As an 80’s shred boomer I thought I would never own a Tele. Now it’s the guitar I reach for. The Tele is such a transparent honest instrument everyone should own one. It makes you play different.

@handyc77

24 күн бұрын

i got a Charvel Super Tele. It's the most versatile instrument. I have ever owned

@raimondwamelink5208

24 күн бұрын

Honest is the right word. Love my K-Line Truxton.

@philfyphil

24 күн бұрын

Totally agree. I made two of my own, one with SD Tele bridge and a SD P90 neck, the other with 2 x SD mini humbuckers. I always reach for the first one, despite having a USA Strat, LP Historic ‘57 Gold Top and a PRS USA Custom 24. I set the amp with lots of drive then knock the Tele’s volume down to 8, and you get that incredible gutsy tone, lots of drive but retaining the clarity so you can hear every string. I love the headstock on them as well.

JNC, you have just gone even higher in my estimation, playing that groove! RIP JM! ❤

tele in middle position with some breakup is such a good sound

When i was young I found the look of the telecaster super odd. Now I have more t-shaped objects than non t-shaped ones.

A very tasteful "May You Never" interpretation!

I never saw myself as a Tele player now I gig with 2 and own 3. Most comfortable guitar playing standing up, especially Teles with a belly cut.

For me, more iconic than any other guitar model. Its simplicity and honesty are unparalleled. You playing on this Truxton convinced me to order my own Truxton. I'll never sell it.

@GuitarsOK

24 күн бұрын

Yessss! Can’t go wrong. Chris at K Line is awesome

The tone in this intro is mesmerizing ❤

I used to hate Tele headstocks, now they have grown on me.

@IvorThomas

24 күн бұрын

beauty follows function

@iagobroxado

23 күн бұрын

Always loved it but a drummer friend of mine used to call them "crippled horse" headstocks LOL

@rinseyvessel6523

22 күн бұрын

Everything about the telecaster says economy.

I always take a Telecaster and something else to all my gigs. It just works

Strats have deeper cutaway so easier access to higher positions. However, as the old saying goes “there’s no money above 12th fret” 😃❤️

@manofthepeople2165

23 күн бұрын

Its still more reachable than a Les Paul, and I can already reach the 22nd fret on my Les Paul with minimal issues.

@jed1mindtricks857

22 күн бұрын

If you cannot easily acces the higher positions on a tele, i seriously wonder how you do that..

I was always wanting a strat with no middle pickup, a 3 way switch, and just a master tone … I got a tele. Problem solved 👍

@GuitarsOK

24 күн бұрын

😂😂😂 👏🏻

@iagobroxado

23 күн бұрын

Except it doesn't sound like a Strat LOL

_"The Telecaster is Underrated"_ = clickbait, because we all know that's nonsense! But it worked, because we took the bait and clicked! I think if it was underrated, boutique guitar makers wouldn't be falling over themselves to make copies. It is, as Jonathan says in the video, genre-unspecific (genre-fluid?). Anyway, as others have said, everyone should own a Telecaster. The key to great Tele sounds is the tone control, especially on the bridge pickup. Don't be afraid to roll it off; the volume control also. Then adjust the amp to taste, and there's no going back.

Nice playing! I have around 40 guitars and 10 of those are Telecasters. Some have p90s, Humbuckers and strat pickups in the neck position. A couple have filtertrons. I have been playing for over 50 years and was a UK Fender rep in the 80s and 90s I always played strats like all my hero's until I saw Robben Ford live using a couple of Red Knob Fender Twins. I was hooked from that point. There are a couple of mods that I like to do...One is to fit a 4 way switch for series and parallel but the best thing for me is to have the tone control wired only to the bridgepickup. You can dial in your amp and neck pickup and adjust the bridge to taste. Works for me! And yes I do own a few of those "the twin" amps

@IvorThomas

24 күн бұрын

I was lucky to have seen Robben live get in the flow with his Tele and Dumble.

Agreed. I played the same one for 40 years. I tried playing Josh's one time and he had 13's on it. I couldn't even play the thing.

I have 6 Telecasters of various configurations (standard, two humbucker, Wide Range Humbuckers, 2 Nashville, 3 gold foil) and they are the most comfortable guitar style for me at 62 years of age and 53 years of playing.

@JDStone20

24 күн бұрын

Yeah, oddly the Tele is just as if not more comfortable for me that a Strat. I am happy with either one. Ideally I would always have both available. I have 2 Tele's on only one Strat.

@nekkon1989

24 күн бұрын

What about Cunife pickups?

@michaelgregory2231

24 күн бұрын

@@nekkon1989 I decided on the Curtis Novak wide range humbuckers for my CuNiFe selection.

