# Fender Telecasters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211 "2008-07-12T04:09:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/41 "2008-07-17T17:21:19Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] Got any pics, Johnny? I’m always seeing these durn cat pic threads…what I’d like to see is a guitar pic thread…except where that SQUEEE! sound you hear is some righteous feedback. [/QUOTE] No, I haven’t gotten round to it yet. But it looks just like [this Squier](http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Squier-Standard-Telecaster-BL0NDE-BLeM_W0QQitemZ140250256521QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item140250256521&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318) (only it says Fender on it instead of Squier 😉 ). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/42 "2008-07-17T17:25:09Z")
Oh, yeah; I like those. I’m serious about the axe pic thread. I’ve got a gig tomorrow, so I don’t have my gear with me to do a pic/thread, but maybe I’ll do it this weekend. I need to do a shot with my two Ricks and my Vox. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/43 "2008-07-17T17:28:20Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] Oh, yeah; I like those. I’m serious about the axe pic thread. I’ve got a gig tomorrow, so I don’t have my gear with me to do a pic/thread, but maybe I’ll do it this weekend. I need to do a shot with my two Ricks and my Vox. [/QUOTE] I went ahead and [started one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10012772#post10012772) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/44 "2008-07-17T17:35:50Z")
[QUOTE=Crotalus] I went ahead and [started one.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10012772#post10012772) [/QUOTE] Well, now you’ve done it, Ollie! [/Stan Laurel] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/45 "2008-07-17T17:44:29Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] Well, now you’ve done it, Ollie! [/Stan Laurel] 😃 [/QUOTE] Bring on the guitar porn! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/46 "2008-07-17T17:52:48Z")
[QUOTE=Crotalus] Bring on the guitar porn! [/QUOTE] I’m in. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/47 "2008-07-19T21:03:44Z")
Question: Have Teles always had ‘through-the-body’ strings? Also: What is the advantage of putting the strings through the body? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/48 "2008-07-19T21:20:35Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Question: Have Teles always had ‘through-the-body’ strings? [/quote] I believe so. Though the [Wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Telecaster_Plus) says that there were models that had a vibrato similar to a Strat’s. > [@](#): > > Also: What is the advantage of putting the strings through the body? I’ll channel Wordman: more balls. Punchier, more sustain. I’ll leave it at that; I’m sure someone with more guitar knowledge than I will be along shortly. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/49 "2008-07-20T14:04:22Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] I believe so. Though the [Wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Telecaster_Plus) says that there were models that had a vibrato similar to a Strat’s. I’ll channel Wordman: more balls. Punchier, more sustain. I’ll leave it at that; I’m sure someone with more guitar knowledge than I will be along shortly. [/QUOTE] You’re right, \*\*squeegee \*\*- Teles were originally designed with a string-thru design to get more vibrations transferred between the strings, neck and body. While there have been variations such as whammy-equipped Tele’s, a Tele Purist™ would describe this feature as essential. It, along with the bolt-on design and 25.5" fingerboard scale are the main ingredients from a body-system standpoint behind the bright, tight twang you can get out of a Tele, and, as you say, the balls it has when you roll off the Tone… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/50 "2008-07-24T22:43:10Z")
My friend who has the guitar I’d bought from him and sold back was curious: When did Fender discontinue Vintage White on the telecaster? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/51 "2008-07-25T13:09:05Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] My friend who has the guitar I’d bought from him and sold back was curious: When did Fender discontinue Vintage White on the telecaster? [/QUOTE] There have been custom-color White Fenders - Olympic is the most well-known - since they first offered the special paint in the 50’s. I don’t know when white was made a standard color and what all the variations are, but I suspect “Vintage White” is supposed to look like aged Olympic, with a slight yellowing from (what was originally) an aging nitro lacquer finish over the paint. I am sure that on the Fender site (Gibson and Fender are playing into the geeks’ mindset and putting more details like that on their websites - not sure if they have, though) or a guitar addict website (like the Fender Forum message board) will have which colors where available on which models during which years… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/52 "2008-07-25T19:13:49Z")
