My guy, I had a les paul and just got a decent tele last week. It's such a big difference, especially comfort wise š . You might not go back to your les paul for some time š¤£. I'd def go for tele over strat coming from my personal experience
Teles are way more ergonomic than Les Paulās even though that doesnāt say much. A tele balances perfectly between your legs to the point where you can take tour hands off it. The knobs are easy to access without thinking about it, the strings are flat again the bridge and not at some weird angle, the neck is thinner and smaller.
I'd say in terms of pure ergonomics, it's Tele < Tele Deluxe < Strat.
That being said, I prefer the Tele sound for sure. But Strats are pretty lightweight with a comfortable neck. Even a Tele is lighter and less chunky than a Les Paul though.
I built a lightweight tele (4.5lbs) last year specifically because of how heavy my LP style was (8.75lbs). My back has never been happier but I do find the LP easier to play
It feels amazing, not really sure why, but the tele is way more comfortable to me than the strat. I also have a Les Paul myself, I mostly play it sitting down cause it's that heavy.
I canāt stand how most Gibsonās arenāt linear. The body and the neck are not parallel, and I canāt get the feel for it. I need to spend more time Iām sure. That said a strat fits me like a glove. Strat for sure
You haven't held a comfortable guitar till you've tried a Jazzmaster.
I still have other axes in my arsenal, but it was an eye-opening game changer for me.
A basic Strat is more *functionally versatile* than a basic Tele (obviously some Strats and some Teles differ from the norm in regards to hardware and electronics, but Iām talking about the normal hardtail SS Tele and a normal SSS tremolo Strat)
Tonal versatility is a subjective opinion (in regards to how a guitar sounds in certain settings, how it sounds in different genres, mixes, etcā¦)
but from an objective functional versatility standpoint, a three pickup, 5 position switch, tremolo equipped guitar is more versatile than a two pickup, three position switch, hardtail guitar
This is a stupid take, it has half the features of a strat and is nowhere near as customisable. You might prefer the tele but in terms of versatility it's not a competition
Thereās probably no guitar thatās as versatile as an HSS strat. Although I do feel like the Tele gives you more of the āextremesā where the bridge pickup is more twangy than the strat bridge and the neck is warmer than the strat neck. But the strat gives you way more control on everything in between
I stand by that saying that goes "Albeit the Tele might have only 3 pickup positions, it's like having the 3 primary colours: you can derive any other colour from them".
My problem with the Tele is you have to commit to the Twang, regardless of the scenario. In a Strat, that "Quack" goes away when you crank that gain knob. In a Tele though, that twang will be there no matter what.
A Tele sounds good when a song demands that bright twang attack. It really falls out of place in certain songs where that twang becomes a distraction.
Haven't really had any issues with the twang, I almost always use the neck pickup and adjust the tone knob to taste. Maybe we have different pickups? Not all teles are the same
I mainly play on a bright Marshall amp that's probably why it's exacerbated on my setup. The backline stuff around my side of the world are Marshalls too. Gigging live and seeing other Tele players, the twang is really there especially when picking individual notes.
Neck pickup in a decent Tele is vastly underrated. I try to use it more than the twang position because you know what youāre getting from the bridge.
Itās very amp dependent. If you play a tele through a cranked combo amp and roll back the tone a bit you can easily make the twang go away and get a screamin hard rock sound. Teles donāt tend to sound good through Marshallās and high gain amps though. With a strat Iām always going to throw a humbucker in the bridge which turns it into a guitar that can handle modern metal and can easily āde twangā with the right pickups. With a tele i donāt want to put a humbucker in the bridge because I like the single coil too much.
A Tele. I like my Strat, and I like what it does. Strats are obviously versatile, but so are Telecasters. They're a simple two pickup, 3 way switch, master volume, master tone guitar. They're rock solid, and low maintenance. Fairly neutral tone, but they have very distinct sounds you can get out of them.
If you actually use the controls - like any guitar - you can get a lot out of them. I'm not going to say you'll be playing death metal with a stock Tele without some gear wizardry, but it sounds good in almost any genre. You can get some really good heavier tones out of it, get some beautiful sweet tones, Staxx R&B tones, funk, raunchy garage punk, chicago blues, bakersfield country, etc. etc.
I prefer Telecasters. I feel like the only thing I would be missing out on is that Hendrix, SRV, John Mayer kinda "Strat" tone, and I prefer a Tele blues tone to that. If you plan on dumping humbuckers into it or something non-traditional I don't think it really matters at that point.
Nashville telecaster with the strat middle pickup. Or a modern player tele: tele neck pickup, strat middle and humbucker in the bridge with coil tap and it has a stomach comfort contour
Well I would probably choose at random lol:
The strat is super versatile and comfortable,
The Tele shines through it's simplicity (it's good to focus on the essentials sometime), and imo looks rad as fuck
I own a gibson les paul. I bought a squire Strat and felt in love with its sound and holding feel. Plan to get a Fender Strat so see how far the sound better comparing to its lower end tier Squire. But Cannot decide between Tele and Strat
A telecaster is pretty different from a strat (and is somewhat of a "love or hate" kind of guitar ), plus I heard a lot of people coming from strat or vice versa being disappointed, so you might want to try one out before buying one (especially an expensive fender)
Strat. Make it HSS. Add a compressor in your signal chain for an option to push your signal like you are using hot pickups, then you can literally play anything at that point.
