Tele: to upgrade or to trade up, that is the question

nathan_393

nathan_393

Inspired
I’ve got an Ultra Luxe Tele that I bought last year (the NGD thread is somewhere in here). It was my first Tele. It’s not doing it for me.

When I brought my DGT home a couple weeks ago (again, see the NGD thread somewhere, I’d find links if I wasn’t on my phone), I realized very quickly it is basically a right proper Tele on steroids. And it makes my expensive American Tele sound like poop. I have lost all interest in it. It’s got no place in my home.

The Ultra Luxe suffers from the same problems Players, Performers, and Professional line Teles do (in my opinion): it sounds brittle. The Ultra Luxe isn’t very twangy either. Just sort of pop-focused, very aggressive, no snap, no crackle, no pop. The noiseless pickups don’t sound like single coil pickups, but they’re not good at sounding humbuckers either. I am somewhat certain the thing I dislike about all those guitars is the way the pickups and the polyurethane finish interact. They all sound plastic and fake.

I also find the neck profile uncomfortable in long playing sessions. I get a weird thumb cramp. I think it’s the thin D neck. It’s super thin. Not a fan.

So I went on a bit of a tour of vintage style Teles. The reissues all have fairly modern necks that I don’t like. The Brad Paisley Tele sounds good, but the finish details on the one I’ve played wasn’t great (needs a lot of fretwork and the truss rod needs a real good adjustment, and none of that filled me with confidence). I also didn’t like the U shaped neck. I had similar issues with an American Original 50s. Hated the U neck. I want something in a C shape, but the modern Fender necks are too thin and their “high gloss” plastic finishes are gross.

Finally, I came upon a Custom Shop 51 Aged Double Esquire. My word. What an instrument! That was the sound! It hit me like a ton of bricks. Warm, clear, thick. Instantly started busting out my favourite Jimmy Page riffs into the store’s crappy DSL40, and had a blast. Perfect neck too (why don’t they make them like that anymore; it’s not a difficult shape, just a good one).

So my question, after all this rambling, is this:

Should I trade in my Ultra Luxe Tele (and a couple other things) for this CS Tele, or one like it? If I swapped out the pickups, the saddle, and the bridge on my Ultra Luxe, would I be in the same tonal ballpark? I feel like the different finish and thinner rosewood neck (vs maple) would still sound very different and probably not as vintage as I’d like.

The goal for me is to get something low output. I haven’t played a 60s Custom Shop (trying one on Sunday), but I am leaning 50s just based on my preferences (I don’t think I want a Tele that’s as aggressive as anything made after 1958).

Would love some feedback on this. Y’all are way smarter than me about vintage sounding instruments.

One last note: I know other manufacturers make great instruments. I’d prefer to trade in gear at the store local to me (otherwise I can’t afford it, and trading things in has tax implications for my studio that I like), so it has to be Fender. (That’s just what they carry there.) But I’m sure the boutique stuff is amazing!
 
You’re probably not wrong, but at the price they’re asking I’m going to play it in the shop a few more times first to make sure I haven’t lost my marbles.
 
Sound advice! Now I’ve gotta get my hands on a couple more high end Teles to verify my tastes, I guess. There’s a Jimmy Page Tele a couple cities over (the mirror one that people rave about) that I wouldn’t mind trying either. But I did really dig the Double Esquire. (It’s easy to fall in love with a $6,000 instrument, though.)
 
I have a tele with CS Nocasters, a MIM Custom Designed series Triple Tele, and they sound great even though it's a poly finished Ash body (currently in the process of refinishing it). Therefore, swapping the pickups and bridge in the Ultra Luxe may get you close to the tone you want but you'll still be dealing with a neck that isn't comfortable.

