I started playing guitar last year (discovering amazing channels like this in the process) and I’d always wanted a les Paul but when trying one out at GuitarGuitar, I saw a polar white tele and fell in love. For my birthday this year my wife bought me a beautiful butterscotch blonde tele and it’s my pride n joy.
Mick, the chat is always a treat, further enhanced by the presence of Rosie at the start, the little beauty. My Tele history: bought two, sold two. I've tried, my word I've tried. Dan would be horrified, but my butterscotch USA first attempt was a 2001, lovely weight, great shape MN, but I just couldn't get on with the thing and it was swapped out. Waited 12 years and bought a Custom Shop, which stayed with me 9 years because I *thought* I loved it. I did, but it was always a bit of a fight which, in a J Mascis style, could be proper fun at times. Then I finally bought a Strat and, for me and the humble Fender workhorse, that was the end of that. Lesters with chunky necks and 62 profile Strat RW board necks are just the bees' knees. But lordy I appreciate seeing a Tele in the right hands. What a noise. As usual, bravo! Happy Friday :)
Very interesting, as I had a similar experience, but the other way around. Had an unbelievable Strat (both aesthetically and sonically) I ended up trading, as I did not connect with it because it didn't fight me. Teles and LP for me :)
As a player of 30 years, I have found your channel to be inspiring in terms of focusing on the musicality of sound and playing. You guys truly inspire me in ways I never realized. Cheers from the States!! 😀
Fun aside, I've got two MiM road worn guitars, one of those Andertons FSR purple Teles from 2018 and a Strat from 2019. I also own a 61 CS Strat, which was 4 times the price. If I'm truthfully honest to myself and the world, there's not much difference between USA CS and MiM roadworn! I added new pickups to the RW and polished the frets and then it's CS level imho! Sure, the relicing/aging they do on the MiM roadworns is always the same, I guess they apply it from a template. But who cares? The only reason the CS Strat has become my major guitar is the 20% of mojo you get for 80% of more money.
I just got the purple RW tele as well and I was tempted to start changing things around straight away. It has now been over a week and I think I really like the way it sounds stock. The frets seem to be a consistent issue with these, mine need polishing. The pickups are just right, twangy but not ice picky at all. Love the fat neck (nice flame on mine!) and have been "burnishing" the back a bit with a leather strop. A worn soft leather belt would work too, it didnt take long and made it smooth as silk. I think the custom shop works with graphite powder as I have noticed blackened hands after playing a few new ones? Anyway, need a RW board tele now, lots of options w C necks but Id like something bigger? The Squier J Mascus Jazzmaster neck profile would be perfect on a tele if you are listening Fender!
@@SergioFigaroa I've tried a bunch of different ones over the years. First simply Fender custom shop 69s. Which, after all the trying out were actually one of my favourites, especially in the neck position. Low output, very chimy. Then I've tried Kloppmann 65s and 67s. Kloppmann imho offers the most variety of era correct pickups. I liked the 65s more than the 67s. I ended up with Monty's Retro Wind. Love these so much! Before them, I also tried his 62s, they were too middy/muddy for me. What this try-out haul taught me tho is that I prefer underwound pickups with very low output. That might even be the essential conclusion: Even if you listen to all the sound samples and specs, at the end of the day, you will probably have to try a couple of different ones and simply choose the ones you like the most. I know it sounds stupid, but to be brutaly honest, there's no voodoo magic when it comes to pickups imho. It's magnets surrounded by a certain type of copper wire with a certain amount of windings. So there are your three variables: magnets, wire, windings.
You need to get a micro mesh kit. The most perfect way I’ve ever polished frets! Compound and a Dremel does a worse job. Also, the Gotoh compensated brass saddles are my favorite. They intonate perfectly and they’re not crooked like so many others.