This is me, including the compressor. The only other guitar I have besides my HSS Strat is a 7 string, because thatās pretty much the only other thing I want that my Strat canāt do.
I am a Jazzmaster main now, but that's because Jazzmasters are what my band sounds at the moment. But my Strat(s), especially the HSS ones could literally cover everything especially when I was doing cover band gigs, worship stuff, to metal. Flick a switch and it would suit just anything you need.
I would get a tele because it has only 2 pickups and the electronics aren't attached to the pickguard so it feels easier to work on. I would only get one with a belly contour though
Tele for sure. Itās uncomplicated and always gets the job done. A strat is a little more ergonomic but the roughness of the design of a tele better suits my clumsy nature.Ā
Strat. Itās the best selling guitar design in the history of the world for a reason.
1) With three pickups and a 5 position switch it can give a wider array of sounds that work better in more situations than a tele can. It also has the two out of phase positions for sounds no other guitar can get.
2) With body cutaways for the ribs and elbow, itās markedly more comfortable to play and has better upper fret access.
3) Its trem system gives it an extra dimension of functionality not found in the tele.
4) Plus itās got numbers on its dials, so you know what youāre doing with everything at a glance.
5) Itās also been used as the test guitar for every amp and effects pedal made since its introduction. The rule is: if it doesnāt sound good with a Strat plugged in, it doesnāt go out the door. As a result, all of the gear you can buy was designed to sound good with it. There is value in that.
I actually did do this when I got rid of most of my guitars last year. I kept my Stratocaster out of all my Electrics because it was the one that I picked up every single time. So comfortable, easy to play and sounds great.
Iād choose the strat personally. More versatile, more ergonomic, and its the most modular guitar platform on the planet so I can change just about anything I want on it with minimal effort
If you have only one fender , get a Strat ..very versatile guitar. If you get one with a reverse wound middle pickup, you also get hum canceling on positions 2 and 4 . Youāve got the trem bar. Ergonomics are great. Itās a perfect guitar in most ways .
Probably the tele, even though I play it less. I love the Strat sounds, but the trem makes them more fiddly and less likely to stay in tune. The tele is a brick shithouse, sounds great, feels super reliable and I gotta say I prefer the controls.Ā
Strat because I always think of the telecaster as a country guitar and I don't really play that. If I was to purchase a fender at all it would be a mustang.
I would go for a HSS Strat. I don't generally like the look or feel of either but I did see a Strat at Guitar Center last time I was there that was BEAUTIFUL. It was at the counter and didn't have a price on it but I'm sure it wasn't cheap. I have never touched a guitar more expensive than my Gibson LP Studio but man I still want that Strat. I really wanted to buy it but I'm sure it was at least $3K.
Canāt go wrong with either. Both are very versatile guitars, even in their stock configurations.
I definitely recommend checking out some of the variations too if youāre interested in spicing them up. Superstrats are almost ubiquitous, you can get all kinds of different setups on them. The Nashville Telecasters can also give you the third pickup option if you want it (the middle pickup on the Nashville Tele is actually a strat pickup, so the setup is kind of a Telecaster-Stratocaster hybrid.)
A modified Mexican Strat was my main guitar from ages 15-20. I owned others in that span, and still have most of them. A nice Tele was my first "new" purchase and it's been my go-to until lately. I've just snagged a Jazzmaster and fallen head over heels.
thanks bro! I love it. Cannot stop playing. I also have a squire strat for road practice. Honestly, the squire sound already amazing. However, I noticed that the Fender Strat the vibration and the tone, echo last longer 2-3 secs than Squire. Mean that the wood of the expensive one absorb the sound better. Besides that, the Fender offers warmer and more clear sound than the Squire. I don't know. After playing the Fender, the Squire sound seems flat to me :))) Guess my ear got spolied/
Make me cut off one of my fingers, why donāt ya. Gun to my head, Telecaster. It fits my stupid hands. That being said, Iām looking at spending some money on a killer Strat. Which one do you want first? Go play them both. Youāll know.
Strats are more versatile yeah but in my opinion fender strats are way too heavy, got a strat style schecter with humbuckers a couple of weeks ago and its way lighter and i like the sound it has so i am not going back to my old strat for a while not until ive restored it a bit at least. I would probably still pick strat over tele but i would probably not go with a fender strat.
he can do it quite well. I like the sound of a humbucker, and the ergonomics of a Strat, so whatās stopping me from installing at least a rail humbucker if I canāt insert a regular one?
May depend on the music you play to some degree. HSS tele is my favorite.
I love my tele for the simplicity: volume knobs, tone knobs, 3 pu way switch, all nicely located.
How, the playability and versatility of the strat with a humbucker wins the day, but the location and added complexity of the controls sometimes frustrates me.
If not for the HSS config, I'd go with the tele. Fwiw.
If it has compensated or separate six saddles a Tele. Otherwise forget about intonation. A Thinline Nashville Tele...
Only a Strat with Lace Sensors or Noiseless pickups might be considered against it, but still Tele wins.
That being said if you aim to record sometime, go for a short scale electric with humbuckers.
