My first Fender is a 1997 American Standard Telecaster. I bought it (in 1998) as a challenge to myself; would I be able to play a guitar which is devoid of my fancied features? The tele was the perfect opposite of my Ibanez:
- single cutaway body design
- single coil pickups
- lesser number of frets
- non-locking nut/ bridge
- no bevel/ chamfer to promote comfort fit
- maple fretboard
- non-slim neck
The Tele was indeed a challenge in the beginning, I had a hard time getting comfy with the thicker & rounder neck profile. The guitar's body edges kept digging into my ribs, the tuning was off rather quickly during play & the hum at high drive settings was annoying. Ironically, this guitar made me adapt & learn more about maintenance. It's also one to constantly remind me I'm cradling a no-frills guitar so all I have to offer while playing are good chops, otherwise it's the perfect implement to showcase one's incapacity.
When I subsequently bought a Strat, this Tele was resigned to accept my eccentric playing; the love for aggressive music. As evident from the current pickups on board, it's tinkered to accept more drive without being sonically repulsive. In fact, I subliminally challenged it to ferry my black metal inclinations because if it's as good as it's touted to be, it would rise to the occassion. Verdict: It's one of my favourite guitar for the genre. I have utmost respect for the brand name & what the 'Telecaster' name upholds; simplicity that withstood the test of time.
Current pickups on board:
- Bridge: Hot Rails (for Tele)
- Neck: Hot Rhythm
2 comments:
sorry if i hijack ur blog..
but i wanna ask, how much would a fender american standard telecaster cost first hand frm a shop??
thnx
there's a current promo (Swee Lee) for the Am Std Strat/ Tele: $1,500
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