Mick, do you know what the rating or spec is for the capacitors on your new Tele and on Red? Brilliant fascinating captivating vlog as always. Your playing always gives me goosebumps and tears (now there's an album title...) 👌🏻
@@paultwiselton1996 For what it’s worth I have a CS Tele with Texas Specials that I always thought was a little too forward (upper mids) sounding for my taste. One day I was with it at my local store and I thought while I’m here… We found it was loaded with a dirt cheap ceramic CAP 0.022u. Swapped it for a PIO Vitamin Q 0.047u which I have previously used on a brash sounding CS LP that was also loaded with a cheap ceramic 0.022u CAP. It worked a treat on both the LP and the Tele. That’s a $15 part and 3 minutes work to swap. In my experience it’s not just about changing how the tone POT performs when rolling off the tone control. For me each time I change a CAP, I do it with overall tonal presentation in mind. If I want a smoother/warmer character from a guitar I swap to PIO 0.047u. If I want a more lively/open/forward character I go for PIO 0.022u. It’s all personal preference, but I have found this to be one of the cheapest and most effective mods to adjust the overall tonal presentation of a guitar. Cheers
I just noticed something odd about that ... single-cut guitar of yours, Mick. It's missing the middle pickup, a trem and a pot. Also, the headstock looks like it's not a strat. I think they fooled you at Andertons. :D
TPS has a bad habit of making you want every piece of equipment they use…and I love it! I enjoyed your playing as always Mick, and just realised you and I have identical twin dogs.
I’ve always felt an affinity with Mick… I always assumed it was the love of guitars, great guitar players and tasty tone but no… I saw Rosie and then I realised ‘aha! He’s a Spaniel person!!!’ 😀👍🐶
I can so relate to this. My main guitar has been a strat for nearly 25 years. I bought a MiM tele around 2002, but I never really bonded with it. However, after having a watched a couple of years of TPS, with Dan getting amazing sounds out of his tele, I ordered a set of Twisted Tele Fender Custom Shop pick-ups late last year. It's like a different guitar, and now I play it and love it every bit as much as my strat. The journey never ends. Great stuff, Mick. Thanks.
The best bit of this is you remembering the beginning. That feeling of being free of everything (except the odd exam) was so utterly liberating. It's what I crave still when I climb back up on stage at 44. That little pub gig, in my case in Godalming, near Guildford, having generally bought a new set of strings at Anderton's a few hours before. As you say so often Mick - Happy Days!
After playing Strats for 30 years I finally found a Tele that ‘worked’ for me last year. Maybe there should a disclaimer somewhere: Telecasters are for the over 45’s only?
Firstly....Sir Mick (OBE, MBE) I spy a Strat body on the side of your desk with no finish? What's the score with that? Secondly....Klon in the birdcage has made my entire week. And finally, this video already promises to be fantastic and I am 4 mins in....Have a great weekend guys!
I did shange to Glendale vintage bridge and compensate bridge pieces(like Billy Gibbons and Reed Volkaert use) on my 52 tele reissue. This combo has a perfect intoneation and a more even sustain. Bought tele in 1988. Wanna like to try the Glendale/Lollar pickup set. If somebody like to see the most aged 65 Telecaster. Have to look at this telejazz master and genius Ed Bickert's 65 Fender Telecaster. He didn't care of the cosmetic, and he want a guitar that did stay in tune. But he got a wonderful Jazzsound with this tele.
I want a Jason Isbell tele. My favorite guitar is a 50s LPjr but i do like the JI custon tele. That neck pickup sounds very much like a strat...beautiful.
Mick alone with ** adjusts spectacles ** a Tele?! Okay I'm in! Mick in his element (i.e. trying different things and journeying to the next "better question") is my spirit animal. Glad to hear Dan is just moving house and hasn't been sacked though lol ;-)
Im a Tele guy, I blame Roy Buchanan mostly. IMHO vanilla Teles have the best neck tone , bridge is great as well for most styles but for the clean to slightly overdriven neck is just an eargasm. Like most guitarists ive had pretty well all common flavours of guitar, I do like Gibsons for overdriven and high gain bridge tones (i grab my old Korina Epi Explorer when i really want to shred but that is not super often) but the necks always muddy cleaned up, Strats are cool, they have therye own character and some distinct advantages over a Tele but for me those advantages are less relevant than the disadvantages. I would never say one is the best, at the end of the day what's best is best for you and everyone has they're own best and should make up their own mind rather than go of what other people say or what theyre favourite guitarist uses. My best guitarist friend whos older and far far more experienced was a die hard Gibson fanboi 20 years ago, only had one junker plywood Strat copy, but after i got a few nice Fenders, especially my first Tele, he realised it wasn't all about Gibson's and he now has a couple of really nice Tele's and a decent Strat.