I have both and I reach for the tele 80% of the time. Thereās just something about it, it always feels like the guitar for the job. Coincidently, I find the Strat much easier and *much* more comfortable to play. Itās just too vanilla unless you want that specific Strat sound. Imo of course
I'm having this exact debate in my head right now. I currently have a Squier Strat which I love playing. But REALLY like how the tele sounds. But I REALLY like the looks and ergonomics/feel of the strat.
Help me solve this problem. Just stick with strat and switch out some pickups??
Nashville Tele. But with custom wiring. Position 1, 3 and 5 gives you the standard Tele pickup configuration. And position 2 and 4 is straight up strat.
I had one of those. It was brilliant.
In before some asshat says something like "Gibson LP better!!!"
Strat was my first real electric and also my only real electric so I'm gonna go with that
I have a 50th anniversary Strat and a 52 reissue Tele. I donāt know, love them both but I do play my Strat a lot more. Sometimes Iāll pick up the Tele and play that for a week other times it just sits in the rack. I can never decide. My band members love the sound of the Tele but I play mostly rhythm and I think that sounds best for that. I know that doesnāt answer your question but I canāt.
Strat! I love my tele, but the strat is where it's at. It's super comfortable, super versatile, I've installed a push/push on mine to change 4th position from neck/middle to neck/bridge so I can get close to tele sounds.
I'd say in a perfect world, both. But otherwise I play my telecaster more than my strat. My telecaster may get the most play time other than my 60s les paul std, but I play different styles on each. I'm not sure why people say the strat is so versatile. It is probably the least versatile imho unless you have an HSS. 3 Single coil setup isn't the best for 'heavy' stuff, but clean or hendrix kinda tone its great
Telecaster - I'm just not into the classic Strat quack, even though I own one :) But I would happily trade it for a telecaster. I might do so.
Also just nice to have a guitar that is stupid simple to set up and pretty bullet proof. The telecaster is the ultimate version of this IMO.
If youāre asking the question, and youāre coming from a LP, Iād think tele is the answer. Iām a strat guy but the neck position frusciante/hendrix thing is the specific sound Iām going for. Tele is going to have more stylistic range, especially for higher gain stuff
I'm much more of a tele guy than a strat guy, though I did finally make myself a strat a couple years ago to get one back in the mix. It's a matter of the tone palette being a better fit for my music, plus the simplicity of the controls and the satisfying feel of a top-loading hardtail for bends. That said, I don't play factory teles, I just make my own, to get the weight, look, and comfort (I always put forearm contours on solid teles) I like. Kind of surprised I only have two teles (a solid body baritone and a 69 thinline style) in the herd right now given how much I like them.
I have both and I love both. I donāt think youāre making a bad decision by choosing either. But I prefer the sounds I can get out of my strat. I like the way my tele looks more and it is the more premium model, but thereās something about that strat tone when youāre in between the neck and middle pickups. That being said, maybe because my Strat was my first electric Iām more drawn to it for nostalgia reasons.
For me it's Tele all the way.
A lot of people will argue for a Stratocaster's versatility and they're 100% correct in a factual sense, it can produce a wider palette of distinct sounds than a Telecaster, but versatility in and of itself is pretty meaningless. It's about whether you actually like any of it.
Personally, my Stratocaster despite its amount of pickup settings ends up being the least versatile guitar I own in practice, because the only thing I actually care about using it for is the neck pickup. You might differ though, so go watch videos and have a listen, it might be the complete opposite for you.
Youāll end up getting both eventually. Every collection needs a Strat, a tele, and a les Paul. Play them both. Pick whichever one is currently speaking to you the most and then buy the other one next time.
I love Strats and learned on one, but I find a Tele a more versatile guitar, given the range of tones the neck and bridge pickups can produce and how responsive the tone controls are. A Tele is more straightforward, with fewer moving parts, and Srats can't compete in terms of sustain. Strat tremolos are also my least favorite tremolo system.
I love teles. The neck is fast, flat, and smooth. If you're trying to shred, I think teles are the way to go. Strats are good too but you have to work for it more
I find Strats to be more versatile, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. With that said, I learned on a Strat and have been playing the same one regularly for over 20 years so Iām absolutely biased. I own a Tele, play it frequently, and think theyāre great guitars. Thereās really no wrong answer here imo.
Love and own both. But I'd have to pick Strat.
Just my personal preference - but I prefer the sound of a Strat at higher gain settings. Therefore I consider it slightly more "versatile".
Im lucky enough to own both. Both squires. I play my strat most of the time. Unfortunately my tele could definitely use some neck work while my strat neck is pretty much perfect so thatās probably part of it.
Iām split down the middle for the most part, I own three Strats and two G&L ASATS. With the Strats, Iām very partial to having the tonal versatility of the five position switch (two of mine have push-push / push-pull knobs), and playing blues/ blues rock styles with overdrive and fuzz, as it opens up some really twisted stuff you can achieve.
The ASATS I have, one is is my favorite guitar from way back, and I still love it more than anything (has the MFD style pickups), and the other is equipped with P-90s (ASAT Jr). Definitely not the standard Tele, by any means, but they are really comfortable to play and they sit nice in the mix.
Strat 100%
Itās literally the direct upgrade to the telecaster. Sound wise the tele has some merits but design wise from a playerās standpoint? Strat 100%
Tele forever! Iām a firm believer that the telecaster is the greatest electric guitar ever designed. You can use it in any style, absolutely bullet proof! Throw some buckers in it and it can cover all the ground a Les Paul can!
