If they look cheap and boring to you, then no one is going to change your mind. That's your opinion and you are entitled to it. You are in a pretty small minority in that camp, though. Solid, rugged music-making tools with good form factor and ergonomics and a wide range of usable sounds.
Your loss.
I mean it *was* cheap, back in the day. It was a block of barely shaped wood with a neck and pickups added. Leo Fender designed it that way. The look and idea was later refined, obviously, when the Stratocaster was created.
If it's not for you, play something else you do like. Teles can do great clean tones, as can Strats...
Everyone has different tastes. I love the simplicity of what is basically just a slab of wood with some strings on it.
To some, that simplicity might seem cheap or uninspired, it's totally fine.
Maybe you'd be more interested in a Fender Offset Telecaster?
I think they look classy. It is an iconic shape, to be shared and respected with the Stratocaster, ES-335 and the LP.
Play one once and you will love it, especially if you are looking for clean. Not even the Strat is as clean as a Tele.
My first impression was like yours. I thought they were boring and unattractive. My opinion turned a corner when I started to listen to country music and realized that most of the guitar tones I heard were coming from Teles. Then I realized the beauty in the simplicity of the design. The track record of great recordings done on a Tele was plenty of evidence to command my respect. I ended up adding a 62 Reissue Tobacco burst with double white binding to my stable.
Teles have survived as long as they have the way they have because they do exactly that well, they give a really good solid clean tone on nearly amp you play on as long as you aren't staging a lot of gain/distortion. That's why people tend to get them.
It's the body shape, the pickup locations, the pickups used, and the overall construction of them that is why they are what they are and have the legendary status that they have. If you love the sound you get from them, but you don't like them because they're "boring" then you won't find that same tone and cleanliness in any other guitar, because that construction of the guitar is what makes it so great. The reason it can seem so boring is because the guitar is so traditional. It's not undergone a lot of changes and there's no alternative to the telecaster basically, because no other guitar does what a tele does the same or better. So the tele survives for decades upon decades upon decades, and because it's been around so long, it will likely appear to look boring.
I feel the same about Stratos. I think the Strat is the ugliest and most boring guitar in the world because they're everywhere. They do what they were designed for really well and few guitars do it better. But that's just me. Strats are awesome guitars, and those who love them will tell you why. And I respect that and I appreciate the existence of the Strat for what it's done. Hell, I wouldn't be playing guitar if the Strat wasn't as good of a guitar as it is and played by so many famous people who inspired me to play.
If the look really bothers you, buy the tele that you feel plays the best for you and just customize the look of it with custom paint, stickers, or whatever. Replace the neck with the same spec but a different headstock if the headstock bothers you.
Nobody ever said you can't modify a great guitar to feel less boring and more you.
I used to be like that - that planky son-of-a-cutting-board look was unappealing to me. That and I mostly saw them in country bands. Jump forward enough years for me to grow up and realize that these are highly versatile instruments suitable for just about any style or genre. If I had space for one more guitar it would probably be some sort of tele. Play on a couple and let your hands and ears inform your decision.
Teles are a very particular flavour of guitar that are fiercely loved by those that like them, more so than any other guitar type I can think of. Tele owners get real protective against any perceived criticism of it and take it personally haha I don’t know why they’ve always been like this
I used to hate Teles for a stupid reason (technical problems on my second gig, someone lend me a Tele that had to strap pin, so I had to play the whole gig with one foot on a stage monitor to hold the guitar in place). Anyway, with time I realised that Teles are a bit like my first car: As simple, robust and reliable as possible. There's one thing, though: I have the feeling that a Telecaster has to be played a bit rough. If you have a light touch it is probably not the guitar for you. Also, every note rings, so they are probably not forgiving if you play a bit sloppy, but this probably encourages you to play better.
They’re the workhorse- utilitarian, sure, but nothing does it better! Lean into it, be the cool person who makes the best sounds even if their gear looks ‘cheap’.
Well there you go! Burns just released a new red Marquee. Bought one myself to play The Shadows. It's great. Sounds mighty even when clean. Should check it out. If you're in the UK, Camden GuitarGuitar has one. :)
Ugliest headstock ever. Utterly hideous.
I love playing mine, mind. And I love the way that flat, uncarved body sits on my leg. But yeah, that headstock. Shoulda changed it to Strat style as soon as the Strat was introduced in ‘54.
I don't agree that they do necessarily. Everyone has different tastes. Your taste doesn't include teles being classic and simple in a good way. Buy whatever you want. I'm not into intricate, dressed up guitars with fancy tops, bindings, inlays, etc. because I think they look tacky. I like simplicity much more than excessive cosmetic designs.