First time I ever saw someone playing a Tele, and recognized it for the guitar it is, it was being played by Roy Buchanan - which is probably why I've always thought two things about it: 1. It's for seriously good guitar players ("put that down, son, you're not ready for that") 2. Teles should be Butterscotch Blonde with a maple board. That said, this is a beautiful guitar, and you've earned it, Mick. Enjoy!
This was a treat. Fun to "hang out". Couldn't agree more on letting the guitar take you where it wants to go. Some place new? Congrats on a new magic carpet. -G
I unboxed my Jason Isbell telecaster yesterday! Actually, I'm now playing it while watching this video. My first telecaster and wow: what a sound, what a feel and what a look! After just one day, I'm not saying it's my favorite guitar, but...it's one of my favorite guitars :-)
@@ThatPedalShow I think it's one of my best guitars: so easy to play (I leave the bridge and saddles stock), those notes ring out majestically like only a tele can and I enjoy it a lot. It sort of wants to be played, and not be put down in a corner. I had some guitars over the years so I think I can be a good judge ;-)
I feel like my whole joy in buying used is being able to fix things up the way that I like. I got a used Tele a decade ago and on the first day dinged the headstock and a friend gasped and I thought "It's only going to get worse from here..."
its' a looker but I can't get along with a 7.25 radius..... as for fret polishing I've had reallllly excellent results with Music Nomad's Frine polishing compound... makes my regular frets feel as smooth as my stainless steel frets
Great guitar, Mick. Stew-Mac sells a set of "Fret Erasers" that polish frets brilliantly. For action setting I usually set it down to just buzzing, raise it to not buzzing, and then raise it just a bit more for clear string resonance, bending clearance, etc. Given the highly imprecise nature of guitar playing, to begin with, the stretching of the strings during normal play, and all, I don't obsess over intonation too much. Close is always good enough. You know, I had a thought when you first started to play into that DR with no pedals. I thought that everything that any guitarist needed to make great music with it already was there, similar to a good piano. Think of, say, a Steinway grand just sitting in a room. It's ready to do whatever a player can do on it, from chopsticks to Paganini's La Campanella. It wants nothing else. Oh, sure reverbs, delays, etc. add nice things to guitar sound and there's nothing wrong with that. But with regard to music itself, that Tele, or any good guitar into a good amp, plain and simple is all a musician requires to make great music. Maybe it's nothing very profound, but that's what I was thinking and I wanted to share it with you. Cheers, mate.
Killer sounds. Like the look of the Chrissie Hynde Tele too (which has the truss rod adjustment at the right end and the right ashtray! - but the saddles would need swapping out!!). Might be a crazy thing to say, but I wish I wasn't so bonded with my poly finish Tele I only bought about a year ago. It's an '88 MIJ '62 reissue, I suspect the same as the one you had! Had to have it re-fretted as it'd been played to death (maintaining vintage frets and radius, much to the surprise of the tech). The bridge pup was warped like a banana so I fit some House of Tone Texas Tea T-types. Absolutely fantastic guitar now, 7.4lbs... if only it had a nitro finish!!! The MIM Roadworn stuff is excellent. I have a 2014 60's roadworn Jazzmaster and it looks to have the same neck relicing treatment the Isbell has - the dull body finish looks way better after a bit of buffing, but it's actually starting to check a bit now, and will no doubt look even better when I've dropped more tools on it!!!
Mick - this vlog is perfect in so many ways. Two non-Tele scenes that really connected with me were the delivery anticipation (that’s exactly the way I am on delivery day) and the 5 second scene of you and Rosie walking together, side by side, to the other building. A man and his dog. Just a wonderful visual! Cheers from Long Island!