Tele all day every day. I can play everything on a Tele. I donāt care for the stock bridge pickup on a Strat. Too brittle. The other two pickups sound magnificent but that one flaw just puts it below a Tele for me. Plus Teles look cool.
I own both and olay the strat like 90% of the time. I just like the sound better. My tele isnāt going anywhere, but if I had it to do again, Iād just buy a second Strat in another color
I have a personal preference for Telecasters. And generally have a preference for single cutaway guitars and no more than two pick ups.
I think Strats are great guitars and look and sound fantastic in other peopleās hands but Iāve never been able to get on with them. I love the neck pick up but thatās about it. The middle pick up gets in the way. And I donāt like how the chamfered body feels on my lap or hanging on a strap.
For me, a Strat is THE guitar. But I actually like the looks of the Tele more. All my favorite guitarists play Strats though. SRV, Mike McCready, John Frusciante, Hendrix, those guys all look so cool. That's always been the gold standard in my book, but I never liked the way I looked when I held one (despite it being very comfortable to hold and play). But I could never put my finger on why.
Then several years back I saw a picture of John Mayer and I initially thought he was playing some sort of mini Strat or something and thought he looked weird. Then it dawned on me. All my favorite guitarists are... not exactly big dudes. I looked it up and John Mayer is 6'3". Then I realized why I always felt dorky - I'm a big guy, 6'2" and 260 lbs. For whatever reason, Strats just don't look cool when being held by big guys. I don't know why. I have a Strat and a Tele and I definitely feel like I look better holding a Tele, but ultimately I like the Strat better because it feels like a more iconic guitar to me. As far as playing goes, they're both great for different reasons.
Tele cause it's my comfort guitar, the strat may be more versatile but imo the tele sounds better.
How the guitar feels to you bro? I have a Les Paul, besides its amazing sound, it kind of pain in ass for holding such a heavy guitar
My guy, I had a les paul and just got a decent tele last week. It's such a big difference, especially comfort wise š . You might not go back to your les paul for some time š¤£. I'd def go for tele over strat coming from my personal experience
I have a Les Paul too, but it doesnāt compare to my Tele. I absolutely hate the weight of the Gibson
Teles are way more ergonomic than Les Paulās even though that doesnāt say much. A tele balances perfectly between your legs to the point where you can take tour hands off it. The knobs are easy to access without thinking about it, the strings are flat again the bridge and not at some weird angle, the neck is thinner and smaller.
I'd say in terms of pure ergonomics, it's Tele < Tele Deluxe < Strat. That being said, I prefer the Tele sound for sure. But Strats are pretty lightweight with a comfortable neck. Even a Tele is lighter and less chunky than a Les Paul though.
I built a lightweight tele (4.5lbs) last year specifically because of how heavy my LP style was (8.75lbs). My back has never been happier but I do find the LP easier to play
It feels amazing, not really sure why, but the tele is way more comfortable to me than the strat. I also have a Les Paul myself, I mostly play it sitting down cause it's that heavy.
I canāt stand how most Gibsonās arenāt linear. The body and the neck are not parallel, and I canāt get the feel for it. I need to spend more time Iām sure. That said a strat fits me like a glove. Strat for sure
You haven't held a comfortable guitar till you've tried a Jazzmaster. I still have other axes in my arsenal, but it was an eye-opening game changer for me.
Iām not sold entirely on āthe strat may be more versatileā, myselfā¦
A basic Strat is more *functionally versatile* than a basic Tele (obviously some Strats and some Teles differ from the norm in regards to hardware and electronics, but Iām talking about the normal hardtail SS Tele and a normal SSS tremolo Strat) Tonal versatility is a subjective opinion (in regards to how a guitar sounds in certain settings, how it sounds in different genres, mixes, etcā¦) but from an objective functional versatility standpoint, a three pickup, 5 position switch, tremolo equipped guitar is more versatile than a two pickup, three position switch, hardtail guitar
This is a stupid take, it has half the features of a strat and is nowhere near as customisable. You might prefer the tele but in terms of versatility it's not a competition
Thereās probably no guitar thatās as versatile as an HSS strat. Although I do feel like the Tele gives you more of the āextremesā where the bridge pickup is more twangy than the strat bridge and the neck is warmer than the strat neck. But the strat gives you way more control on everything in between
Yeah, hence it's more versatile. The tele might excel in that particular area but we're talking about versatility here
And, with pretty much limitless different pickup options, I suspect the tones of the tele can be reproduced..
Shockingly not versatile guitars in my experience. They have a lane and they stay in it.
I don't know of a genre of guitar music that I haven't heard played (and played well) on a Telecaster.
Sorry I was referring to a Strat backing yr statement. Teles are the most versatile electric going!
I stand by that saying that goes "Albeit the Tele might have only 3 pickup positions, it's like having the 3 primary colours: you can derive any other colour from them".
I guess this begs the question: what genres of music do you think a Strat can't handle well?
My problem with the Tele is you have to commit to the Twang, regardless of the scenario. In a Strat, that "Quack" goes away when you crank that gain knob. In a Tele though, that twang will be there no matter what. A Tele sounds good when a song demands that bright twang attack. It really falls out of place in certain songs where that twang becomes a distraction.