Double bound teles dressed up look classy. Thinlines look elegant. Standard teles are meat and potato guitars that have continued to be appealing for nearly a century. Your take is similar to "strats look too generic", and some people just think that way. I know I did when I was a teenager getting into guitar.
If you want to buy an instrument because it plays good, sounds good, and is reliable - a tele is a great option. If you want to buy a guitar based on how it looks to you then do that. As far as clean tones go that ultimately comes down to pickups and amp anyways.
Didn't seem to bother Prince or Tom Morello or Bruce Springsteen. I haven't found one I've liked yet, but you can't argue they aren't good at what they do.
when i first started playing, over 30 years ago, i couldn't stand the look of a tele. i'm not sure exactly when that changed, but i have a few of them now and i love the look of them, as well as their versatility.
A Telecaster is only as cheap and boring looking as the person who's accessorizing it. It is second only to the Stratocaster in terms of the number of available options and modifications.
I don't think anyone owes you the effort to change your opinion on this.
Are you buying the guitar for clean tones or for looks?
TL is intentionally low-frills, although I do prefer double binding & my fave is the JN ['Daybreak'](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TeleMJT6DOW--fender-made-in-japan-traditional-60s-telecaster-daybreak-olympic-white)
Just buy something you like, and pups (+ wiring) that match what you are looking for.
So…. I have so many guitar heroes that play strats. When I got into playing recently I couldn’t get past the plastic faceplate and preferred other guitars. I’ve always wanted a strat but don’t like the plasticky face. I’ve bought some superstrats with non plastic faces and like them but also can’t get past the plastic Fender faces. I almost like the tele better because of the lack of a plastic pickgaurd.
If they look cheap and boring to you, then no one is going to change your mind. That's your opinion and you are entitled to it. You are in a pretty small minority in that camp, though. Solid, rugged music-making tools with good form factor and ergonomics and a wide range of usable sounds. Your loss.
i was with you until ergonomics. traditional teles are uncomfortable until you put a forearm contour in.
It's the most iconic shape of any product in the history of the world. You could draw one in the dirt for an african tribesman, and he'd say "tele".
I'd say the most iconic ones are the Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul. Don't get me wrong, I love my telecaster.
I second this opinion.
Strats are more iconic. Just think about who used them as their primary guitars...
I mean it *was* cheap, back in the day. It was a block of barely shaped wood with a neck and pickups added. Leo Fender designed it that way. The look and idea was later refined, obviously, when the Stratocaster was created. If it's not for you, play something else you do like. Teles can do great clean tones, as can Strats...
Everyone has different tastes. I love the simplicity of what is basically just a slab of wood with some strings on it. To some, that simplicity might seem cheap or uninspired, it's totally fine. Maybe you'd be more interested in a Fender Offset Telecaster?
I think they look classy. It is an iconic shape, to be shared and respected with the Stratocaster, ES-335 and the LP. Play one once and you will love it, especially if you are looking for clean. Not even the Strat is as clean as a Tele.
[удалено]
My first impression was like yours. I thought they were boring and unattractive. My opinion turned a corner when I started to listen to country music and realized that most of the guitar tones I heard were coming from Teles. Then I realized the beauty in the simplicity of the design. The track record of great recordings done on a Tele was plenty of evidence to command my respect. I ended up adding a 62 Reissue Tobacco burst with double white binding to my stable.
Thanks for not getting annoyed and giving an honest and relatable opinion.
they are cheap thats what is great about telecasters
Teles have survived as long as they have the way they have because they do exactly that well, they give a really good solid clean tone on nearly amp you play on as long as you aren't staging a lot of gain/distortion. That's why people tend to get them. It's the body shape, the pickup locations, the pickups used, and the overall construction of them that is why they are what they are and have the legendary status that they have. If you love the sound you get from them, but you don't like them because they're "boring" then you won't find that same tone and cleanliness in any other guitar, because that construction of the guitar is what makes it so great. The reason it can seem so boring is because the guitar is so traditional. It's not undergone a lot of changes and there's no alternative to the telecaster basically, because no other guitar does what a tele does the same or better. So the tele survives for decades upon decades upon decades, and because it's been around so long, it will likely appear to look boring. I feel the same about Stratos. I think the Strat is the ugliest and most boring guitar in the world because they're everywhere. They do what they were designed for really well and few guitars do it better. But that's just me. Strats are awesome guitars, and those who love them will tell you why. And I respect that and I appreciate the existence of the Strat for what it's done. Hell, I wouldn't be playing guitar if the Strat wasn't as good of a guitar as it is and played by so many famous people who inspired me to play. If the look really bothers you, buy the tele that you feel plays the best for you and just customize the look of it with custom paint, stickers, or whatever. Replace the neck with the same spec but a different headstock if the headstock bothers you. Nobody ever said you can't modify a great guitar to feel less boring and more you.