I'm never too sure if I made the right decision buying a Custom Shop stratocaster (1959 vintage custom, chocolate burst) over a custom shop telecaster...😂 I'm constantly thinking about swapping it 😭
Giving up a Strat for a Tele (or vice versa) strikes me as a fraught exercise, with potential for future regret. How about one of each? The Custom Shop path is an expensive way to go, making one of each a financial challenge. Would you consider a more moderately priced Tele or T style? Perhaps with mods to suit your preferences. Good luck as you wrestle with this conundrum!
Just brought home a Custom Shop 59 Strat NOS, Chocolate Burst. First Fender Custom Shop. All I can say is wow... What a difference. Previously used American strats of different vintages. Sounds so much more like what I think of for a strat. Almost immediately thought about my next Custom Shop.
I totally would be… it sounded (past tense) very different to any of Dan’s Teles and much more ‘classic’ Telecaster to my ears. But, i sold it to help fund the purchase of my old Strat. I’m currently about to sell a lot of other stuff to fund an old Gibson. Just totally hooked on old guitars. Argh! But the Isbell is a great guitar. It went to a lovely guy named Charlie who has used it way more than I would have done. Cheers!
So cool! I've been bemoaning the fact that it has been getting harder and harder to find a Fender tele with a 7.25 fingerboard (let alone one which also has a nitro finish), without spec-ing one out from the Custom Shop yourself. Most Custom Shop "reissues" have 9.5 inch boards these days too. To see this model, with those specs, at a reasonable price... outstanding. I gave up and went the Custom Shop route (I've been waiting 3 months and have about 6 more to go), but I might have gone with this if it had been available at the time. Enjoy!
Dear That Pedal Show, Mick and Dan, You did not talk about the radius of the guitar, i was very excited to hear your take on the possible fret buzz, now that there is on the market a thing called silver sky, are we still to expect guitars will fret buzz with a 7,25"? how does this one in particular behave in that way? I have been on the market for a tele, and this is one thing that keeps coming back and a check box that i dont know what to do with. thnk you so much, love ur videos
I totally get you on this one. I've owned several Teles over the years and have never felt at home on any of them. I've always been able to bond with Strats and Jags (and moreso lately with Gibsons and acoustics)... but, as much as I love the sound, Teles and I have never gotten along. I suspect though that I'll never understand relicing!
Ha! Relic’ing is two things for me. 1. Completely takes the fear away from the guitar - HIT IT! And 2) I just love the look. But I fully understand it’s a polarising feature!
Thanks so much for doing this…❤ as a result I went to my not so local guitar shop and they had two but one was definitely talking to me more than the other…it’s an instant win…I’m a one cat kinda dog so away with the Les Paul as the bloody thing was over 11lbs and never stayed in tune… Initial impressions I’ve bonded with it more than the Paul already…I did polish mine up a bit as the finish was flatter than yours … Agree a guitar wants to take you somewhere ! Thanks Mick
@@ThatPedalShow Yes an update if you're interested is that a bit of autoglymn resin polish with the pick guard off just gave a bit of luster back to it....My tech had it and the frets ends all needed doing with a lump and bump in the frets also as you would expect. Interesting the use of a single string guide as Strats sometimes have two...he put a spacer under the guide to reduce the break angle and recommended at least 3 winds on the lower strings to try and get a lower break angle also so they are all as consistent as possible...no show stoppers oh and Callaham vintage brass saddles Thinking of flipping the controls around to a vol / tone/ switch with same orientation
EVERY guitar player needs a Tele. Turned out I needed three, if you guys consider Josh DuPlantier's amazing machine as a Tele. I know I do, regardless of it's T-O-M HH configuration. I've also got THE Tele for strat-players, as you put it in the thumbnail. Something of no name and mysterious provenance I bought on it's arrival in a bric-a-brac shop. It's (get ready) a 'paisley-burst', with a belly-scoop and stratty rounded edges. String-through, traditional Tele configuration EXCEPT the most extraordinary heath-robinson pickup in the bridge. The triangle baseplate has been cut into shape with tin-snips, to mount, with some fucking horrible glue, a stacked-single-coil of some kind out of a strat. It's a wonderful sounding p/u, but NOTHING like a Tele p/u. The first couple of days I owned it, I kept thinking "that sounds like a stacked-coil from a strat at the bridge", and when I opened it up... IT