By the way, for all you Telecaster fans out there, here is a thread: [http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=187985](http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=187985) Which is approaching 2,000 posts, the vast majority of which have pics of very cool Tele’s. The two pics in the first post just make me drool, but there are a ton of others… GAS Attack!!! 😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/53 "2008-07-25T22:02:13Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] There have been custom-color White Fenders - Olympic is the most well-known - since they first offered the special paint in the 50’s. I don’t know when white was made a standard color and what all the variations are, but I suspect “Vintage White” is supposed to look like aged Olympic, with a slight yellowing from (what was originally) an aging nitro lacquer finish over the paint. I am sure that on the Fender site (Gibson and Fender are playing into the geeks’ mindset and putting more details like that on their websites - not sure if they have, though) or a guitar addict website (like the Fender Forum message board) will have which colors where available on which models during which years… [/QUOTE] ``` You probably heard this already, but Fender used to use whatever lacquers DuPont was making for the auto industry, coming up with their own descriptive titles. Anecdotally, they would buy the off lots from model year changes. Not sure what they did when industry switched to acrylics, but if you had the original color charts (something anyone could obtain at DuPont vendors) a matching colour could be made. Of course patina and the other amorphous qualities were in the hands of the refinisher. Mixing the colours in nitrocellulose isn't too big a problem if you can find nitro itself, getting rarer all the time. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/54 "2008-08-09T00:08:04Z")
[Quote=squeegee] > [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Question: Have Teles always had ‘through-the-body’ strings? I believe so. Though the [Wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Telecaster_Plus) says that there were models that had a vibrato similar to a Strat’s. > [@](#): > > Also: What is the advantage of putting the strings through the body? I’ll channel Wordman: more balls. Punchier, more sustain. I’ll leave it at that; I’m sure someone with more guitar knowledge than I will be along shortly. [/quote] In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=477417) **Crotalus** linked to a page with instructions on how to shield a guitar. [The article](http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/tele.php) linked on that page says: > [@](#): > > The guitar in these photos was is a 1996 Fender standard (Mexico) Telecaster. This model did not have the strings going through the body. So it seems that some Fender-branded Teles did not-have strings through the body. And yet, I’ve read (in this thread? I’m losing track with all of the guitar threads!) that Mexican Fenders are often quite good. Would the ‘good’ ones be the ones with strings through the body? Or does it not make that much difference in a Tele? How much more sustain do strings-through-body add anyway? FWIW, I ended up getting a Squier Tele that’s a twin to my Fender. (Well, after I changed the maple neck for a rosewood one. And now I have a spare neck, so I’ll have to make another guitar… Do I have GAS? :eek: ) It does not have strings through the body. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/55 "2008-08-09T04:17:19Z")
My recollection is that the praiseworthy MIM Tele is the Baja Telecaster, and all the other MIM Teles are of lesser, or at least uneven quality. I don’t know how this speaks to the “thru the body” issue. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/56 "2008-08-09T22:14:10Z")
Okay - greetings from the left coast where my family is on vacation. I have a little downtime and thought I would see how my new Blackberry works as a web browser - not bad but replying to a thread with my thumbs stinks! Anyway - Guitar Rule # 1: if it plays, sounds and looks good enough to inspire you and keep you playing, that’s what matters. Now, beyond that - yes some Tele’s are “top loaders” - I don’t know which models over the years. If anyone wants to check, go to the TDPRI message board; to my knowledge it is the best Tele-specific board so I am sure a few searches on it would turn up the needed info. Now Tele Purists would say that a Top Loader isn’t a real Tele. Personally, I could see the logic of how strings thru the body would transfer far more vibation vs. Top loading - but I have never lived with a top-loaded Tele so can’t say for sure if that difference is clear and obvious. Sorry I can’t offer more - but if a top loader fits Rule #1, I wouldn’t care how the strings are loaded. My comments on the Baja Tele were based on the fact that they have a bigger, vintage-style neck and solid build quality for ~$600… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211/57 "2008-08-09T22:23:26Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] Anyway - Guitar Rule # 1: if it plays, sounds and looks good enough to inspire you and keep you playing, that’s what matters. [/QUOTE] I practiced the scale for about an hour yesterday. Up and back… Up and back… (OK, I did strum a few rhythms; but mostly I was training my fingers.) Mostly I played the Fender, but I did switch to the Squier twice. As I said earlier, the Squier doesn’t sound bad. It doesn’t sound especially _good_; but it’s playable. Two things: It sounded a little ‘[tinny](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwXJsWHupg)’ next to the Fender. I’m assuming that’s due to lower-quality pick-ups. The other thing is that it has a hum. The hum seems to be associated with the volume knob. When I touch or move the knob the hum goes away. Again, I put that down to inferior parts. Also, the ground should be checked and perhaps it should be shielded. Still, for $160 whaddya want? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-telecasters/456211.md?page=2)