Building A Strat-Tele Hybrid - Is It Better Than a Fender?? 

I can not BELIEVE how much more alive it sounds than a Fender! That thing sounds INCREDIBLE.

As if it wasn't already clear to anyone who is looking to upgrade their basic guitar: BUILD ONE! Show the big companies we want more for our money! This guitar is incredible!

Welcome to Part 3 everybody!! Surprisingly, this thing has some real Tele "bite" to it. The clarity really helps this guitar "soar" in the solo section :)

Man. The clarity and brightness of this thing are amazing! It sounds more like a Tele than the Tele! The only time I thought the Fenders were close was the dirty bridge, and even then I'd hate to have to live on the difference. Oh, and I do love slow, emotive ballads.

Man. That might be one of my favorite warmoth builds! Sounds killer, Darrell! 👌👍

Darrell, your playing is phenomenal and you come across as such a great guy! Keep up the great work, love your videos man. Well done

Ya man , I like it .... alot . So , tomorrow when cousin Guido arrives at your place , just take the envelope and hand him the guitar . Thanks man .

Hey Darrell, Brother you nailed it!!! Has everything one could want!! And the tone is sublime, great bite and attack. I love this guitar. Awesome job Buddy!!!

Not a fan of the pickup look with the overall. Too much of a good thing with the natural wood look into but otherwise I think this has to be one of the best guitars I've ever seen... and heard. I'm inspired to make a hybrid partscaster myself. Thanks Darrell. You are a gem.

This guitar sounds INCREDIBLE. Your videos really make me want to try my hand at a custom build instead of just modding guitars I already have. It looks and sounds so much better than other guitars that are more expensive. Absolutely stunning guitar!

The only way you could make it any better, is if you put a tap on the side and maple syrup comes out. Clearly Canadian.

Braun Guitars next...I’d buy this one

Looks like the Warmoth Strelecaster is a WINNER! I won't be surprised if she becomes your number 1! Great stuff!

Best build ever!!! It's not only "The Ultimate Fender" but "The Ultimate Guitar Ever". Beautiful looking and amazing tones... just perfect!!

That thing actually impressed me how well it sounds. Always wanted something like that.

Not only is that guitar beautiful but as an extremely beautiful voice as well. Thank you for sharing with everyone.

Hi Darrell. My name is Tim Green and I have watching your youtube channel for the last 3 and a half or 4 months and I have learned quite a bit. I will keep watching. I also wanted to say that I really love the Telli-Strat hybrid you built. I love the sound from the pickups and it looks great too. I would like to learn more about effects peddles. Thanks for the great info, it's been a huge help. Thanks so much and keep up the great work. I look forward to future videos. I live in Leamington, Ontario. Take care and thanks again.

Starting my hybrid now. "TeleStrat" body - Warmouth Tele neck - Fender American Pro bridge Strat pickguard Shawbucker 1 bridge pup Tex Mex neck and middle Obsidian wiring kit Can't wait to get it playing...

I prefer the clarity of your build over the genuine fenders. Sounds amazing.

Hang with Fender? Imho, it *STOMPS* the Fenders!

The Tele comparison was really tight and with the Strat you can distinguish some differences, but still sounds awesome! Congrats!

Sounds awesome, I love the wood pickup covers.

I like it way better than the Fender standard any day , sounds awsome and looks even better.

Humbuckers with side by side coils are typically never "totally silent". However, they do have way less hum than traditional single coil pickups. I'm just posting that for people that might be inexperienced enough to believe folks that say they are "totally silent". Darrell, your Strat-Tele sounds very good!

It sounds frikkin awesome Darrell 😮🎸. Love your vids, very honest and you play the guitar so well 👍🏽

I just noticed that the output Jack on your tele is like a strat very cool I just really like that tele you built ...man it looks cool and sounds great !

Thing of beauty and the sound is unmatched. Just WOW !!! I want it !!!

Darrell, your videos helped me to take a squier and customize it. It would be cool if you had a place where your subscribers could upload pics of their builds.

I watch a lot of RU-vid guitar shows and the hosts always talk about their guitars. They say they’ve looked and looked. And then they see it, open a case or something. And boom 💥 it’s their soulmate. I feel like this guitar is it for me (except the wood knobs and pickups). wow. I want this build!

I want to build this guitar really bad now have to go back and watch the build to get the parts list again love that guitar you hit a home run with it.