WAS! But now... someone kinda HALF knew what they were doing, bodged it together with a determination. Dodgy as it looks, I'm keeping the work they did. I'm screwed if ever someone needs to get to the windings or some such... but no worries. What they did was create a unique sounding Tele that is just a blaster. I will honour this unique beast by leaving it as it is, and playing the arse out of it. It is currently being used in the recording studio, doing things normally reserved for the old pre-lawsuit 400 series strat, it's tuning stability in massive bends and altered sonic artefact rendering it the perfect studio strat, even though its a tele. It really is one of the most interesting little guitars I've owned. But, as I said at the beginning, EVERY guitar player needs a Tele. I'm always impressed how much better Mick plays his (Daphne blue?) Strat, really. But, there is real edge and dirt in your new Tele Mick, your awesome strat lacks. DO bring it on the show, Dan can either play something else, or, they look different enough... and what does it matter if they look the same. Didn't hurt Quo. Love you man, great show, as ever, just sorry I didn't discover this channel sooner. Online time is limited, and you are one of the best discoveries of my year. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay heavy. (oh - plug, channel, mine, that sort of thing)
Dude when Mick set that guitar up, the first notes we here at around 50 min... THAT is the reason we climb into details and make guitars our own. See that comfort level, hear that accentuation in tone. THAT is why, and how, you mod. Hats off, Mick. Nice job, nice axe.
Well...this guitar arrives at my house tomorrow. It will be my first true tele in 30 years of playing. I don't know why I waited so long, but I bet this is going to be one of my all time favorites. The Isbell Tele just has the classic tele sound I want. Can't wait!! Thanks for all the details on this gorgeous instrument.
Cool, so, how do you like it? I'm having a serious inner conflict whether to choose this one or a Vintera 50's strat. The issue is, no dealer within range has the Isbell sig at their store, feels risky to buy it due to a video :D Although it sounds brilliant
Great show, thanks Mick. That Jerry Donahue clip. I still clearly remember how he totally stole the show in that documentary and his wonderful humble smile at the end of the brilliant string bending section. I was fortunate enough to have a quick chat with him at Music Live, or whatever it was called, at the NEC, when he was demonstrating his Peavey signature guitar. I particularly thanked him for his memorable contribution to that documentary. What a player, what a great bloke!!!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, instead of intentionally relicing these (like the silly fake forearm wear on this one) they could just do a MIM nitro finish, lower their QC standards to where minor imperfections are considered acceptable to keep them affordable, and let the buyer put the real wear on it.
They do do some new lacquer guitars in Ensenada from time to time. But the number of people actually gigging enough to genuinely wear a guitar is basically zero. So this is a good solution for somebody who wants a bit of feel without the preciousness of a new guitar. I’m kinda surprised it still makes so many people so mad. Just buy something else!
Honestly, this one, and the American Pro II w/70’s headstock in mercury are both stunners IMO. I just stumbled across your video here after pulling the trigger on this one not wanting to spend almost 2k right now on the AP-II (a goal for post inflation period?) Great video and I know I’ll be happy. I’m a metal head and Teles rule! Ain’t it funny how things work out? 👍🏻
Great great video. Mick, you are the most forthright presenter in all of guitar RU-viddom. The encouragement to just foot for a guitar you like and don't be afraid to get in and have a go at tweaking it up to taste is fantastic. Bravo
The Fender MIM Tele's have been unbelievably good lately. Watching you ding it up intentionally and then talk about how you accidentally ding up new guitars. I was changing the pickups in my Tele and the screwdriver tip slipped and scratched my finish. First war wound of many for my lovely Tele! Cheers!
I LOVE when i open RU-vid an there is a Mick’s vlog, every time it feels like i got a treat. Love to see you on a Tele mate! Beautiful guitar and content as always. Looking forward for more!
@@ThatPedalShow Also! When rewatching the ATB episode I realized that the custom Tele you guys played had a skunk stripe in the neck! Good news in regards to the accuracy of the Jason Isbell Tele :)
The Mexico-made Fenders seem to hit that sweet spot between quality and affordability, especially the past five years or so, where some big name artists are perfectly comfortable associating their name with them.
