I have a duncan alnico2 in the midlle position of my US Standard strat. You can bend it like Berry on a Strat, but it takes a lot more work. Fender PlayStep-by-step lessons. The Stratocasters 3-pickup combination matched with a 5-way selector and tremolo arm does undoubtedly open up more tonal and playing possibilities making the guitar more versatile than a Telecaster on paper. However its a telecaster. There even could be a possibility where you love the feel of a Telecaster, but you love the sound of the Strat more. Scott L Strat-O-Master. When the the Telecaster vs Stratocaster debate comes to tone, one need not look further than the pickup configuration. But the Stratocaster has a noticeably larger headstock, whether the original iteration or the bulky one that was used from 1965-81. Buy a Tele if you want the sound of a Tele thats the only way its gonna happen. Funny thing is, its your typical ash body brass saddle telecaster yet that really twangy sound you expect of it unplugged. Its hard to get a blending sound on chords apparently because of the 25.5 scale length . Its not there at all. I had recently acquired a set of Dimarzio EP1200 Custom Taper pots that I was excited to test out, so I went ahead and swapped out all three while I had the guitar taken apart. Stratocaster Electronics vs. Telecaster Electronics The Stratocaster and Telecaster generally have similar electronics. You can experiment with which of the outer lugs you want to use on the toggle switch depending on what direction you want to flip the switch to turn the bridge pickup on. All three pickups are now active. Single-Coil to Humbucker Tone with a Pedal. To save yourself the headache of taking everything apart again, it is easiest to test the pickups with a screwdriver instead of waiting for the instrument to be reassembled. 4,594. Firstly, capo the strings on one of the lower frets to keep your masterful restring job from going willy-nilly, and lower the string tension until the strings become loose enough. You can get it close but yiur bridge pickup is going to be insanely bright and insanely loud. These include classic models like the Telecaster, Stratocaster, Les Paul, Explorer, Flying-V, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, SG and 335s. Messages: 959. Fender stratocaster MIM Deluxe super strat sounds twangy like a Telecaster with neck and bridge pickups activated It’s a different beast than a Strat. There are even alternatives that are voiced to sound like P-90s, Charlie Christians and so forth that will drop in without the need for routing the body. I can't speak for the Squiers,but I have a 66 Fender Mustang and like the Tele,it has a sound of it's own. For this method you will need to sacrifice one tone pot, which will instead act as the “on/off” switch for your bridge pickup. If I could somehow bathe in Delay pedals with a few Game Boys sprinkled in I would. You can wail on a Tele all you want, slam the strings hard and the Telecaster can totally handle it with ease. As the world’s first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar, the Telecaster was groundbreaking when Leo Fender introduced it in 1951. Next you need to loosen the screws which hold the neck to the body of the guitar. Loved by many for its tone and versatility, it featured a number of innovations that separated it from other guitars of the era, including a three-pickup system which was controllable with a 5-way blade switch. The Telecaster has always carried a three-way switch, but after guitarists found that they could get more tonal versatility by jamming the Strat’s original three-way switch in between the first and second position and second and third position, Fender outfitted it with a standard five-way selector. The bridge pickup on the Stratocaster by passes the tone control and often makes the pickup sound quite bright too. If done correctly you should hear a pop from tapping the neck pickup as well as the bridge pickup, but the middle pickup should remain silent. Finally, remove the screws that hold the pickguard to the body, and gently lift and flip it over so that it is laying face down on the body with everything else facing up. READ MORE: Decoding Standard Pickup Arrangements. With our easy monthly payment plans, you can get the music gear you need today -- and split the cost into monthly installments on your existing credit card. Strats can get that twang too, but it seems more full on a Tele. Since its release in 1954, the Fender Stratocaster has proved to be a tried-and-true instrument. Fortunately, the Stratocaster is also an easily modified instrument, and as it turns out, can be modified to include this sixth pickup combination from the Telecaster. The bottom line is that everything seems to work pretty well in the neck position of a Tele – including the original pickup. They each have a master volume control, but where the Tele only has one tone control, the Strat has dedicated tone knobs for the middle … Best solo tone you'll ever have. Replacing the standard Telecaster neck pickup with a Stratocaster neck pickup is the least invasive mod on our list. Then flip back to just the bridge position by itself, and flip your toggle to “on”. There are even alternatives that are voiced to sound like P-90s, Charlie Christians and so forth that will drop in without the need for routing the body. Both the modern Telecaster and Stratocaster bolt-on necks largely feature 22 frets and a 