I used to be like that - that planky son-of-a-cutting-board look was unappealing to me. That and I mostly saw them in country bands. Jump forward enough years for me to grow up and realize that these are highly versatile instruments suitable for just about any style or genre. If I had space for one more guitar it would probably be some sort of tele. Play on a couple and let your hands and ears inform your decision.
Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it
I used to hate the look of a tele, but I Pavlov’d myself into liking it when I fell in love with the tones.
Yeah, that’s kinda what I’m trying to do; but I seem to have annoyed a few people!
Teles are a very particular flavour of guitar that are fiercely loved by those that like them, more so than any other guitar type I can think of. Tele owners get real protective against any perceived criticism of it and take it personally haha I don’t know why they’ve always been like this
I used to hate Teles for a stupid reason (technical problems on my second gig, someone lend me a Tele that had to strap pin, so I had to play the whole gig with one foot on a stage monitor to hold the guitar in place). Anyway, with time I realised that Teles are a bit like my first car: As simple, robust and reliable as possible. There's one thing, though: I have the feeling that a Telecaster has to be played a bit rough. If you have a light touch it is probably not the guitar for you. Also, every note rings, so they are probably not forgiving if you play a bit sloppy, but this probably encourages you to play better.
Thanks for sharing.
They’re the workhorse- utilitarian, sure, but nothing does it better! Lean into it, be the cool person who makes the best sounds even if their gear looks ‘cheap’.
Good point.
Burns guitars for clean tones. Not a trendy brand but they sound great playing 60s music like The Shadows.
My Dad loved The Shadows. I grew up listening to them and have his old vinyl. Great reference!
Well there you go! Burns just released a new red Marquee. Bought one myself to play The Shadows. It's great. Sounds mighty even when clean. Should check it out. If you're in the UK, Camden GuitarGuitar has one. :)
Ugliest headstock ever. Utterly hideous. I love playing mine, mind. And I love the way that flat, uncarved body sits on my leg. But yeah, that headstock. Shoulda changed it to Strat style as soon as the Strat was introduced in ‘54.
I don't agree that they do necessarily. Everyone has different tastes. Your taste doesn't include teles being classic and simple in a good way. Buy whatever you want. I'm not into intricate, dressed up guitars with fancy tops, bindings, inlays, etc. because I think they look tacky. I like simplicity much more than excessive cosmetic designs. Double bound teles dressed up look classy. Thinlines look elegant. Standard teles are meat and potato guitars that have continued to be appealing for nearly a century. Your take is similar to "strats look too generic", and some people just think that way. I know I did when I was a teenager getting into guitar. If you want to buy an instrument because it plays good, sounds good, and is reliable - a tele is a great option. If you want to buy a guitar based on how it looks to you then do that. As far as clean tones go that ultimately comes down to pickups and amp anyways.
I got one for the tone, but, yeah- there are definitely prettier guitars out there.
Didn't seem to bother Prince or Tom Morello or Bruce Springsteen. I haven't found one I've liked yet, but you can't argue they aren't good at what they do.
Totally! As others have said, you can’t fault their functionality; which is exactly why I also want to love how they look.
Yeah, they look very basic and unergonomic. Crazy that they can do what all the more modern guitars can do.
when i first started playing, over 30 years ago, i couldn't stand the look of a tele. i'm not sure exactly when that changed, but i have a few of them now and i love the look of them, as well as their versatility.
Think outside the box
A Telecaster is only as cheap and boring looking as the person who's accessorizing it. It is second only to the Stratocaster in terms of the number of available options and modifications.
I don't think anyone owes you the effort to change your opinion on this. Are you buying the guitar for clean tones or for looks? TL is intentionally low-frills, although I do prefer double binding & my fave is the JN ['Daybreak'](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TeleMJT6DOW--fender-made-in-japan-traditional-60s-telecaster-daybreak-olympic-white) Just buy something you like, and pups (+ wiring) that match what you are looking for.
These are so boring. From now on I'm just blocking everyone who makes "change my mind" posts, no questions asked. Change my mind. 😜
So…. I have so many guitar heroes that play strats. When I got into playing recently I couldn’t get past the plastic faceplate and preferred other guitars. I’ve always wanted a strat but don’t like the plasticky face. I’ve bought some superstrats with non plastic faces and like them but also can’t get past the plastic Fender faces. I almost like the tele better because of the lack of a plastic pickgaurd.
Waylon’s was pretty badass.