By the way. something else I want to add as an aside to the Tele w/ humbuckers comment above... (which I partially agree with, by the way...)

One of the BEST Tele sounds is a P-90 in the neck position, coupled with the standard Tele style bridge pickup. I know it's not purist, but man... until you've heard it, you're missing something...

Scott. strat in the mid/rear position is still quite a bit different than a Tele. One of the things that makes a Tele do what it does is the pairing of the pickup to the bridge, with the steel bottom "reflector" plate on the bottom of the bridge pickup,. It redirects the magnetic field. Even a strat with a similar plate won't quite do it... so it's a combination of the mounting and steel plate.

Telecasters are just cooler than Strats. I mean, these guys play/played teles:

Keith Richards
James Burton
Jimmy Page (yardbirds n 1sy zep record...can you believe he got such a fat tone out of one?)
Bruuuuce
Joe Strummer
Danny Gatton
Buck Owens
Wilko Johnson
Albert Collins

etc

This one is cool. This is CC Adcock at Jazz Fest in New Orleans a couple of years ago.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1302609221.jpg

But you can't really dismiss Hendrix. Or SRV. Or David Gilmour. Or Clapton. Or...

Just put one together. It takes three beers.

The trick with single coil teles is the vintage bridge and to take the pickups low. High, Coalminers daughter. Low, Whole Lotta Love.

I find the layout of the Tele difficult but they can be awesome sounding things.

A lot of the second record was done with Tele too. And Danelectro, ditto for the first.
Whole Lotta Love, as Stuart commented, I am absolutely positive, is a Tele. It's got a "boink" that a Paul doesn't have.
My favorite Page tones have always been the Tele stuff.

I hope this is not a high-jack, but what are the thoughts on a Tele as a beginner guitar? My interests lie in blues and classing rock (including the Stones!).

Should I look elsewhere? Am I crazy to do this at 40?

Do it!! I see no reason why not. A tele is as good a beginner guitar as anything... I used to be a strat guy myself. Then I watched this Roy Buchanan video on youtube, had heard of the guy but didnt know much about him. Was so completely blown away by his tone and all around playing that I ran out and bought one. Rarely play my strat now...

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FMcjPZgK9GM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

DO IT! I started playing bass at age 12 and I'm still playing at age 60. I would not trade one minute for anything else.

Life starts at 40!

Go for it! Tele will make a great adult beginer guitar IMHO

I started somewhere close to 40 with a tele thinline.

Careful. It can be addictive. I've got about 8 or so guitars now, a ton of pedals and a few amps. Fun stuff.

A Tele is like a shovel. Basic, unbreakable, reliable. it is what it is. Good learner guitar- although an acoustic is better-IMHO.

like the tele!
 

Throw a mean blues shuffle out on your tele and you won't want to play anything else! Plus.....slide rules on a Telecaster! Have had both, now playing an Indonesian fender bassman........

my brother was always a strat guy, he has a Gretsch he just got that he seems to really be diggin'

a bit more than double what I gave for a 914 and two sets of alloy wheels

Gorthar...thank you for the Buchanan...that is a great video of one of the greats.

regards,
Al