25.5” scale, with identical nut width and 9.5” fretboard radius. Some guitarists claim that the larger Strat headstock gives the guitar more sustain and tone, but that debate has raged for years. Depending on what parts you have available, and how you prefer to activate this combination, there are a few different ways to perform this modification. Mine has a strat neck, sounds like a strat unplugged and the neck position sounds like a strat. And oftentimes, players sit somewhere in between. zZounds, Have questions or comments on our blog? Best woul be an over wound Strat single coil that used 43 ga PE and then push it with pedals. But when considering the Strat vs. Tele debate, it goes way beyond basic aesthetics, as the sound of a traditional Stratocaster—clean, clear, punchy—is generally different from what you can get out of a traditional Telecaster—twangy, shimmering, warm. When you are confident that everything is right, feel free to reattach the neck, tune up, and enjoy the sounds of this new pickup combination. Once you know which is the right lug, you need to solder an additional wire to this lug that connects to one of the center terminals on the mini toggle switch. The distance between those pickups is important though. To do this, plug your guitar into an amplifier, and tap the pickups lightly which should result in a popping sound from the amplifier. I can make my strat sound exactly like a lp with my new digitech rp155 on single notes but the second I hit a chord the separation of the notes cant be hidden . You can test the differences in your other Strats. The Tele has a single cutaway and no body contours. Eq to taste. If you're already getting "twang", chances are you'll retain some IMO. My guitar teacher says he prefers stratocasters becayse they have more pickups and so therefore, you can get different sounds out of them. As an experienced musician, I can tell you that two guitars may look or sound to be similar when you’re reading about them. Conversely, the finest Stratocaster in the world will sound like chaos in the hands of a player who has not put in the hard time. And a LP doesn't really sound like a 335. Be the first to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways. Nightprowler, Nov 9, 2009 #10. There are a few caveats to this though: on most standard Strats, the bridge pickup is wired to bypass the tone control which can make the pickup sound pretty bright. So the answer is both yes and no. Together, they carry the coat-of-arms of the family Fender: single-coil pop, bright articulation, and endless versatility. The bridge/mid sound is a bit too thick to be accurate but it is plenty close in a band mix. Different Stratocaster and Telecaster Models. Fortunately there is a way to get to these parts without having to completely restring your guitar. I prefer to keep it near the normal pickup selector switch for simplicity’s sake. I don't get this at all. Email, ships from multiple warehouses across the continental United States, There's no better time to get into the world of classic. Having 3 pickups mitigates the distance, obviously, and will make the resulting two additional notch positions sound much like those of a Strat. Even if you can play every lick in the book, it can be hard to get recognition if you have the same sound as everyone else. After all, their body styles and headstocks are shaped so differently. That's one of the reasons Telecasters have such a "solid" sound. Neben einem anderem Aussehen (u.a. They each have a master volume control, but where the Tele only has one tone control, the Strat has dedicated tone knobs for the middle and bridge pickups. Noiseless Strat pups don't sound like P90 or JM I think so many Strat player want a P90 sound some pup makers are jumping on this and saying they sound like but they really won't and taking the single coil Strat pups and making them noiseless only pushes the Farther from that tone. The angle of the Telecaster gives the pickup more edge. Traditionally, the Telecasters come with a set of 2 single-coil pickups (we’re ignoring the bunches of variations today). You can test that the volume pot is working, and even check out the tone pots as well. READ MORE: How the Strat Came to Have Two Heads. Both guitars have a rich history and countless devotees, but the feel and sound can differ greatly. You can make amps sound similar to others, pedals help in creating sounds similar to amps but trying to make a Strat sound like a Tele is nearly impossible I'm afraid. A great Stratocaster will pump out what guitar connoisseurs describe as "glassy" tones. No pedal on earth can make a Strat sound like a Tele or a Les Paul or anything other than a Strat. Strat pickups should sound warm and woody with a hint of 'plink', like flicking the rim of a wine glass with your fingernail. Like them or hate them, Stratocasters are super comfortable and can be played for hours and hours at a time without tiring out the player. The switching, however, is another story. A lot of it is vibe. I just love the sound of a telecaster though. My favorite Telecaster mod for a Stratocaster includes the addition and use of a mini toggle switch. Introduced in 1954, the guitar piqued curiosity when Buddy Holly played one on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1957, but truly gained global acclaim in the hands of 1960s virtuosos like Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Robin Trower and Eric