The Tele is one of the most gutsy guitars out there, it will cut through anything on stage.

May You Never change your playing or videos. Lovely guitar work as ablways

Favorite tele player: Danish Pete from Amdertons! 😊 I bought many guitars that i thought would replace my tele as the no 1 guitar but my tele just is unquestionably better than anything else i own or have ever owned

Love my 78. So many different pickups but the quarter pounders are kickin in it now. Punk, rock, blues, it has done it all. Great tone John!

The telecaster is properly rated. Its elemental. At is at a basic level, what electric guitar sounds like. Every serious player has one.

Ever since I hung out with Danny Gatton, the Fender Tele was a special instrument to play.

may you never under estimate a tele

Chris from K-Line just sent me one of these for my show! Can’t wait to start playing it because I’ve always owned Strats. Shout out to John Cordy for playing K-Line and introducing them to me! Chris is a great luthier and even better person! Find his interview on my channel. Great guy

Bro... I LOVE your playing!!!

How bro how is it underrated it universally one the best guitars for any scenario

@jamesmarkham7489

24 күн бұрын

Gotta get them clicks! I don’t understand either when a telecaster has been in reverbs top selling list for years

@atonofspiders

23 күн бұрын

They're really not overrated or underrated. They're a wonderful historic piece that still holds up, and still has things to add to the experience of playing guitar in 2024

Lots of "T" shape guitars have tried to emulate Fender but Leo Fender's most simplistic, yet brilliant design that remains a classic one since his protype in 1948 and released in 1950 as the Esquire and 1951 finally as the beloved Telecaster. I love Fender Strats, but a Fender Tele will always be preferred. 🥰

First recent Tele for me: A Squier Contemporary Telecaster and love what they did there, a bit more of a modern shaping and a surprisingly hot humbucking rail bridge pickup

Love when you pull out the K-Lines. I would like to be able to play that brand they are just hard to find

Teles are a "must have" guitar in my opinion. You certainly get a fantastic tone out of that one. Great playing as always.

I’ve played a tele since 2008, then I recently got a les Paul studio as a second. No complaints!

Beautiful playing Beautiful Tone ❤ 🎸

Great video as always John. I've built lots of Teles and it's pretty easy to do a nice heel shape with a curved neck plate to make it a bit more comfy (I've seen some Fenders like this). Interesting comment about Strat neck pickup - my current build is my own body shape, but basically a Thinline Nashville with Tele bridge and two Strat pickups. And position 2 is Tele (Bridge and Neck). I think you'd approve! Cheers.

Beautiful touch as always on the intro, I'd love to learn that chord arranbgement, does the music or tabs exist ?

Keith Richards’ favourite guitar (minus one string)!

Really great playing in this video man! And the tele is such a genius guitar. They can do anything. Feel and looks wise, jazzmasters are my favorite, but there's just nothing that has the versatile perfect tone that a tele has.

I own a couple of Tele and was late to the Fender party. My 2 favourites are a stelecaster and a Nashville Tele. Both have strat n/m and Tele bridge pups. I love the strat middle pickup and the neck but the Tele bridge. I have a vintera 70s h/t strat and have put a mojo Tele for strat pickup in the bridge, it's mega versatile.

Simply the best. Teles are my favorite guitars by a long shot. By the way I really like the jams you’ve e put on Spotify!!

For many player's the Tele is the last stop after trying everything. I know so many who stuck with it from that point on.

I love my tele more than my revstar. The neck PU IS MY FAVE. Also the middle with light overdrive and stereo delay with a touch of tremolo

Hi John. One of my favourite Telecaster player is Roy Buchanan. KLine seems to be your favourite brand. They’re difficult to find in France. I have a G&L Asat classic and it’s really fine with their MFD pickups. Have a nice day.

My jaw was open hanging as you played. That was so beautifully done.

Roy Buchanan, Andy Summers, Tom Verlain, Jeff Beck, Steve Morse, George Harrison, Albert Lee, Jerry Donaghue, Jon Joergenson, Steve Cropper... it is a long list, but most of these used other sorts of guitars as well, so it shows that Tele's are an established hue on the guitar player's plallet.

I think Julian Lage really shows how dynamic a Telecaster can be. He makes that thing sing!

Wonderful playing! 🤩🤩🤩

Growing up in the 80's, the Tele was an old man's guitar with a tiny headstock and agricultural functionality to it. Now it is pretty much my #1. The only guitar in which the tone control yields useful tones (not congested and stunted tones a la woman tone). A smoothed heel joint, 22 fret, locking keys, compensated saddles and a neck pickup with more highs (like the Twisted Tele) are the only mods I need.