Seems like you answered your own question though. ;) If a guitar spoke to me the way the CS did to you, it would be a no-brainer for me. It would be difficult deciding which guitars would be traded/sold, but I would definitely do it. There's something about the pickups designed from that era, whether the Blackguard, Broadcaster or Nocaster, they're the iconic Tele tone IMO.
 
ok, so for some reference, here’s what I’m looking at as a replacement:
  • custom shop 1950 Double Esquire (ash body, maple fretboard, 50/51 Blackguard pickups, brass saddles, 7.25”-9.5” compound radius). Loved this, but would have them change the wiring so to make the blend knob a normal tone knob before I even left the store, so this guitar is never going to be “stock”.
  • Custom Shop 1964 Tele (ash body, rosewood board, hand wound Texas Specials, steel saddles, 9.5” radius). I’m a little concerned this will be too hot for my liking, but I don’t know enough about 60s Teles to make a clear judgement. (I’m obviously going to play it, but it helps me to know the basics of the thing, so any insights are appreciated.)
  • Jimmy Page Mirror model (1959 specs, rosewood board, custom Jimmy Page pickups that I assume sound like stock 59 pickups, ash body, 7.25” radius, top load or string through body bridge, and steel saddles). From the demos, I’m not as into this, but it’s a lot cheaper and I think it would sound much better with strings through body rather than top loaded. All the demos have top loaded strings and sound quite bright. If I got this one though, I’d probably have enough left after trade to pick up a Player Tele as a couch guitar/mod platform, which would be a lot of fun. Both my wife and my father in law are very handy and quite interested in soldering things and experimenting with different neck woods. (They don’t play. They’re just like that.)
Any advice might be helpful. I like vintage sounds. I like the way Teles cut, but I hate the modern ice pick thing they do. A warmer, fatter sound is my jam (like the old Zeppelin and Stones records). I like thicker necks, and as some of you might know, I lean into Les Paul style instruments. My hope is that this guitar will primarily be for cleaner sounds, southern rock, church, and recording big reverb-heavy sounds.

My gut says 50s Teles are probably better for me, but I’ve spent years watching That Pedal Show, and like the rest of the internet, have completely fallen in love with Red, which is a 63 Tele. I don’t know the difference between 63 and 64, and I also don’t know if the specs on the CS 64 above are representative of that era as a whole. Would love to learn more about what I’m looking at.

So there are a couple head/heart conflicts here.
 
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Go check a G&L ASAT Classic US with MFD pickups. You might fall in love with her soundwise and find a guitar in a financially accessible ballpark. You can still get a set of these pickups at a low price and try the swap if your hardware allows to receive these PU that have dimensions comparable to P90's.
 
I think you should take your Tele into the store where the CS Tele is and compare them unamplified. This gives you a pretty good clue to the comparative tones of the two. The pickups are easy to replace if that is all it is. Then compare the necks and how they feel and play to you. Own the one that inspires you and makes you happy. Life is short.
 
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Neck aside, what spec was the cs tele the ultra luxe doesnt have?

Im surprised you didnt like the american pro becsuse those necks rule.

You can find used cs teles for 4k or a little under with patience. My friend in kw has foolishly listed his lol.

Thick U is comfy just gotta adjust ;)

I also dont like thin D necks and though my old american deluxe was assymetrical it ultimately wasnt comfy and was sold (at a big loss) for my first core prs.
 
Budda said:
Neck aside, what spec was the cs tele the ultra luxe doesnt have?
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Brass bridge and saddles, some relicing (I actually like that), nitro (love that and wouldn’t normally buy a guitar without it), vintage pickups (huge fan). And that’s all excluding the neck.

Edit to add regarding the American Pro: they have that same brittle sound. They sound cold and harsh. Ice picky is the wrong word. More like nails on a chalkboard. A lot of modern Teles have that sound to me, and I don’t know why. Plus, the poly is too thick on them for me.
 
nathan_393 said:
Brass bridge and saddles, some relicing (I actually like that), nitro (love that and wouldn’t normally buy a guitar without it), vintage pickups (huge fan). And that’s all excluding the neck.
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2 of 3 are simple mods at least!
 
I dont even know if i have a brass bridge on mine haha. Its a Joe Barden and it didnt cost me a ton. Vineham broadcaster set in mine which Im very happy with.
 
Andy Eagle said:
A playable (9.5" or flatter with 6105/6100 frets) with full vintage spec is the way to go for a Tele IMO . Teles have a sound and versatility that seems to reduce as you move the spec away from this .
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Judging from this, it sounds like you’re saying a 60s spec is better even if you need to swap pickups? Just get a 9.5” radius and the 6105 frets instead of medium vintage?
 
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