Clapton. A Tele can mimic a big-bodied jazz guitar, a country pedal steel, and a Les Paul. Since 1996, zZounds has been making it easy for musicians to get the gear they need. As for the Stratocaster, Leo was initially looking to refine the classic Tele design, but during the development process, an entirely new model rose from the sawdust. Your unique sound comes from your playing and also from your choice of guitar, amp, and effects. Overall you will need a soldering iron – with accompanying soldering skills – some wire, a capo, and a basic set of screwdrivers. At the time, rock and roll was still a few years away, and Leo and his staff were building guitars and amplifiers for western swing guitarists looking to get more volume and projection. Wiring diagram for the 7-sound Strat mod. On a Strat, however, I can get smooth, warm tones that I can't always find on a Tele. What’s more, it is mounted on the Tele’s metal bridge plate, which can give it a more powerful tone. And make sure you have a nice quiet workplace, so you can concentrate on the job in hand. You’re talking about solid-body electric guitars. Instead I usually settle for parking in front of my Fender DeVille trying out different pedal combinations. Ah, the age old question. csbirtcher, Jul 7, 2016 But, once you start manipulation the sound, put so OD or dist on it, well, you are hearing more and more of the OD and less of the guitar. The hardtail sounds bigger because the strings are anchored in the body, not just in a trem block. Get a strat and play on the neck pickup. A Strat with maple fretboard will have more snap, rosewood will be warmer. ), READ MORE: Understanding the Stratocaster Selector Switch The simplest part is finding some open real estate on the pickguard to drill a new hole and install the switch. Some artists swear by playing with their fingers as opposed to a pick when referring to dynamics. I'd think the guitars would sound generally the same, since the basic components (wood, … Here is a basic guide between the two. 5-way switch set to neck and middle position. Fortunately there is a way to get to these parts without having to completely restring your guitar. However, the sound and the feel of a Stratocaster versus a Telecaster is extremely different. Its hard to get a blending sound on chords apparently because of the 25.5 scale length . As drubbing says, strats are very different from teles in sound - don't expect a three pickup single coiled tele to sound the same as a strat or you'll be disappointed. In the 70’s, long before the Internet, I taped a Joan Armatrading concert off the radio. I had a 335 in the house for a few days, and it sounded like, well, a 335. Our interactive gear guide, FindYour.Fender.com, matches you with the perfect model by learning about your sound & style. Jan 15, 2011 Arkansas. If you’re looking for a Telecaster tone, sure. After playing every one of these throughout my over 40 years professional career, the answer is… All of them. Subtleties like dynamics and knowing when/what not to play instantly transform the guitar to a whole new level. Accessing the pots and switches that we need to change can appear to be a daunting task as they are located under the pickguard, which is neatly situated under the strings. Sound: It gives a lot more options when it comes to tone and a richer, more distorted sound quality but can also give a mellow, fuller sound due to its variable pickup configuration. Nightprowler, Nov 9, 2009 #10. Mine has a strat neck, sounds like a strat unplugged and the neck position sounds like a strat. As a Strat player I loved the sound of her guitar player and held up that concert as THE perfect example of good a clean Strat sound. Simply set your 5-way switch to the neck and middle position and turn on your bridge pickup and you will hear the sound of all three pickups working at once. I also have a Deluxe Strat with a push push that turns on the bridge pickup in positions 4 and 5. These days, Filter’Trons and Gold Foils are popular and P-90s also work a treat. I'm sure someone that has one will be along soon with more help than I. JD vlxerdon, Dec 8, 2015. vlxerdon, Dec 8, 2015 #2. stratphobic Squier-holic. The neck/mid sound is adead on strat sound. Then take one of the outside lugs on the pot and connect it back to the common/output lug on the switch. I … From here, the wiring will prove to be very similar to using the toggle switch. You’ll be well on your way to finding the right guitar for you. To save yourself some heartache, you can actually re-wire one tone pot so that it changes the tone of all three pickups, and still free the other one for your Telecaster mod. Diagram courtesy of Seymour Duncan Pickups. So I'm sayin' "yes, it has been done" . Strat B+N sounds a lot more like a Tele than you'd expect. Sie war ergonomischer geformt (keine harten Kanten wie bei der Tele) und war so besonders angenehm zu spielen. gtrgtr.uk/SquierTeleFeaturing the Squier Affinity Telecaster through a Blackstar ID:Core 10 amplifier It sounds like a Muy Grande pickup, which almost sounds like a P90. I … The Telecaster and the Stratocaster — two instruments that set the standard for electric guitars since their inception in the 1950s. They are both very unique and I would highly recommend both, if possible. I'd think the guitars would sound generally the same, since the basic components (wood, … From what I've seen, it seems to me that the Stratocaster tends to be more popular among rock/jazz musicians and the Telecaster tends to be more popular among country/40s/50s style rock musicians. 