Can you talk about picks sometime. I am constantly looking for the “right pick” I have been a jazz 3 user for years but am not sure it is actually the best for my style. How did you settle on what you’re playing? Great content as always!

Beautiful..

That bridge pick-up is stonking!!! Sold my Baja and want another now.

My K Line Truxton is my holy grail guitar ….a keeper with tone and sustain that is inspiring every time I pick it up.

I have 4 Tele’s so I can obviously say ‘I agree-underrated’. My most played axe is my Isbell made in Mexico Tele with an aftermarket soft V neck & stainless frets. It’s my couch guitar with countless hours on it and zero fret wear.

@derekclacton

24 күн бұрын

@IvorThomas What brand is your soft V neck? They don’t seem easy to find! 🤔

I can’t think of Teles without thinking of Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan. Both pushed it to the breaking point.

Is that a second K-Line Tele we see leaning against the mirrors over your left shoulder?

The big man would have loved that cover.

Great video. Have you ever done a video talking about a one pick up guitar? is that the most minimalist guitar ever?

Hi John, are the pickups in that tele the K-line stock pickups?

Beautiful playing young man. I've seen Roy Buchanan, Danny Patton, Roy Nichols and others that made me love it. Still i mostly play a Strat, though.

All of the best guitarists I know play Telecasters.

You can't go wrong with a Les Paul and Telecaster in your arsenal. Throw in a 335 style for funnzies and you're off to the races.

I'm quite the "hardcore" stratocaster guy. However, I must say this. If you want to dabble with open tunings, a telecaster is THE guitar to have. It sounds absolutely MAGICAL and surreal. Then there's also the side of me who adores country so here is where it once again sounds magical.

John Martyn ? "May you Never" I think

Yes.

How is the Telecaster an underrated guitar? It’s one of the best-selling electric guitars ever. Definitely in the top 3. Certainly many guitarists may not realize how versatile it is, but underrated? Nope.

First, let me begin by saying that I am highly prejudiced toward Double Cut guitars. That basic look has always been my preference. The simplicity and, dare I say, the crudeness of the T-style basic design does NOT lend itself to my liking. That said...I love the sounds that a good T-style can produce..... so I got a T-style body along with the parts to make a T-style kit, and started cutting a second cutaway along with mild comfort cuts. I chose the basic T-style pickups, but I also added a humbucker in between those & a 5 way Monster switch to get some cool in-between pickup combinations. I also flipped the control plate around so the Volume control was closer to the bridge pickup, then the tone control and furthest down was the pickup selector. Woks better for me! I also cut my own headstock shape...another thing I have never liked about the T-style...and now I have my Ultimate TeleBlaster!

My favorite Tele is one with a reverse angle bridge pickup. I’m not sure I’d call it underrated though, as it is easily one of the top 3 selling guitar designs of all time (along with the Strat and Les Paul)

Josh Smith was right no matter what you wanna play telly will do the job

Weird how even a 62 year old's tastes and interests can evolve after 50 years of playing...never bonded with S or T's until a couple years ago...now own 4 Strats...and 10 Teles from HB($) to Fender CS ($$$$). So versatile, playable, and wonderful sounding. Need a Nash or a K-Line now....to complete my collection.

I love Teles. They do the in between position better than a Strat IMHO

Sorry for asking - Is there a name for the technique you are using at 0:41? It sounds so good!

@DiversityForIsrael

18 күн бұрын

Harmonic picking 🤷

What preset are you using?

I use em every day. They’re the best!

Prob the 2nd or 3rd most popular guitar of all time...but I kinda get the point

So this is day three of Tele ownership.. albeit an offset squire...still adjusting to the shape ( multiple strats and a revstar) all the teleisms are true.... just minor tweaks to the volume and tone keep you right in the mix, a compressor is your friend ... It just sits in the mix so well I love it.... Not looking to change anything and that's weird cuz I tweek most everything Clapton Strat included 😂😂 you just can't be too far wrong with a squire telly

R Fords sound man gifted me a. Pelham blue. Mild custom shop Fender neck 12. Radius. Med jumbo. Fralin neck. Pup I put a Artec n bridge n wired it like EJ. Its my .#1. Over a killer. Prs. N 71 strat, its literally . Bends notes like a 59 les paul. Thank u. Stewart Sound!

Love the sound of tele's , especially with a 4 way switch that adds the series position. But never liked the slab shape all that much both for comfort and looks, so Telemaster (offset telecaster, jaguar body shape with tele neck and electronics) for me. Sacrilege for some, but I think it's the best of all worlds.

