiasts over there with just about every configuration of Teles that you could ever want to see done.

Some really big name custom builders and players stop by there from time to time. Full of good info.

ABPOS · 11-16-2010, 09:03 PM

I just strung mine up with .11's and WOW, it's like a different guitar. Sounds different. Feels different. I like it a LOT.

Still needs action tweaking, but I'm done for today. A little too high. Either saddles or neck adjustment. I'll see if it's in spec or not. I was thinking the heavier strings might put more pressure on the neck.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 11-17-2010, 10:14 AM

One word on neck adjustments...

They can take a good 24-48 hrs to really adjust after the initial movements so don't be surprised if once you get it just right, you need to make minor adjustments to keep it that way over the next few days or weeks.

ABPOS · 11-17-2010, 09:56 PM

It did seem a little better today. I'll see how it is tomorrow and them put some gauges to it. I'm really really liking this guitar.

And my junkie little amp.. The louder it gets, the warmer and better it sounds. I had it all the way up to 10 today and I really liked the sounds. It has a cool overdriven sound at that point. Push it back to 7 or 8 and the sound really isn't half bad. Some nice bassy lows with pretty high ends. Nothing too trebly. And you're right Bill, just adjusting the tone knob a little can go a long way when using the bridge pup. With the amp though, problem is I want that sound at a lower level. I wonder if getting some quality smaller speakers for it in a cabinet might do the trick. Like (2) 6"ers or something. Or even (2) 5"ers. I would really like to hear the chorus in stereo. As of right now, I only hear that in the headphones. Doesn't do it justice. The chorus channel is a little noisy.

Someday I'll be looking to get some kind of dely or vibrato, or something to give it just a little movement, different than chorus. Anyone got any suggestion. Just a little fuller sound is all I want. Nothing that is over the top and digital craziness. Just a touch of fluidity or something like that. I wonder if opening up the back of the cabinet would do that. Of course I might lose some low end though if I do that. Even though I rarely have it past 6 on the EQ.

Anyways, this electric stuff is fun. Maybe someday I'll get to play that in church instead of the acoustic. Might be a welcomed sound differential.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 11-18-2010, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABPOS

It did seem a little better today. I'll see how it is tomorrow and them put some gauges to it. I'm really really liking this guitar.

And my junkie little amp.. The louder it gets, the warmer and better it sounds. I had it all the way up to 10 today and I really liked the sounds. It has a cool overdriven sound at that point. Push it back to 7 or 8 and the sound really isn't half bad. Some nice bassy lows with pretty high ends. Nothing too trebly. And you're right Bill, just adjusting the tone knob a little can go a long way when using the bridge pup. With the amp though, problem is I want that sound at a lower level. I wonder if getting some quality smaller speakers for it in a cabinet might do the trick. Like (2) 6"ers or something. Or even (2) 5"ers. I would really like to hear the chorus in stereo. As of right now, I only hear that in the headphones. Doesn't do it justice. The chorus channel is a little noisy.

Someday I'll be looking to get some kind of dely or vibrato, or something to give it just a little movement, different than chorus. Anyone got any suggestion. Just a little fuller sound is all I want. Nothing that is over the top and digital craziness. Just a touch of fluidity or something like that. I wonder if opening up the back of the cabinet would do that. Of course I might lose some low end though if I do that. Even though I rarely have it past 6 on the EQ.

Anyways, this electric stuff is fun. Maybe someday I'll get to play that in church instead of the acoustic. Might be a welcomed sound differential.

Shrinking speakers will only effect the frequency really. Seriously, going below a 10 is really unadvisable. Part of it is literally in your ears so you can't get a really perfect sound at low levels because of the frequency response of the human ear.

jeepnstein · 11-18-2010, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABPOS

It did seem a little better today. I'll see how it is tomorrow and them put some gauges to it. I'm really really liking this guitar.

And my junkie little amp.. The louder it gets, the warmer and better it sounds. I had it all the way up to 10 today and I really liked the sounds. It has a cool overdriven sound at that point. Push it back to 7 or 8 and the sound really isn't half bad. Some nice bassy lows with pretty high ends. Nothing too trebly. And you're right Bill, just adjusting the tone knob a little can go a long way when using the bridge pup. With the amp though, problem is I want that sound at a lower level. I wonder if getting some quality smaller speakers for it in a cabinet might do the trick. Like (2) 6"ers or something. Or even (2) 5"ers. I would really like to hear the chorus in stereo. As of right now, I only hear that in the headphones. Doesn't do it justice. The chorus channel is a little noisy.

Someday I'll be looking to get some kind of dely or vibrato, or something to give it just a little movement, different than chorus. Anyone got any suggestion. Just a little fuller sound is all I want. Nothing that is over the top and digital craziness. Just a touch of fluidity or something like that. I wonder if opening up the back of the cabinet would do that. Of course I might lose some low end though if I do that. Even though I rarely have it past 6 on the EQ.

Anyways, this electric stuff is fun. Maybe someday I'll get to play that in church instead of the acoustic. Might be a welcomed sound differential.

B.B. King himself once told me the secret to his tone. Yeah, he dimed his amps and then controlled volume with his guitar. He felt it was his band's problem to keep up with him. The breakup from a dimed Fender Twin is one of the better things in life. He was a joy to meet. Anyways, diming your amp is a good start but smaller speakers won't do a thing for you.

I use my Tele in church a bit. I usually go for the neck pickup with my amp switched to the clean circuit and a bit of chorus. It really fills out the sound without making your ears bleed. I don't dime my amp and send the output directly to the PA. Oh, and on the old time standards I'll go for the bridge PU and a "Black Face" setting while letting the sound man send me some reverb.