5. Telecaster vs Stratocaster … Then unplug it and plug in a tele in the neck setting. Replacing the standard Telecaster neck pickup with a Stratocaster neck pickup is the least invasive mod on our list. Accessing the pots and switches that we need to change can appear to be a daunting task as they are located under the pickguard, which is neatly situated under the strings. You can only be truly informed after playing them yourself. The Stratocasters 3-pickup combination matched with a 5-way selector and tremolo arm does undoubtedly open up more tonal and playing possibilities making the guitar more versatile than a Telecaster on paper. And they’re all under £500! As for the body silhouettes, both are instantly recognizable. If you are down one toggle switch, you can also perform this modification using parts that are already installed on the guitar. The best thing to do is refuse to let the stereotypes themselves lead you down a certain path. Neck and middle position set on the 5-way switch with the bridge pickup toggled on. At the same time, Strats and Teles are different in some significant ways. That's not to mention the variations on each that have come out over the years, such as the new American Performer Series or Player Series, with assorted specs like pickup configurations, neck profiles and tonewoods. (Fender also makes Stratocaster and Telecaster models with humbucking pickup options. My true passion lies somewhere between music and video games. It may take some deliberation, but you can choose which one of the two that you want to get rid of. As a Strat player I loved the sound of her guitar player and held up that concert as THE perfect example of good a clean Strat sound. When you have your wiring set, you can test your work using the same method as before. You could give The Edge Slash's rig and he won't sound like G'N'R. If you looked at electric guitars through the lens of genealogy, the Stratocaster and Telecaster would seem like brothers born three years apart. Firstly, capo the strings on one of the lower frets to keep your masterful restringjob from going willy-nilly, and lower the string tension until the strings become loose enough… Besides my newest I posted earlier here, I've been doing just that since the early '90s, before nashville teles. Ultimately, it’s just a … Twang-loving country legends like Luther Perkins and Buck Owens helped bring the Telecaster sound to the masses, influencing rock players like Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and George Harrison who would, in turn, change the face of music in the 1960s and beyond. Joined: Jan 1, 2009 Location: NJ. Insgesamt klingt die Strat … While it is going to take a little bit of extra work, you can combine all of the pickups … A great Stratocaster will pump out what guitar connoisseurs describe as "glassy" tones. If you looked at electric guitars through the lens of genealogy, the Stratocaster and Telecaster would seem like brothers born three years apart. > I will be shaping a Telecaster body to be like a Stratocaster. The Strat bridge is attached to springs that allow the player to raise or lower the pitch of the strings through the use of a “whammy bar.". I personally like to start by making sure that the normal five positions on the blade switch work normally. Specifically, someone said 'you can make a tele sound like a strat but you can't make a strat sound like a tele'. It didn't sound like the strat with buckers at all. Set your switch to where it is in the neck-only position, then slowly turn the pot you wired from zero to ten while gently tapping the bridge pickup. Soldering Potentiometers. Upon first look, a Stratocaster and Telecaster are easy to tell apart. Ahhh, in that case, game on! The Stratocaster and Telecaster generally have similar electronics. There was a discussion of the versatility of telecasters vs. stratocasters. READ MORE: What Is Fingerboard Radius? It’s no secret that many Fender players love the sound of a Stratocaster’s neck pickup, and mounting a favorite Strat-style neck pickup in your Tele is a … Both guitars are beloved by casual players and iconic artists alike around the world and have been used to create just about every genre of music imagineable. I was under the impression that the only real difference between a tele and a strat … Amazingly, traditional versions of the Stratocaster and Telecaster have gone largely unchanged for more than 60 years, and their popularity shows no signs of waning. They might look similar, but the biggest single factor in the distinctive sound of a guitar is the electronics, and they have very different electronics—in particular, different pickups, and different pickup arrangements. There are however, pickups available that can help, a Steely for example will go a little way in getting there but not far enough. Both the Telecaster and Stratocaster models typically retail brand-new for around $1,100 virtually anywhere fine guitars are sold. Strat pickups should sound warm and woody with a hint of 'plink', like flicking the rim of a wine glass with your fingernail. Throughout the ages, guitarists have gravitated towards either the Strat or the Tele. Once you are familiar with how the wiring works, this modification can be completed in about a half hour. 1000s of songs.START YOUR FREE