The partscaster has more character, firstly in looks but mostly in the sound. Nice!

I've never really been a Tele fan, but this guitar looks and sounds awesome!

That is honestly one of the best partcasters I've ever seen. A step above an American Standard.

That is one amazing guitar, one of the best looking and most practical instruments I've ever seen. Love your channel man

Darrel, that is certainly a very beautiful guitar. Gorgeous! I have noticed that my Pacifica got a lot of clarity with the Graphtech saddles. Hard to say what gives your partscaster the extra clarity, but the saddles certainly at least add to it. Again, what a beauty!

Love the sound and looks. I think it's better sounding than the strat, but not as tele, though very close. Also love the little jam at the end, reminds me of a Brian Adams song from the mid 80's.

It really sounds better and more high-end to me... but I guess this is what I absolutely adore about the Tele - it's not a super high-end guitar, but it has that endless charm and a tiny bit of naivety :)) Great video, as always, Darrell! Cheers!

A little late to this vid, but better late than never I guess. That sample at the end of the video... HOLY SH!T!!!... I could listen to a whole playlist of just that style. No lyrics are needed. So much emotion.

My two fav RU-vid channels yours and Rick Beato’s. Very educational and very entertaining.

Loving it man! You ever tought of selling guitars, because I would for sure buy that in a heartbeat?

because of this series I want my next build to be warmoth It makes so much sense if you really want a one of a kind guitar. With wiggins and lace and other smaller pickup companies making such great pickups on a smaller scale, unique tone is a snap too. That hybrid tele/strat is gorgeous and seems to play like a dream

The only thing that beats the sound of this guitar is it's beauty! Great job!

I preferred the parts caster! It had so much more clarity and articulation in my opinion, especially in the light gain stuff!

Darrell this guitar looks and sounds so beautiful. Love your playing style. This series has inspired me to take a run at building my own partscaster. Keep up the good work. God bless.

I'll soon be attempting my own twist at a Strat-Tele hybrid, I'm patiently waiting for my parts to arrive. It will be a contoured Tele body, Tele bridge, Tele controls (I wish I had a more Strat-style layout, but I'm starting on an old Tele body I already had), but Strat middle and neck pickup, and a 10-way Freeway switch. So essentially a contoured Nashville Tele with a Strat neck pickup and a lot more tones!

I've gotta tell you.. I think I actually covet that guitar. The sound is brighter than I normally like, but there is something about the clarity and the tone that sets it apart. It's bright without being harsh.

I don't think i have fallen in love with a guitar like i have with your partscaster, it is a work of true art both in looks and sound! Congrats!

Those saddles impact the tone too, it really looks like a very good guitar.

After seeing it, hearing it and your impression on play ability, I would never put that guitar down. It's a hands down winner in my opinion. I upgraded my Squier to sound like a Strat, and it does, but I bought a MIM Telecaster for the ceramic tone and love it for that. Brilliant guitar Darrell and the videos have been superb as usual.

That song at the end was awesome..! Nice playing..!! Great build!!

Absolutely love this guitar. I need to have one of these in my life...

Man...Seriously! You should make a whole video to teach us the song you play at 6:35 with tab and backing track...It's incredibly awesome!

This vid series was a ton of fun and I really enjoyed it! The guitar sounds as good as it looks!

I'm blown away with this guitar build !! your choices of parts and hardware are perfect to what I like about an electric guitar . I love that you can combine a Tele and a strat together simply awesome great job!!

This is truly what I've been looking for! Best of both worlds. Would love to own one of this beauty ❤️

The aesthetic of this guitar is sublime. So well done. Sounds beautiful, too.

I called it in the last video... the neck pickup of this build, especially clean, blows away even the American Strat. What a guitar. And I still want it.

Vibrational Nirvana from that Custom Tele! Thank you Darrell. Your videos are always entertaining and Informative. You love your guitars and they love you back,..we can tell because of your wonderful playing. :)

It's 7am here.. Now what can be a better start for the day than this.. ❤️

Excellent build Darrel. Videos for the build and the test run are top shelf. Informative and Professional. Great sound. Better then the strat and the tele. Cheers.

This is probably my favorite of all the guitar builds you’ve done! I love the tele body and the strat versatility. Best of both worlds here!