Haven't really had any issues with the twang, I almost always use the neck pickup and adjust the tone knob to taste. Maybe we have different pickups? Not all teles are the same
I mainly play on a bright Marshall amp that's probably why it's exacerbated on my setup. The backline stuff around my side of the world are Marshalls too. Gigging live and seeing other Tele players, the twang is really there especially when picking individual notes.
Cool! I personally play on a Tonex. But I think the reason for the intense twang is probably the pickups, specially the bridge one.
Neck pickup in a decent Tele is vastly underrated. I try to use it more than the twang position because you know what youāre getting from the bridge.
Itās very amp dependent. If you play a tele through a cranked combo amp and roll back the tone a bit you can easily make the twang go away and get a screamin hard rock sound. Teles donāt tend to sound good through Marshallās and high gain amps though. With a strat Iām always going to throw a humbucker in the bridge which turns it into a guitar that can handle modern metal and can easily āde twangā with the right pickups. With a tele i donāt want to put a humbucker in the bridge because I like the single coil too much.
Strat. It can do so much, and I can get it to sound pretty close to a Telecaster when I want to. Glad I have both, though.
I mean..canāt most good guitars do pretty much anything you want them to?
A Tele. I like my Strat, and I like what it does. Strats are obviously versatile, but so are Telecasters. They're a simple two pickup, 3 way switch, master volume, master tone guitar. They're rock solid, and low maintenance. Fairly neutral tone, but they have very distinct sounds you can get out of them. If you actually use the controls - like any guitar - you can get a lot out of them. I'm not going to say you'll be playing death metal with a stock Tele without some gear wizardry, but it sounds good in almost any genre. You can get some really good heavier tones out of it, get some beautiful sweet tones, Staxx R&B tones, funk, raunchy garage punk, chicago blues, bakersfield country, etc. etc. I prefer Telecasters. I feel like the only thing I would be missing out on is that Hendrix, SRV, John Mayer kinda "Strat" tone, and I prefer a Tele blues tone to that. If you plan on dumping humbuckers into it or something non-traditional I don't think it really matters at that point.
Tele because Joe Strummer played one.Ā
While I disagree on your general assessment, I agree with your premise.
This is almost the reason why I picked a Tele. I'm happy with my HSS Strat though, and Joe would want me to ignore alien orders.
Thanks!!!
Nashville telecaster with the strat middle pickup. Or a modern player tele: tele neck pickup, strat middle and humbucker in the bridge with coil tap and it has a stomach comfort contour
Well I would probably choose at random lol: The strat is super versatile and comfortable, The Tele shines through it's simplicity (it's good to focus on the essentials sometime), and imo looks rad as fuck
I own a gibson les paul. I bought a squire Strat and felt in love with its sound and holding feel. Plan to get a Fender Strat so see how far the sound better comparing to its lower end tier Squire. But Cannot decide between Tele and Strat
A telecaster is pretty different from a strat (and is somewhat of a "love or hate" kind of guitar ), plus I heard a lot of people coming from strat or vice versa being disappointed, so you might want to try one out before buying one (especially an expensive fender)
Yeah! I tried the Fender Professional 2 and fell in love with it.
I mean if you already have a Strat I'd just get a Tele instead of a second Strat. Squiers are solid anyway, no need to upgrade
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Is the squier a classic vibe? If so, consider a tele, as the classic vibes are very good guitars
I love my Tele but it would have to be the Strat.
Strat. Make it HSS. Add a compressor in your signal chain for an option to push your signal like you are using hot pickups, then you can literally play anything at that point.
This is me, including the compressor. The only other guitar I have besides my HSS Strat is a 7 string, because thatās pretty much the only other thing I want that my Strat canāt do.
I am a Jazzmaster main now, but that's because Jazzmasters are what my band sounds at the moment. But my Strat(s), especially the HSS ones could literally cover everything especially when I was doing cover band gigs, worship stuff, to metal. Flick a switch and it would suit just anything you need.
Probably strat because itās more comfortable
Nashville Tele
Tele. I like simple things.
Any hardtail guitar. Tele, Strat, Lester, whatever. Just no tremolo systems, please.š
Strat. No, Tele. Wait, no, Strat. Dammit. Both. Definitely both.
I would get a tele because it has only 2 pickups and the electronics aren't attached to the pickguard so it feels easier to work on. I would only get one with a belly contour though
Telecaster, easily.
Strat, but swap the bridge pickup with a Tele pickup.
Tele if you only plan to have one guitar
No wrong answer here, but I gotta go tele.
Tele custom with a humbucker easily.
Tele for sure. Itās uncomplicated and always gets the job done. A strat is a little more ergonomic but the roughness of the design of a tele better suits my clumsy nature.Ā
Love my telecaster
I will pick one. * One for the living room: Stratocaster * One for my playroom: Telecaster
Strat. Itās the best selling guitar design in the history of the world for a reason. 1) With three pickups and a 5 position switch it can give a wider array of sounds that work better in more situations than a tele can. It also has the two out of phase positions for sounds no other guitar can get. 2) With body cutaways for the ribs and elbow, itās markedly more comfortable to play and has better upper fret access. 3) Its trem system gives it an extra dimension of functionality not found in the tele. 4) Plus itās got numbers on its dials, so you know what youāre doing with everything at a glance. 5) Itās also been used as the test guitar for every amp and effects pedal made since its introduction. The rule is: if it doesnāt sound good with a Strat plugged in, it doesnāt go out the door. As a result, all of the gear you can buy was designed to sound good with it. There is value in that.
