The Telecaster Is The "Ugliest" Instrument?

[Paleo]

Sorry folks. I'm not actually starting a discussion about what guitar is the ugliest.

It's just a marketing ploy to draw you in.

(Though it is mentioned in the video.)

The following is the real reason I'm posting this.


I don't surf YouTube very often, but I ended up there this morning and this video popped up.

I usually wouldn't have watched it to the end.

Nor would I have posted it here.

But the parallels to my own "journey" were too much to ignore.

And I'm pretty sure others of my generation will get where I'm coming from.

But only the similarities to Robben's story.

Not the actual ability.

https://youtu.be/JoQVAWbA-F8

 

[Rob63]

I always tied teles to country. Then a few years ago I got a G&L Carved Top with humbuckers and then also got a G&L ASAT Special with MFD pickups. They totally changed my outlook on teles.....very comfortable to play. Flipped the ASAT for a flatter fingerboard and ended up flipping the carved top as well. Melted down to just G&L Legacy(strat) and a LP. Funny how we get consumed by having all the different sounds/pickup combinations.

 

[Rob63]

Ford is a very versatile player. Interesting to hear him talking about his influences
.

 

[Grateful_Ed]

Might be ugly, but it's tough..

 

[CaptainMoto]

That damn thing is ugly!
Oh it sounds so good though.

He always amazes me with his chording repertoire.

 

[ChrisGSP]

Highlights for me in the first 8 minutes. Bloomfield and the "integrated" Butterfield Blues Band; the Mickey Baker book/s; "those notes work over that chord, what are you gonna do with them".

 

[MikeR]

It's only ugly when I play it.

 

[MarkDyson]

Fun video! Thanks for sharing.

I was totally drawn in by the subject line, to be sure. I kinda like how Teles look.

 

[BoogieMan]

Might be ugly, but it's tough..

Handy for bar fights!

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

Compared to Robbin Ford my playing is so ugly its mamma had to feed it with a slingshot.

 

[Many Moons]

They definitely weren't lookers in the early days, but I think they've matured beautifully.

 

[kestrou]

Beauty is in the eye of the (guitar) holder...

 

[Many Moons]

I bet that thing sounds mean!!!!!

 

[kestrou]

I bet that thing sounds mean!!!!!

It's a 68...

At one point was converted to left-handed - cutaway done (roughly) with a band saw and body routed out to swap the controls...

Later converted back to right-handed - prior control route filled with Bondo and then (mostly) covered with a 1978 National Hot Rod Association "Fall Nationals" sticker...

The humbuckers are DiMarzio from mid/late 70s and aren't as "high output" as today's humbuckers - but because that bridge humbucker is several inches away from the bridge there's a lot more string vibration than it would normally see, so turns out it *is* high output.

And, in the immortal words of Lynyrd Skynyrd, that Tele has "drank enough whiskey to float a battleship around!"

Now, who DOESN'T see beauty when looking at that Tele?!

Kevin

 

[MarkDyson]

Cool story about how that Tele got how it is! Thanks for sharing!