Having been Stratfied at an early age, I've never had any use for telecasters. I've never been into twang (not putting it down, just not my need) and
was deeply in love with the strat's contours from the first time I tried one.
A couple of years ago, I realized (and should have from the beginning, not like I found new information) that there is more to teles than twang. My number one tele thing is Roy Buchanan; number two is early Zep Pagey (having been under the mistaken impression that all that was done on his LP). Next, some of Stevie Cropper's early stuff. I've always liked Robbie Robertson and early (70s) Bruce Springsteen, not for the twang but mostly for the way the rhythm playing on the tele still cuts through the thick band texture (many instruments).
My first experience playing a tele was a Squire with 009s. I got Pagey tone, and pretty much nothing else.
Thus the extent of my first hand knowledge of Teles. I'm planning to take the plunge and get/build one. But I need some help with things I still don't get:
Where does the twang/no twang thing come from? Only the players fingers? Early 50s (Roy B) vs. late 50s (James Burton)? Ash vs. alder? Maple vs. rosewood? Light strings (w/amp driven tone) vs heavy strings (with string/guitar wood driven tone)? Amp overdrive? Each particular tele's magical mojo? A combination of these things? Is it just an illusion that Jimmy Page sounds so different from Buck Owens?
A couple of years ago, I realized (and should have from the beginning, not like I found new information) that there is more to teles than twang. My number one tele thing is Roy Buchanan; number two is early Zep Pagey (having been under the mistaken impression that all that was done on his LP). Next, some of Stevie Cropper's early stuff. I've always liked Robbie Robertson and early (70s) Bruce Springsteen, not for the twang but mostly for the way the rhythm playing on the tele still cuts through the thick band texture (many instruments).
My first experience playing a tele was a Squire with 009s. I got Pagey tone, and pretty much nothing else.
Thus the extent of my first hand knowledge of Teles. I'm planning to take the plunge and get/build one. But I need some help with things I still don't get:
Where does the twang/no twang thing come from? Only the players fingers? Early 50s (Roy B) vs. late 50s (James Burton)? Ash vs. alder? Maple vs. rosewood? Light strings (w/amp driven tone) vs heavy strings (with string/guitar wood driven tone)? Amp overdrive? Each particular tele's magical mojo? A combination of these things? Is it just an illusion that Jimmy Page sounds so different from Buck Owens?