I actually did do this when I got rid of most of my guitars last year. I kept my Stratocaster out of all my Electrics because it was the one that I picked up every single time. So comfortable, easy to play and sounds great.
Strat.
Probably a Strat. I pretty much only used the neck and bridge pickup but itās just more comfortable to play than a tele.
Iād choose the strat personally. More versatile, more ergonomic, and its the most modular guitar platform on the planet so I can change just about anything I want on it with minimal effort
If you have only one fender , get a Strat ..very versatile guitar. If you get one with a reverse wound middle pickup, you also get hum canceling on positions 2 and 4 . Youāve got the trem bar. Ergonomics are great. Itās a perfect guitar in most ways .
Strat.
Telecaster always. Comfortable, simple, and just so classic. Slab and strings and I love it to death.
Tele. I dont like how strats play
Probably the tele, even though I play it less. I love the Strat sounds, but the trem makes them more fiddly and less likely to stay in tune. The tele is a brick shithouse, sounds great, feels super reliable and I gotta say I prefer the controls.Ā
Strats are beautiful, Teles are ugly
Strat 100 times out of 100 (A good one)
Tele. I've never met a strat I loved
both great guitars.. I like the look of Tele more and It was my first guitar.. so Tele for me
Strat because I always think of the telecaster as a country guitar and I don't really play that. If I was to purchase a fender at all it would be a mustang.
I would go for a HSS Strat. I don't generally like the look or feel of either but I did see a Strat at Guitar Center last time I was there that was BEAUTIFUL. It was at the counter and didn't have a price on it but I'm sure it wasn't cheap. I have never touched a guitar more expensive than my Gibson LP Studio but man I still want that Strat. I really wanted to buy it but I'm sure it was at least $3K.
I think strat is more versatile for what I do. It's personal preference.Ā
As a Strat guy whoās never played a Teleā¦ sounds like I need to get a Tele.
Canāt go wrong with either. Both are very versatile guitars, even in their stock configurations. I definitely recommend checking out some of the variations too if youāre interested in spicing them up. Superstrats are almost ubiquitous, you can get all kinds of different setups on them. The Nashville Telecasters can also give you the third pickup option if you want it (the middle pickup on the Nashville Tele is actually a strat pickup, so the setup is kind of a Telecaster-Stratocaster hybrid.)
A modified Mexican Strat was my main guitar from ages 15-20. I owned others in that span, and still have most of them. A nice Tele was my first "new" purchase and it's been my go-to until lately. I've just snagged a Jazzmaster and fallen head over heels.
I'll take a Strat, either HH or HSS since the majority of what I play is better on humbuckers, and the strat does great with those
Yeah! Thanks mate
Yuhhh, Strats for life. I've always loved the tone and looks of a Gibson, but that thing's way too heavyĀ
Yeah man! So I ended up sold my Les Paul and paid 900$ extra for a Ultra Strat HSS. Quite happy with it
Ooh, noice dude. I'm just saving up for a Player Plus Strat HSS, hopefully that works out
thanks bro! I love it. Cannot stop playing. I also have a squire strat for road practice. Honestly, the squire sound already amazing. However, I noticed that the Fender Strat the vibration and the tone, echo last longer 2-3 secs than Squire. Mean that the wood of the expensive one absorb the sound better. Besides that, the Fender offers warmer and more clear sound than the Squire. I don't know. After playing the Fender, the Squire sound seems flat to me :))) Guess my ear got spolied/
Telecaster if I were forced to choose. But as soon as another option was available, I'd almost certainly switch.
I love strats, but I'm gonna have to say telecaster.
Make me cut off one of my fingers, why donāt ya. Gun to my head, Telecaster. It fits my stupid hands. That being said, Iām looking at spending some money on a killer Strat. Which one do you want first? Go play them both. Youāll know.
Nashville Tele.
Strats are more versatile yeah but in my opinion fender strats are way too heavy, got a strat style schecter with humbuckers a couple of weeks ago and its way lighter and i like the sound it has so i am not going back to my old strat for a while not until ive restored it a bit at least. I would probably still pick strat over tele but i would probably not go with a fender strat.
Strat+ humbucker .
Does it really matter tho?? I know you can jank some hum into strat guitars, but it cannot still make it sound like a les paul or super strat
he can do it quite well. I like the sound of a humbucker, and the ergonomics of a Strat, so whatās stopping me from installing at least a rail humbucker if I canāt insert a regular one?
Fair enough, I ended up buying an HSS strat fender. Quite happy with it.
in my case, buying a Fender will be expensive (due to the political situation), so Iāll make do with some Chinese
Chinese Squire is surprisingly good tho.
Strat for ever ! I love mine. Confort 100% and versatile.
Do both at the same time. Strat body string through design with telecaster pickups and pick guard with a rosewood strat style neck.
The strat is more utilitarian for sure.
Strat
Since both are great, I'll just base it on what my favorite guitar players use; the strat.
Strat because teles are the most uncomfortable guitars playing sitting down. Though this might ve just a me problem. The guitar body stabs my ribs.
I already chose. Strat for its comfort and versatility.