I would buy this guitar right now if I could Must be a very satisfying to know how to build something so nice and such quality Nobody else would know about all the little things you did just to make it all come together and now how It looks and sounds just beautiful! Let me know

I also have a partscaster! I think ppl tend to love their own partscaster a little bit too much, which does not help to value it objectively... Neck: Strat was more musical for me, a more vocal quality. One can argue that the partscaster zing will cut through the mix more, but solo Stat sounded nicer to me. Tele middle: the split sound of the humbucker was a little weak on the partscaster side. Tele was definitely more powerful. Dirty neck: Almost no difference. Partscaster was a little bit more singing (thanks to brightness), strat was more boomy. (I am in the minority who likes some boominess in the neck.) Both had audible hum. Gain bridge: Here the humbucker shines. (Maybe the Tele would have been a better match for gain on the Fender side. Use the tone pot.) No in between positions? - That's where a strat can really shine and would've been nice to hear how your partscaster produces that. Nice video. Cheers!

Every time I hear you play, one word comes to mind - celestial. I don’t know if that’s what you’re shooting for but that’s how I hear it.

This is one gorgeous looking guitar. The pick ups - the way they look also - are so right. Brilliant work Darrell.

01/10/2020: Wow, I have been dreaming of building a hybrid Stat/Tel guitar through Warmouth wood parts, but I thought people would laugh at me. I love your video and love what the custom shop built for you. It is so nice and very close to what I would like to have built. My only preference would be to have a really nice countered heal on the neck. And, carved-out hand-comfort areas on front and back areas of the body to the neck for easier playability. Just like the 2019 Fender Ultra Stratocaster and PSR guitars have. But, no shiny finish on the neck or body wood areas. Just fine-grit sanded all wood many times (no stain- all-natural), and then lightly and clear oiled (WATCO wipe on poly). Similar to as you did in the guitars you built from kits. Also, I think I would add the String Tree Bar that Floyd Rose systems have after their locking nut on headstock. Whether needed or not, I just like the break angle and I like the look of it too. My design was basically an Ultra Fender Stratocaster and a tremolo system with Fender Noiseless S-4 Pickups and the telecaster control plate (volume & Tone Knob with the three-way toggle switch that is from Telecaster). So basically, it would be an Ultra Stratocaster body and tremolo system (No Bigsby), with pickguard designed for the Telecaster electronics.

I am surprised how addicting parts caster builds can become. My son the other day told me I was becoming a better builder than a player! Interesting complement, I guess. LOL! I have learned a lot about building in the last few years. I feel like I can fix just about any electric guitar problem now and keep thinking that eventually I want to build an acoustic. It's a lot of fun to think of new combinations of things. Nice guitar build! Congrats!

Want this. It's a beauty that sounds great. I'll bet it plays like a dream.

Beautiful, and that bridge is awesome. Everything is absolutely beautiful!! And it sounds even better!

Awesome looking telecaster Darrell, a really great sounding as well. Good job. I love the way it looks, the wood grain with the black pick guard, beautiful guitar Darrell.

Great video. Now I want to try my first build with this kit. A STRAT and a TELE; OMG.

Loved the tones! Surprised to see that the parts-caster was “quackier” than the Fender themselves!

Have to give it to you man, that is one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen good job bro

Darrell,that's one of the most beautiful looking and sounding guitars that I've ever seen. Just put a price on it ,and I'll bet it wouldn't last 5 mins.

I love the new guitar, but also watching your fingers on the necks it appears the white Tele neck is smoother and easier to play. I like the sound of the Wiggins pickups!

Yeah, I was shocked by the first sound comparison. I figured it would hold its own with the Fenders, but it completely blew away the Fender Strat neck sound. It sounds a lot like my '85 MIJ Squier Strat, my benchmark for feel and sound. Your guitar looks absolutely gorgeous, and sounds just as much so. If it feels as good to play, then that is truly a dream guitar.

Another great vid. I think you will find a lot of the articulation and clarity you are getting is coming from the bladrunner. I can't wait for your video when you review the bridge.

I believe that your guitar sound better than a Fender. Much more creative and unique. I just bought a Mustang American Special and now I know that with the same amount or lesss I could have an amazing guitar. Let’s just start to build our own guitars and create a diverse and wide industrie beyond those huge corporations that monopolize everything. My respects to your video.

Dude you’re awesome. Thanks for all your videos. You explain things so clearly and easy to comprehend. THANK YOU

Love the ballad solo so much. The guitar sounds really impressive, as good as it looks!