This was a really interesting vlog! I've got a Mexican 50s roadworn tele in sunburst, which came out of the same factory for a similar price in 2013. Similar specs besides the 50s stuff. Still gassing for the Isbell though...
It could happen, especially as the pickup is magnet. But there’s hardly any of them (shavings) and after a recent spiritual awakening, I literally don’t worry about anything. Not a single thing. Cheers!
@@ThatPedalShow Maybe a little presumptuous of me, but your spiritual awakening seems to show in your episodes. I truly thank you for them and you and Dan sharing your passion and philosophy with the world. When I had COVID a few months ago, the episodes of your Strat Journey (and the episode when you both got to play dozens of crazy vintage guitars) really helped me feel better. I really hope you are in a good mental place in referring to your previously mentioned depression. Thank you for what and how you (both) share with the world. -Lyle from San Antonio, Texas.
This is the gold of TPS Mick, that human touch. Yes, you can kick a pedal, but without the feel of strings, wood, various bits of metal and magnets... Top job my man. We all appreciate it 🙂
@@ThatPedalShow You're very welcome, and my pleasure. Maybe a rename is in order? "That Human Show (with some talk about electronics and shit)" Maybe not easy on the algorithms however.
Coincidentally, I bought my first tele this week after playing an 80’s American standard strat for decades. I’m enjoying it. The show has certainly helped me get my head around the differences and how to spank them in their own particular way. Just watching this now whilst waiting for my Belgian Tripel to mash. I love Fridays!
You're an incredible guitar player but if I were a millionaire traveling musician, I'm not sure if I'd hire you as My guitar tech. I'd leave the non compensated saddles on it to give it character. Every guitar nowadays is precisely intonated, and it gets boring. Why does everything need to be polished and perfect ?
Hey Mick, congrats on the new Tele :) As per saddles, I personally found the Gotoh SW-3 adjustable saddles to be my personal preference, I believe Suhr is also mounting them in their Alt-T's. A thing I also do often on new guitars is to seat the neck, which can sometimes give you some frequencies back. Have fun with your new Tele! :)
@@goswo you loosen the neck screws a little, while the gitar is strung up and under tension. This will pull the neck into the neck pocket. If it was loose, you will hear it click into place. Then re-tighten the neck screws.
I have just started getting into the Strat, after decades of hardtail-only, and light strings too, but I think that I want a custom Strat body with no relief contouring. Radiused like a Tele. 🤔por quoi?
I´d love to see an episode where you guys play around with the top amp/fx plugins just to get your take on them, they should probably be Amplitube, Guitar rig and Bias FX, maybe Tonex as well! DO IT!!! A LOT of people are using them!
When you hear Dan’s tele it just reaffirms how good a sounding guitar it really is. Obviously they’re two different guitars but man Dan’s guitar really is a heavy hitter!
My current favourite Tele is the cheapest one I've ever bought: A Squier Affinity with ceramic pups. Next time you're in a music store, you may want to try one out, especially if you want to get away from overly "smooth" sounding Teles.
Dan's red telecaster changed the way I look at these guitars. I can't imagine not having a telecaster in my life at this point. Congratulations on a beautiful instrument!
Loved the conversation, I have a Classic vibe Tele, with Tex Mex pickups, intonated saddles, and now I am going to have to get a black pickguard. Aesthetics are important. The playing was superb really covered the range of tones and expression available from the guitar. Maybe I am to protective but I couldn't contemplate reliving.
Strat pickups in a tele is definitely the prince way. If you’re ever back in Aus Daniel when covid settles down, I have a 70s HS madcat if you guys want to give it the ole schwang. South West Sydney is getting the hard hit last few weeks. Hope you guys are doing well
@@glennmattison3180 yep. The Madcat has both as strat pickups. Also a difference in distance between the bridge pickup and the bridge, so it also has a slightly different character to the sound
I know this is an old video, but I'm utterly exhausted and it autoplayed. I was just sprawled on the couch with you nattering away in my ear, when suddenly something happened. My energy levels started to replenish. The transference of New Guitar Energy is truly magical.
![Fender Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster: Mick’s New Guitar [Sounds, Setup, Mods & More]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