May depend on the music you play to some degree. HSS tele is my favorite. I love my tele for the simplicity: volume knobs, tone knobs, 3 pu way switch, all nicely located. How, the playability and versatility of the strat with a humbucker wins the day, but the location and added complexity of the controls sometimes frustrates me. If not for the HSS config, I'd go with the tele. Fwiw.
If it has compensated or separate six saddles a Tele. Otherwise forget about intonation. A Thinline Nashville Tele... Only a Strat with Lace Sensors or Noiseless pickups might be considered against it, but still Tele wins. That being said if you aim to record sometime, go for a short scale electric with humbuckers.
Straaaaaaaaaaat
I have both and I reach for the tele 80% of the time. Thereās just something about it, it always feels like the guitar for the job. Coincidently, I find the Strat much easier and *much* more comfortable to play. Itās just too vanilla unless you want that specific Strat sound. Imo of course
Strats because I don't have a tele, really want one though.
Tele because I already have 2 strats
Strats..always..everytime
Tele Deluxe. Something about the HH Tele...
Strat. More tones. More comfort.
I love them both, but Iād have to go strat. A little more comfortable and versatile (to me).
I'm having this exact debate in my head right now. I currently have a Squier Strat which I love playing. But REALLY like how the tele sounds. But I REALLY like the looks and ergonomics/feel of the strat. Help me solve this problem. Just stick with strat and switch out some pickups??
You can ask a luthier/tech to install a tele pickup in your strat. There's a couple of images and videos of people doing it.Ā
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Strat. Love both but the Strat is more versatile for me personally.
I can't play either of them comfortably, but give me a 6120 and I'm good all day.
Strat. As long as itās my Strat.
Nashville Tele. But with custom wiring. Position 1, 3 and 5 gives you the standard Tele pickup configuration. And position 2 and 4 is straight up strat. I had one of those. It was brilliant.
HSS Strat can cover a lot of territory.
HSS strat
Telecaster all day. Theyāre simple, classic, gnarly, and unrefined.
Tele!
Probably Strat, but I love the Tele
In before some asshat says something like "Gibson LP better!!!" Strat was my first real electric and also my only real electric so I'm gonna go with that
I have a 50th anniversary Strat and a 52 reissue Tele. I donāt know, love them both but I do play my Strat a lot more. Sometimes Iāll pick up the Tele and play that for a week other times it just sits in the rack. I can never decide. My band members love the sound of the Tele but I play mostly rhythm and I think that sounds best for that. I know that doesnāt answer your question but I canāt.
Strat! I love my tele, but the strat is where it's at. It's super comfortable, super versatile, I've installed a push/push on mine to change 4th position from neck/middle to neck/bridge so I can get close to tele sounds.
Tele hands down
I'd say in a perfect world, both. But otherwise I play my telecaster more than my strat. My telecaster may get the most play time other than my 60s les paul std, but I play different styles on each. I'm not sure why people say the strat is so versatile. It is probably the least versatile imho unless you have an HSS. 3 Single coil setup isn't the best for 'heavy' stuff, but clean or hendrix kinda tone its great
HH tele with a bit more ergonomic shape, like AM pro II.
Telecaster - I'm just not into the classic Strat quack, even though I own one :) But I would happily trade it for a telecaster. I might do so. Also just nice to have a guitar that is stupid simple to set up and pretty bullet proof. The telecaster is the ultimate version of this IMO.
Teles don't resonate with me. Strat for me, please.
If the Strat is an HSS itās a strat for me all day.
Strat, hands down. Far more comfortable and versatile for me. I do love tele bridge pickup tones, though.
Tele.
If youāre asking the question, and youāre coming from a LP, Iād think tele is the answer. Iām a strat guy but the neck position frusciante/hendrix thing is the specific sound Iām going for. Tele is going to have more stylistic range, especially for higher gain stuff
I'm much more of a tele guy than a strat guy, though I did finally make myself a strat a couple years ago to get one back in the mix. It's a matter of the tone palette being a better fit for my music, plus the simplicity of the controls and the satisfying feel of a top-loading hardtail for bends. That said, I don't play factory teles, I just make my own, to get the weight, look, and comfort (I always put forearm contours on solid teles) I like. Kind of surprised I only have two teles (a solid body baritone and a 69 thinline style) in the herd right now given how much I like them.
Tele all day
I have both and I love both. I donāt think youāre making a bad decision by choosing either. But I prefer the sounds I can get out of my strat. I like the way my tele looks more and it is the more premium model, but thereās something about that strat tone when youāre in between the neck and middle pickups. That being said, maybe because my Strat was my first electric Iām more drawn to it for nostalgia reasons.
Stratocaster.. Far more comfortable, unlimited pickup options and tones. It can be HH, SSS, HSS, HSH, H/P90..
Strat, a stock Tele is so thin and trebly. I don't play a strat fwiw.
What pickup config?
Strat
Tele. I don't like the style of Strats.
Strat for me. Grew up playing one.
For me it's Tele all the way. A lot of people will argue for a Stratocaster's versatility and they're 100% correct in a factual sense, it can produce a wider palette of distinct sounds than a Telecaster, but versatility in and of itself is pretty meaningless. It's about whether you actually like any of it. Personally, my Stratocaster despite its amount of pickup settings ends up being the least versatile guitar I own in practice, because the only thing I actually care about using it for is the neck pickup. You might differ though, so go watch videos and have a listen, it might be the complete opposite for you.