I have 8 guitars in my arsenal. All types. But my Blond White Pickguard Tele I have since the 80s is my desert island guitar. I will never part with it. Playing it feels like home, period.

Interesting! In the last 10 secs you ended by saying “I think the tele is overrated”. Was that a slip of tongue or intentional?

Tele = what you put in is what comes out. A blank canvas. All other guitars seem to have more of a specific tone.

Did he say funk? Did he say FUNK? Prince, Steve Cropper, Cornell Dupree. Also, see Sly & The Family Stone Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin live in 1970. And Phelps 'Catfish' Collins played them too sometimes, check out James Brown & J.B.s playing Get on Up live on Italian television 1971, or Ain't it Funky, live in Paris. It's the guitar sound of Sex Machine too, which kind of makes it if not _the_ funk machine, definitely one of the two, with the Strat. Like you said, 335s show up lots in funk too (Leo Nocentelli of The Meters also played a 175, a Tele & a Strat), but was interesting there's a few Jazzmaster/Jazzblasters in there too, with Stone & Phelps 'Catfish' Collins. Props for the obligatory pinkie and index finger pointing when speaking about pickups.

That K-Line Truxton might be better than most peoples Fender Tele's at that price point (£1k+) Sounds great though :)

'May You Never' (John Martyn) as an instrumental version - a first maybe?

John-5 plays some absurd guitar on a Tele.

when you want to stay away from main stream, telecaster would save your soul :v math rock.

Is that news though since it’s been a workhorse for decades?

I have a hand made tele from Hungary ( Jack B) and even though I don’t gig anymore this is my absolute favourite guitar and somebody has to offer a pretty decent amount of cash to change my mind and sell it! 😂

I would never talk badly on the Telecaster's sound, it's easily one of the most versatile guitars out there, but man do I not like the look of them. I also tend to think that with the exception of that country twang, you can get imperceptibly close to all of the same sounds as a Tele with a P90 guitar. You can get close to the twang if you pick right next to the bridge, but nothing gets there quite like those brass saddles.

having played for 47 years, I now know that 99% of what I 'knew' about guitars is BS and that I only really need a 1/2 decent tele

I hate the Tele shape, but love the pickups/bridge configuration, objectively the Tele design has a lot of flaws regarding ergonomics and there aren't many versions out there with modern specs, I custom assembled a strato/Tele hybrid for myself and also have an Aria Tele with modern ergonomics, love them.

Did you say the tele is overrated at the end? :p

I think i think i think

Not playing a guitar because icons played it and you want to be different.. sounds super cheesy. Nobody listening cares, as long as it sounds good.

Nice bit o John Martyn - May You Never 👍 Johhny you're too bad 😜 You think it's OVERrated ? After all that ? Or was it a slip ?

12:01 Overrrated? Haha

@imagetailor

23 күн бұрын

Caught that too. Wonder if John misspoke or just playing around.

@lazvt8469

23 күн бұрын

had to rewind a couple times...he says 'overrated'...

"Overrated"? That's what it sounded like you said at 12:00 near the very end of the video. Just want to clarify cause obviously the title says "Underrated", without a question mark.

sounds awesome but anything sounds amazing when u play it

As a predominantly Gibson/ PRS player the Telecaster is the only Fender guitar I enjoy playing. I love it as rhythm guitar. The growl from an overdriven amp and the bridge pick up of a telecaster cuts through any mix. It’s also a great base sound when creating textures with delay and reverb with easy access to both volume and tone controls. Its simplicity is its strength as the instrument can be whatever you need it to be.

"heavily inspired by" is such a great euphemism for "complete rip off."

My first guitar was a t-style/Tele guitar, I still have it thank G-d (Early model 1986 G&L ASAT, 3T Sunburst with the Jumbo MDF pickups, traded for it back in the late 1990s, I think I got a good deal, my friend played Bass and didn't have any use for a 6-String). The only reason I play a s-style/Strat is because I am a huge Hendrix fan, along with other Strat players like Buddy Guy, Curtis Mayfield, Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore, SRV, Dave Gilmore, etc. I like either one, a Strat or a Tele, but the more I play a Strat the more I appreciate it's versatility. Still will always love the Tele though. I am happy and at home with either.

I don't really think the Telecaster is underrated at all - tons of people use them and consider them their #1 instrument. I suspect it is only Stratocaster players think that a Tele is somehow inferior. Personally, as you talked about, I thinkk the Tele is very versatile. The Strat, to me, is more limited. Those evry low output pickups require a lot of work to get them sounding the way you want them to (unless you are going for Jerry Garcia, which a Strat does easily by default. Anyway, what we can agree on is that Teles are great.

The best selling guitar in the world is underrated. There you go you have what you wanted. A reaction...