My next guitar - advise me!

[Armistice]

LOL - it's all good. I'm well aware of everyone's favourite sounds, guitars and musical styles - it's just part of a process I'm going to go through for a change, instead of just buying another dual humbucker solid body without thinking about it. Now I may do that anyway, but I'll have thought about it in detail first.

The other thing is that, over the last decade I've gone from doing acoustic/electric guitar instrumentals, to being part of an acoustic pop duo to doing more complex mid tempo rock currently - I'll have enough of that for an album by the end of the year, I imagine, and then it comes down to what I do next, which will be different again, probably.

Assuming the Les Paul sale goes through, on the way back I go past one of the best guitar shops in Sydney where I don't normally get to, so I'll be stopping and playing various teles, jags and jazzmasters - which I know they'll have in stock - and seeing how they "speak" to me... I'll know more then.

All input is valued.

[Greg_L]

In the right hands a Tele is as versatile as anything out there.

You know that's not true.

[Roman]

Is so.

[Greg_L]

Is so.

No it isn't.

[Roman]

Hahaha!

[rammer24]

I know you are but what am I?

[rammer24]

I know I am but what are you?

[Armistice]

Yes. Definitely....

[Tadpui]

I played my Tele last night just to remind myself. It's definitely not a Swiss army knife of tonal options. Rolling back the volume or tone does offer a flavor of its own, and the difference between neck and bridge pickup is noticeably diverse. So there's some versatility there. But compared to the Jazzmaster, it doesn't have nearly as much range. The JM can get so dark and so bright that it almost sounds like a different instrument at the extreme ends of its range.

Also my Tele is the guitar that is most sensitive to temp and humidity changes. It was almost a 1/2 step sharp when I pulled it off the wall last night. My other guitars go sharp when left alone, but the Tele goes farther out of whack, and the neck needs more seasonal adjustments than my other guitars.

Mine is an American Deluxe, and it's a pleasure to play. Fit & finish are impeccable. Somewhere in the design of the 6-saddle bridge or the noiseless pickups it loses the twang of other Teles I've played. Maybe the twangier 3-saddle brass bridge Teles are more versatile?

[JD01]

I lusted after one of these when I was younger:

Looks pretty versatile.

[Bubba]

Looks pretty versatile.

Apart from the humbuckers, which are as versatile as a brick.

[Greg_L]

Apart from the humbuckers, which are as versatile as a brick.

They are really versatile if you can split them.

[JD01]

That guitar has three humbuckers and more switches than a Jaguar. Must be versatile.

[Armistice]

So for real versatility I guess I need a Tele, a Jazz and the Duesenberg.

Wait, did I say "need"?

My bad...


Scary thing is that excellent and (relatively) cheap used examples of the first and last of the three have recently appeared in a FB sales group ...

Next year. Next year.