I feel like people miss the best thing (IMO) about a telecaster is it's simplicity, all the variations loose that and just try to make it anything other than a tele. The deluxe just makes it a les paul, nashvilles make them strats. They do the same with P Basses too.

In my opinion the tone is superior to a stock Fender...well done!

I love it! You hit a major home run with the Tele Partscaster, now I want one...

Normally I'd say, 'Let a Tele be a Tele and let a Strat be a Strat,' but hmmm...2 & 4 really cuts it! As for my Special, the middle SC died of a pickguard swap so i converted it from HSS to traditional SSS loving the true SC quack on 2 and the sweetest Tele bridge/neck tone on 4 as well as change out the import switch and Alpha 250K pots for CTS 250Ks w/dual orange capacitors (neck & bridge-positioned middle pickups share a .047 cap as the mid-positioned bridge PU has a .022 cap), CRL 5-way and pushcloth wiring... by the way you're sounding good!

Please include a "comfort comparison" in your next installment. It is apparent that the hybrid fits the bill nicely when playing seated. I'm curious to see how you think it compares to a Tele in a standing, gig-style head to head. Admittedly, I've never been a Tele fan for a number of reasons, one being what I consider the "blocky" feeling of the body style. The contours/beveling on your hybrid body look inviting. She's a real beauty & sounds impressive. A big thumbs up on your playing, too!

That guitar looks amazing. It also sounds a lot brighter than the Fenders. Great job!

Loving your channel Darrell! Planning my first partscaster right now and your videos have been a huge help!

Beautifully played demo. Your Strat sounds pretty nice on the neck PU, but I'm very impressed with the range of awesome tones from the hybrid.

Absolutely love it! Looks so much better than anything on the Fender lineup and sounds better too!

Fantastic sounding and looking guitar Darrell. Personally I’d put chrome dials and pickup covers as I don’t like the mix of woods

Sounds great Darryl, those pick ups seem way better than the stock Fenders. Still a little 'plasticky' like Strat pick ups, but not as much, more a x between Strat and Tele. That humbucker is really good, and its non traditional construction makes a difference as well. However, some of your technical terminology is inaccurate. The parallel pick up positions are NOT 'out of phase' as you put it, they are always IN phase. Had they been OUT of the phase, there would have been very little output or girth to the sound. The tonal difference is due to how coil circuits behave in relation to how they are connected to each other, plus the frequency ranges in the string envelopes interacting with each other when combined. Being out of phase would have cancelled all the common 1s, leaving only the difference, which is often unusable. (But NOT always, think Peter Green & his Greeny LP!) Also, when it comes to AC hum, only N American power grids operate @ 60Hz. the Rest of the world uses 50Hz AC (@ varying voltages) Just sticking to AC hum generically, would provide less confusion to the less technically minded. On this point I also had to pull up fellow Aussie gear head Shane Diiorio when he also used the term '60 cycle hum', which does NOT exist here! All in all a great job. I think the tonal differences came down to pick up build quality, denser wood for body and neck and the stainless frets! Great work mate!

Love it Darrell! And, as always, I'd be glad to hold it for you for as long as you would like! And, also as always, your playing is remarkable!

Absolutely brilliant Darrell. I really think that the parts caster is the guitar to die for, and a lovely looking instrument. This guitar will last a lifetime !Thanks again for producing a video which is second to none.your standing in your tutorials must be top drawer.god bless.paul.

Darrell my man, that was one soulful guitar solo, tugging at my heart strings man lmao. This definetly is one of my favorite builds you’ve done. Keep it up man

Incredible Guitar. Excellent playing. Just an all-around great video- as always. Man- I'm jonesin' now to go to the Warmoth site,, and check out some bodies & necks!

That guitar is visually stunning. You specced it well sir. Very jealous.

This is a great looking guitar! We have very similar tastes. I would have chosen the same materials. Actually...I may do this build, with a different configure of pickups.

This vid is great, helped me with my Warmoth build that I started before watching the video. I went with a Madhatter solderless harness though, because Obsidian wouldn't fit my rear routed strat body because the pots were potentially not tall enough...

Hi Darrell. I am new to your channel having recently (yesterday) subscribed. I love Gibsons and saw the videos of the Les Paul kit you created but I have to say that Strat-Tele Hybrid is a beautiful guitar that sounds awesome.

Great sounding and looking guitar. I have a pair of Bill Wiggins humbuckers, man, they are the real deal.