TRIAL. As far as your standard Telecaster goes, many describe the neck pickup as sounding very mellow, more so than a Strat in fact. It’s no secret that many Fender players love the sound of a Stratocaster’s neck pickup, and mounting a favorite Strat-style neck pickup in your Tele is a … Can't decide between a Strat or a Tele? And with that, your modded Strat is ready to test. Selecting the humbucker preset adds warmth, thickness, to the sound and removes the bright and twangy sound of the single-coils. Like them or hate them, Stratocasters are super comfortable and can be played for hours and hours at a time without tiring out the player. gtrgtr.uk/SquierStratFeaturing the Squier Affinity Stratocaster through a Blackstar ID:Core 10 amplifier If you can try one one out that would be the best way to tell if you'd like it enough to justify getting one to compliment your strat. Funny thing is, its your typical ash body brass saddle telecaster yet that really twangy sound you expect of it unplugged. Whether a Tele or a Strat is right for you is a matter of personal opinion. No, it will sound the same as a regular Stratocaster when plugged in ( pick-ups are magnetic sensing devices, NOT microphones ), though it may have a little more volume when played unplugged. Once you start noodling around on a Telecaster, it's most likely true your favorite sound will be the front pickup, as in the "neck" pickup. They definitely have a different sound and feel. So I'd say you're good to go. Noiseless Strat pups don't sound like P90 or JM I think so many Strat player want a P90 sound some pup makers are jumping on this and saying they sound like but they really won't and taking the single coil Strat pups and making them noiseless only pushes the Farther from that tone. Yes. The easiest way to do this is to find the output wire on the pickup itself, and trace it to where it connects to the switch. Players like Eric Johnson rewire the "lever switch" to activate the tone control on the bridge pickup. Ash, mahogany and other tonewoods have also been used. Both have six adjustable saddles (vintage Teles had three saddles), but the Telecaster’s houses the bridge pickup, while the Strat bridge is a two-point tremolo system. Joined: Jan 1, 2009 Location: NJ. First, connect a wire from the lug on the switch where the bridge pickup connects to the middle lug on the free potentiometer. Best woul be an over wound Strat single coil that used 43 ga PE and then push it with pedals. These are just two ways of achieving this modification, but if you look, you will find that there are even more ways of making this wiring work. They both have their own strengths and weaknesses, and very distinct tones. Having said that they can both do the "just-neck" sound, but I like my Tele's just-neck sound better than my Strat's just-neck sound. This switch is basically going to become an on/off switch for the bridge pickup. Together, they carry the coat-of-arms of the family Fender: single-coil pop, bright articulation, and endless versatility. While Fender has made several iterations of both guitars over the years, here is a breakdown of what separates is thought of a traditional Tele and Strat. The benefit of using this method is that you can actually blend in the tone of your bridge pickup, as opposed to simply turning it on and off. If you look at this diagram you can see clearly how a typical Stratocaster is wired up and if you use this and your photo that you took earlier of your guitar, then you should have enough information to wire up your guitar. A Tele can mimic a big-bodied jazz guitar, a country pedal steel, and a Les Paul. Looking for a beginner guitar? Fender stratocaster MIM Deluxe super strat sounds twangy like a Telecaster with neck and bridge pickups activated Upon first look, a Stratocaster and Telecaster are easy to tell apart. Die Stratocaster wurde auf Wunsch einiger Gitarristen entwickelt, die mit der Telecaster nicht komplett zufrieden waren. In addition to its sleek contours that make it eternally comfortable to play, the Strat has another cutout on the upper horn for better access to the upper notes. In this round-up we’ve taken a look at the four most popular guitar shapes, the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul and SG, with two models in each category. gtrgtr.uk/SquierStratFeaturing the Squier Affinity Stratocaster through a Blackstar ID:Core 10 amplifier A lot of the "twang" can come from playing technique, string brand & gauge, & pick-type & thickness. READ MORE: Ash vs. Alder: What's the Diff? I've got a Rio Grande Stelly, friends told me "this will make your Strat sound more like a tele" and it doesnt sound like a tele. From what I've seen, it seems to me that the Stratocaster tends to be more popular among rock/jazz musicians and the Telecaster tends to be more popular among country/40s/50s style rock musicians. The body shape will make little or no noticeable difference. Telecaster and Stratocaster bodies are mostly constructed from alder — a lightweight, closed-pore wood with a resonant, balanced tone that imparts excellent sustain and sharp attack. The way the guitars are constructed is what makes them sound the way they do. As for the usefulness of these new combinations, all three pickups together can provide a nice rhythm sound in certain settings, while the neck-and-bridge combo reminds me of the middle setting on a Telecaster—but a lot fatter and more defined.