Guitar experts - quick question / advice please

[tz-uk73]

I have been offered the opportunity to take a guitar from a collection that belonged to a family member. I am learning to play accoustic guitar but do have an amp etc already, so the opportunity to have an electric guitar to learn on too, that has a family collection, is a very nice thing.

I know it's all subjective, and I can say I like the look of that one or this one, but is there anything that you would say to a guitar newby like me that may inform my decision on this? For info my accoustic guitar is an epiphone el00 pro, and unfortunately these are too far away to try for size.

[draftsmann]

Wow, what a choice!

The Telecaster is a great-sounding very simple but versatile plank of wood. I’m a great fan of them - they’ve been used for all styles of music - country, jazz, blues, rock.

I’ve never played a Godin but that looks as if it has a piezo transducer in the bridge and preamp. What that will do is give you an amplified acoustic sound and probably the ability to mix the electro acoustic sound with the regular pickups - very likely through a bi-amp setup (ie one amplifier for piezo and one for the normal magnetic pickups. This will give a greater range of sounds.

Whoever passed on the collection clearly knew their quality guitars and any of them will be a great instrument. My personal choice would be the buttermilk Tele but that’s just me.

[SimonK]

...My personal choice would be the buttermilk Tele but that’s just me.

Not just you, I'd take the blond Tele in a semiquaver.

[lasz]

Do you play any other instruments? What's your musical background? What are you looking for in an instrument? What are you like? All this matters. If you like things simple, you might want a guitar that you just plug in and rock out, which the Telecasters are great for. The Godin will give you much greater versatility at little or no compromise in quality. To illustrate what I mean, I graduated to guitar from synthesisers and I actually prefer guitar now, but I still tend to treat it like a synthesiser and the sonic possibilities offered by the Godin would make sense for my approach to playing the guitar. But at the same time, most guitarists agree that the guitar has to appeal to you aesthetically, as well. It may seem trivial, but music is an emotional thing and it's not worth risking getting suboptimal results from an instrument just because you can't get over the looks, for better or worse. So don't be afraid to choose with your heart, no matter what any of us here says.

[Bannon]

I'd run with the blond Telecaster as it's a timeless classic and a versatile guitar for blues, rock, and country music. You can also get a pedal steel as well as an acoustic guitar sound from it. Telecasters also have a good resale value from the standpoint of desirability.

[David_D]

The rosewood (?) Tele looks very "unusual" (and I can't see anything like it with a Google search). It may be a heavily modded real one or a fake with maybe a real neck.

The other Tele looks like a 1950's repro - 5 screw scratchplate and domed control knobs. The bridge assembly looks old but maybe just artificially aged, as there seems no noticeable fingerboard or paintwork wear. The headstock doesn't look quite the right shape but that might just be the angle of the photo.

Sadly I have lots books about guitars somewhere about the house but there have been so many reissues etc, in the last 20 odd years, you'd need to examine closely to see exactly what they are.

Personally, I'd take the blonde Tele - complete classic look and sound. Looks like the owner played quite a bit so I'm sure they are all good guitars.

EDIT: I think this might be the Godin:

https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-guit...ate/1287646605

https://rguitars.co.uk/products/godi...me-aa-with-bag

Creatively (!) that might well be the best of the three

[catch21]

Which one do you like and how are you going to store it? Is this a permanent keeper or might you cash it in some years down the line?

In the long term you’ll be happier with a guitar you can play well, enjoy playing and sounds good than one that looks better. I swapped my beautiful Patrick Eagle maple top for an ugly black epiphone some years ago and have never looked back.

[Neil.C]

The Godin is the most expensive by far, an electric with piezo and synth access that may interest you. Godin are always fine quality, made in Canada. Good looking instrument too.

Not sure what the sunburst Tele is, may be a Partscaster with those pickups and the stop bar.

The other Tele looks all original and is probably a Classic series '50's model made in Mexico.

You should really try them all before purchase as the odd Tele looks to have a flatter fretboard, the Godin will be 16" and the '50's style will be a very curved 7.25" radius. The Godin may well outshine both of them if you give them a play through.

TBH given you are learning acoustic the Godin seems the logical choice but guitar choice is never logical!

Good luck, nice quandary to have.

[morgan]

The sunburst telecaster is a Fender Telesonic it was an actual fender guitar quite a rare thing if you google that you'll find out about it.

As for which guitar to choose the straight forward butterscotch one won't let you down the other two are quite niche instruments that may or may not suit you.

[Cornholio]

Me? I'd go for the Telecaster. Timeless classic.

As you're coming from acoustic, the Godin may feel a bit more familiar under your fingers. The Tele has a longer scale length, hence the frets are more widely spaced and there is greater tension in the strings for a given tuning.

I can't imagine that you'd go far wrong with any of them though.

[Foxy100]

What's the semi-accoustic poking in on the left in one of the pics?

[David_D]

The sunburst telecaster is a Fender Telesonic it was an actual fender guitar quite a rare thing if you google that you'll find out about it.

Well spotted!

