Leaderboard

Lastly, a couple of shots of my own Tele. Of all the guitars I own, this is the one that found me rather than me going looking for it. Although in many ways I still think of myself as a Strat man, this is the guitar I'd life on the way out of a burning building. (Then I recall Rory Gallagher's number one was not the famous Strat but a Tele as well. Maybe it's an Irish thing...) This is a 71RI Crafted in Japan Fender Telecaster that I bought new in 2006 (photos from around then; it has since developed a bit of a gouge in the cutaway that I may or may not have touched-up eventually, can't fully decide). Got that big, but clear, punk rock sound like Steve Jones' 'Bollocks' 72 LP Custom that I tried to find in a Gibson LP style for years (but they all sounded like mud in my hands). I can see two more Teles in my future... when time / money allow, I'm keen on a pair of Squier CV 50s Teles, one to be rewired as a Broadcaster, one as an Esquier. For the latter, I *might* instead pick up a good Squier Affinity Tele, and switch out the bridge and pup...

Any excuse to post an image of my 66 Tele

No direct experience myself, but I had a friend had one years ago. After a couple of what were then considered beginner guitars (a bolt on Epi LP 100, swapped for a Vintage (as in JHS, not age) SG which was an outstanding guitar, laughably good for what they go for, he went looking for a Tele. (Clapton fan, worked backward from Cream...). He tried a few in the shop, from MIM through the Squiers and ended up with an Affinity in blonde. Lovely guitar, genuinely good, all questions of money aside. My experience of that end of Squier is that the Teles tend to be the sleepers. Less to go wring than on a Strat, plus the budget isn't being stretched to as much body shaping, a third pickup, a trem, and so on, so the money 'goes further'. You do get the occasional sharp fret and such; I think the trick is to try as many as possible and you'll find a good one that way. (Not that I've ever played one that was horribly bad, but as with anything at that end of the market QC isn't quite as strict as it would be spending five times the amount.) Being as Joe Strummer's birthday was over the weekend (in a just world, he'd have been sixty-nine this year, and Van Morrison would have rfotted away to nothing by now).... Joe's number one: The rust is apparently from it being inadvertently left in his barn for a few months after Joes died so suddenly. Less well know, Joe's #3 Tele in the Clash days: And Joe's #2, a white Esquier: Fender have recently done a Custom Shop version of this one: A snip at fourteen GRAND. Which seems a bit odd... I've seen it get razored for that online, but given the money is going either to Joe's family or Strummerville, why not do an LE run if there are those who can afford it... All done and said, it wouldn't be hard to do a partsocaster version, which is probably more in Joe's spirit anyhow. Fun thing I noticed was they've ditched the Cuba sticker, guess that didn't sit easy with the American capitalists making this one. I think even Joe would have had a wry chuckle at that.

Before:

Just a standard Squier from me. I got it to go mad with modifying it but I've changed my mind so either nothing, or a refin to natural, depending on what the body wood looks like under the paint.