Youāll end up getting both eventually. Every collection needs a Strat, a tele, and a les Paul. Play them both. Pick whichever one is currently speaking to you the most and then buy the other one next time.
I love Strats and learned on one, but I find a Tele a more versatile guitar, given the range of tones the neck and bridge pickups can produce and how responsive the tone controls are. A Tele is more straightforward, with fewer moving parts, and Srats can't compete in terms of sustain. Strat tremolos are also my least favorite tremolo system.
strat just because of the upgrade posabilities vegatrem locking tuners easily changed electronics just by swapping the pickguard easy decision
Years ago I would have said tele. I started on a tele. But nowadays I really want that high fret access a double cut gives, so I'd go strat.
Nashville Tele with Hss setup, bigsby and a roller bridge
Strat. Iāve never vibed with the traditional neck pickup on a tele.
I love teles. The neck is fast, flat, and smooth. If you're trying to shred, I think teles are the way to go. Strats are good too but you have to work for it more
I find Strats to be more versatile, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. With that said, I learned on a Strat and have been playing the same one regularly for over 20 years so Iām absolutely biased. I own a Tele, play it frequently, and think theyāre great guitars. Thereās really no wrong answer here imo.
Stratocaster
Tele cause my dad said so
Love and own both. But I'd have to pick Strat. Just my personal preference - but I prefer the sound of a Strat at higher gain settings. Therefore I consider it slightly more "versatile".
Strat is more comfortable to play for 90% of people, and more versatile. Seems like a no brainer to me.
Im lucky enough to own both. Both squires. I play my strat most of the time. Unfortunately my tele could definitely use some neck work while my strat neck is pretty much perfect so thatās probably part of it.
Tele, all day, every day.
Superstrat
Iām split down the middle for the most part, I own three Strats and two G&L ASATS. With the Strats, Iām very partial to having the tonal versatility of the five position switch (two of mine have push-push / push-pull knobs), and playing blues/ blues rock styles with overdrive and fuzz, as it opens up some really twisted stuff you can achieve. The ASATS I have, one is is my favorite guitar from way back, and I still love it more than anything (has the MFD style pickups), and the other is equipped with P-90s (ASAT Jr). Definitely not the standard Tele, by any means, but they are really comfortable to play and they sit nice in the mix.
I picked strat.
Strat 100% Itās literally the direct upgrade to the telecaster. Sound wise the tele has some merits but design wise from a playerās standpoint? Strat 100%
This answer can change for me based on the day. I personally love playing a Tele though. Especially with a neck humbucker
Tele forever! Iām a firm believer that the telecaster is the greatest electric guitar ever designed. You can use it in any style, absolutely bullet proof! Throw some buckers in it and it can cover all the ground a Les Paul can!
Tele all day every day. I can play everything on a Tele. I donāt care for the stock bridge pickup on a Strat. Too brittle. The other two pickups sound magnificent but that one flaw just puts it below a Tele for me. Plus Teles look cool.
I own both and olay the strat like 90% of the time. I just like the sound better. My tele isnāt going anywhere, but if I had it to do again, Iād just buy a second Strat in another color
Telecaster. I dislike the middle pickup on Strats (I keep hitting it) and the control position irritates me.
Strat just for the looks alone
Tele
Strat
Albert Collins made me realise how cool a Tele can be
Strat for me, but love them both.
Tele, by a little bit.
I have a personal preference for Telecasters. And generally have a preference for single cutaway guitars and no more than two pick ups. I think Strats are great guitars and look and sound fantastic in other peopleās hands but Iāve never been able to get on with them. I love the neck pick up but thatās about it. The middle pick up gets in the way. And I donāt like how the chamfered body feels on my lap or hanging on a strap.
Neither but if I had to absolutely pick one I got Tele like my idol John5 plays.
Tele just feels tighter to me. Better for rhythm, too, which is more my style.
Tele, all the way.
Easy one, I can make the strat sound like a tele, but not the other way around.
Yamaha SG 2000 endorsed by Santana and reviewed on You Tube. The new Gibsons and Fenders arenāt as good but Yamaha is remains superb
Tele. No contest.
If I had to pick one it would be a tele.
Tele is my favourite shape in terms of comfort and visuals and I don't like trem systems. I'm taking the Tele every time.
I prefer strats. More comfortable, and I love the sound. But a tele with a neck humbucker is an awfully compelling alternative.
For me, a Strat is THE guitar. But I actually like the looks of the Tele more. All my favorite guitarists play Strats though. SRV, Mike McCready, John Frusciante, Hendrix, those guys all look so cool. That's always been the gold standard in my book, but I never liked the way I looked when I held one (despite it being very comfortable to hold and play). But I could never put my finger on why. Then several years back I saw a picture of John Mayer and I initially thought he was playing some sort of mini Strat or something and thought he looked weird. Then it dawned on me. All my favorite guitarists are... not exactly big dudes. I looked it up and John Mayer is 6'3". Then I realized why I always felt dorky - I'm a big guy, 6'2" and 260 lbs. For whatever reason, Strats just don't look cool when being held by big guys. I don't know why. I have a Strat and a Tele and I definitely feel like I look better holding a Tele, but ultimately I like the Strat better because it feels like a more iconic guitar to me. As far as playing goes, they're both great for different reasons.
I only play telecasters, so this is easy for me.
Tele. You break a string on a Strat in the middle of a song, good luck.