I did have a search but couldn't see anything like it!

[mrushton]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Fen...tric-Guitar.gc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoMG8KHsJto camera is set near the leg of the players shorts!

[colinfilms2]

Wow, what a choice!

The Telecaster is a great-sounding very simple but versatile plank of wood. I’m a great fan of them - they’ve been used for all styles of music - country, jazz, blues, rock.

I’ve never played a Godin but that looks as if it has a piezo transducer in the bridge and preamp. What that will do is give you an amplified acoustic sound and probably the ability to mix the electro acoustic sound with the regular pickups - very likely through a bi-amp setup (ie one amplifier for piezo and one for the normal magnetic pickups. This will give a greater range of sounds.

Whoever passed on the collection clearly knew their quality guitars and any of them will be a great instrument. My personal choice would be the buttermilk Tele but that’s just me.

The tele is the classic ,thats the one. Ive had one for 40 years woulnt change.

[Groundrush]

As for which guitar to choose the straight forward butterscotch one won't let you down the other two are quite niche instruments that may or may not suit you.

I like telecasters, my no 1 guitar is a telecaster, but a bog standard tele is the more niche instrument IMHO. They do cleans well but not much else whereas that coil tapped, humbucker equipped, piezo bridged, synth ready Godin will cover absolutely everything.

[draftsmann]

I like telecasters, my no 1 guitar is a telecaster, but a bog standard tele is the more niche instrument IMHO. They do cleans well but not much else whereas that coil tapped, humbucker equipped, piezo bridged, synth ready Godin will cover absolutely everything.

Jimmy Page
Jeff Beck
Mike Stern
Francis Rossi
Denny Dias
Danny Gatton
Wilko Johnson

Just off the top of my head a few Tele players who get great overdriven/distorted sound

[Groundrush]

Jimmy Page
Jeff Beck
Mike Stern
Francis Rossi
Denny Dias
Danny Gatton
Wilko Johnson

Just off the top of my head a few Tele players who get great overdriven/distorted sound

I'd call all of those clean-ish players. I was thinking more along the lines of Angus Young, Slash, James Hetfield, etc.

[Cyclone]

I'd stick with the classic - go for the blonde Tele

[Neil.C]

I like telecasters, my no 1 guitar is a telecaster, but a bog standard tele is the more niche instrument IMHO. They do cleans well but not much else whereas that coil tapped, humbucker equipped, piezo bridged, synth ready Godin will cover absolutely everything.

That was my thinking, the Godin will cover all bases especially for an improver who is probably not altogether sure what he wants/needs.

- - - Updated - - -

What's the semi-accoustic poking in on the left in one of the pics?

Good eye!

Got me interested now.

[ghosty]

I'd say this is an easy one from my point of view.

100% take the Godin - as Neil says, it's very versitile - It's an electric, but you'll be able to get a massive variety of tones from it - also and more importantly to me it will be made to a much higher specification - meaning it'll be nicer to play, more refined etc.

The Tele is a 50's mex reissue, just double check tho - get the relative to take a pick of the back of the headstock - it should have the country of origin. or the serial will start MZ.

As to guess the other guitar - I'm going with a Gibson ES175 copy boys. if it is a Gibson ES175 GET IT WITH BOTH HANDS!

[Foxy100]

As to guess the other guitar - I'm going with a Gibson ES175 copy boys. if it is a Gibson ES175 GET IT WITH BOTH HANDS!

That's what I thought, or a Hohner.

[tz-uk73]

Ha, thanks for all the advice. Clearly not a simple decision as I think all 3 seems to be someone's pick. I "think" from what I've read that the Godin would be my choice, and it was that one that actually was visually appealing to me. Although, having read reviews of the two fenders and listened to YouTube clips, I flip from guitar to guitar. I guess if there is no outright winner I can't really lose.

I believe his really valuable guitars have rightly gone to his brothers where I know they will be played and loved.

Thanks for the advice again.

[Onelasttime]

I've got my '72 Telecaster in for a service at the moment after not playing it for years, and I can't wait to get it to back and plug in.

Purely heart over head, and for rarity value, I'd have the Telesonic, but then I love a reverby Gretsch twang.

Head says blonde Tele.

[ronnie3585]

In true TZ style, buy all three:)


If I had to have one it’d be the blond Tele, so versatile.

[Omegary]

Head says Godin. A lot more versatile sound wise, probably built to a better standard and the costliest of the three.

Heart say Tele Blonde. Just because I like 'em and they're an icon really.

I have a Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin and although it's one of their cheaper offerings it's a very, very good guitar. Imho they're a very underrated manufacturer.

Whichever you choose you won't be disappointed.

Cheers,
Gary

[hogthrob]

I'd call all of those clean-ish players. I was thinking more along the lines of Angus Young, Slash, James Hetfield, etc.

How about Jim Root, Richie Kotzen or Chris Shifflet then? ;-) Admittedly, they all use humbuckers.


Also,






Imagine my surprise when I totally failed to find a picture of Angus with a Tele.