In my case I'm using a Roland Cube 30. If I had the money for a JC 120 I'd be using that instead. I pass the signal off to the board through the headphone out connection. The clean is that typical Roland JC clean with some chorus dialed in. The "blackface" apes a Fender Twin reasonably well but is not a direct substitute. I use quite a bit of gain and full volume on the lead channel. It'll either sound like a choir or a barroom brawl depending on which channel you select. I'll generally roll off the tone knob when going to the bridge but kind of like it all in for the neck PU. The sound man some times goes

when I hit the lead channel and don't roll off my volume a bit. I suppose I should work on that a bit. Some times I'll use the "rectifier" setting to keep it interesting but a little of that goes a long way with my congregation. The 30x is inexpensive and works well plugged in directly. I'd prefer to have it line out and give me some stage volume too but you get what you pay for.

Experiment a bit before doing a worship service with it. You don't want to go in there and suddenly realize you sound like Keith Richards on a seven day bender. Teles are powerful instruments and should be wielded with great precision. I kind of think of the tone of them as some sort of nuclear banjo, cutting across the mix anytime, anywhere, and with authority.

ABPOS · 11-18-2010, 11:12 AM

Well, it's in God's hands when and if I get back to playing in church because of my health.

The typical set up for our church is two acoustics and a piano. And a drummer playing a cajon (which is really cool). I ask my pastor why he feels he needs 2 acoustics, when they both play rhythm. He said it just sounds fuller and they've had comments to that affect. And if one guy messes up, the other sort of glosses it over.

So I don't know if they'd be open to an electric. But if it was a clean enough sound that wasn't overbearing, I think they might be. But then the question becomes what amp to use. That isn't overbearing but has a good sounds. The smaller amps lack low end. But the bigger amps sound weak when played low. I guess that's my next quest. That VSS 20 is only 10 watts per channel of Solid State, but I think it would be too loud for the tone I want. And that's just with one channel.

Anyways, the neck pup is my favorite, has been my favorite and probably always will be my favorite. It's just right. I like the others to a point, but the neck really shines to me. I think if I ever make my "ultimate" guitar, I won't even put a bridge pup in it.

jeepnstein · 11-18-2010, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABPOS

Well, it's in God's hands when and if I get back to playing in church because of my health.

Snipped....

Anyways, the neck pup is my favorite, has been my favorite and probably always will be my favorite. It's just right. I like the others to a point, but the neck really shines to me. I think if I ever make my "ultimate" guitar, I won't even put a bridge pup in it.

You have my sincere prayer for a recovery, Lord willing.

Don't give up on the bridge pickup yet. Once you play it through an amp that is suited for a Tele, and play it loud enough, you will be hooked on that Twang.

I'll probably never use an amp in church again that's not running through the board. It's just so much easier to control the volume and mix. That also gets you off the grinder of having to compromise amp settings to keep stage volume manageable. A POD, a Boss ME25, or some such thing is a possibility. Telecasters and tube amps go together naturally but in a church setting that can be problematic.

ABPOS · 11-18-2010, 11:47 AM

Thanks for your prayers and input. I'm on my way to mayo clinic in fla next monday!! I've had gut issues for the last four years and despite feeling better at times, I go through cycles of being sick and keep losing weight. I can't afford to lose much more.

Anyways, something went over my head that you said, a 30x rectifier? What is that exactly? Yeah, I could see being plugged in directly, but do you need some kind of interface or pre amp with an electric?

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 11-18-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABPOS

Well, it's in God's hands when and if I get back to playing in church because of my health.

The typical set up for our church is two acoustics and a piano. And a drummer playing a cajon (which is really cool). I ask my pastor why he feels he needs 2 acoustics, when they both play rhythm. He said it just sounds fuller and they've had comments to that affect. And if one guy messes up, the other sort of glosses it over.

So I don't know if they'd be open to an electric. But if it was a clean enough sound that wasn't overbearing, I think they might be. But then the question becomes what amp to use. That isn't overbearing but has a good sounds. The smaller amps lack low end. But the bigger amps sound weak when played low. I guess that's my next quest. That VSS 20 is only 10 watts per channel of Solid State, but I think it would be too loud for the tone I want. And that's just with one channel.

Anyways, the neck pup is my favorite, has been my favorite and probably always will be my favorite. It's just right. I like the others to a point, but the neck really shines to me. I think if I ever make my "ultimate" guitar, I won't even put a bridge pup in it.

Not all small amps lack low end. I have a little 3watter that puts out a LOT of low end. It is a discontinued Frenzel Champ pro. Only one knob.

You are looking for purely a clean tone, right?

If I were you, I'd suggest a Fender Princeton silverface. They run around $300, and have a great clean tone and are not too loud.

I love the bridge pickup. I am considering what bridge pick up to put in the hollowbody I am making. Debating just putting in a Charlie Christian Bridge pickup in it.

jeepnstein · 11-18-2010, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABPOS

Thanks for your prayers and input. I'm on my way to mayo clinic in fla next monday!! I've had gut issues for the last four years and despite feeling better at times, I go through cycles of being sick and keep losing weight. I can't afford to lose much more.

Anyways, something went over my head that you said, a 30x rectifier? What is that exactly? Yeah, I could see being plugged in directly, but do you need some kind of interface or pre amp with an electric?

The Roland Cube 30x has a few "sampled" amp emulations. One of them is a "rectifier" which kind of apes a Mesa Boogie. It's a lot of fun to play and responds pretty much the way a Mesa would. I really like the Cube for packing a lot of options into a portable little package even though it doesn't do anything perfectly. It's loud, tough, and replaceable if something bad happens.

You can use the Cube as a typical combo amp or you can run it out through the headphones and in to the board. That's all you need at a most basic level to make your guitar go Twang. The 80x has a line-out.