My All-Time Favorite Guitar | JAY'S TOOLBOX

[@thomasd9237]

I know I'm late to the show on this one but That is a sweetheart.!. 👍👍

[@billytai1096]

Jay, as a bass player, I can appreciate everything you present in your videos. It is easily apparent that you are incredibly connected to your style and your instrument perfectly allows you to express yourself in the way you want. I find this most inspiring. Keep up this amazing content.

[@Thomaszmccormick]

I love when someone gets excited about a great guitar. Killer playing, man!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Haha, I dare anyone to play that guitar for more than 2 seconds without getting excited, haha. Thanks for watching!

[@bryantherocker]

@@JayLeonardJ are you filipino ?

[@lloydgraves6701]

Favorite Guitar channel on all of youtube. Completely inspiring! The fact that you only have 8.5k subs is an absolute joke! I've never seen a channel that deserves to blow up more than this one does! Thank you, keep up the phenomenal work!

[@coffeewaldo]

Lloyd Graves agree. He’s one of the best players/all around players and great demo guy etc. I hope he remembers us when he gets tons of subs😉.

[@redbarchettta]

I was fantizing about having a telecaster with a bigsby in the same colour as yours and this video appeared in my feed. I'll take it as a sign.

[@raytheprinter]

You are right about the ice pick sound and how this guitar does not have it. You guitar does have a sweet sound to it! Have you tried any other Bigsby Tellys and do they have that rounded tone as well?

[@colinburgess7728]

THIS IS INSPIRATIONAL! the tone and your skill has inspired me to get a tele and bigsby. after all the shredders and pentatonic addicts, it's so good to see someone with so much enthusiasm and sensitivity LOVE IT!

[@theexpert8163]

I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN I'VE SEEN A MORE INTENSE PICKER WHO SIMPLY LOVES HIS GUITAR LIKE JAY !! U R JUST AMAZING AND I'VE WATCHED THIS COMPLETE VIDEO WITH EYES AND MOUTH WIDE OPEN , JAY COMPLETELY MESMERIZED ME TO THE MAX !!!!!!

[@stevejanosko1667]

WOW I have never heard a tele do that either! Those clean tones are gorgeous! I'll stop and get a bucket to catch the drool now....

[@VCaamano]

You put that beauty to good use.I have an older G&L ASAT Classic. I'm having my tech guy put on a bigsby. Looking forward to it. Tanks for the video.

[@ForViewingOnly]

What a team you and that Telecaster make! Your blue Bigsby Tele is also rather gorgeous! I'm hoping that the next time you are in the UK you will be on That Pedal Show. I can already hear Dan going crazy over your Tele playing and tones!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Now THAT would a real blast!

[@EricDeibler]

Your clear love for your instrument and your joy in playing are truly inspiring.

[@anvil777]

Best Tele I've ever heard... that neck pickup is just wow... and your playing Jay... we really did miss you here

[@JayLeonardJ]

I know: I'm always searching for another vintage Tele with that same sound. Hopefully, one day I'll figure out the secret to it's awesomeness!

[@coffeewaldo]

JayLeonardJ could be the player that makes it sound so great too. 😉

[@skence5795]

IMO it's the sum of everything: your playing, the guitar, the amp, the woods, strings and bigsby...

[@melvynobrien6193]

Jaysus! I just checked my Teles, and yes, they have neck pickups. I never noticed or used that shit before. The bridge pickup is where I live. A Tele with a Bigsby is as unnatural as a Tele with a humbucker. That Tele must be heavy, dudes; I don't want to wear that all night. Almost as bad as a Les Paul.

[@Ivayloi123]

Hi @@JayLeonardJ Is this tele with alnico 5 or alnico 3 pickups?

[@VanKapeghian]

Beautiful guitar. Amazingly warm and punchy. You are understandably proud of her. The Dark Side sounded crazy good (I'm hunting for one for my own board).

[@JayLeonardJ]

Yeah, that Dark Side was definitely my surprise hit pedal of the year. I'm amazed how much I use it!

[@ricktherrien8235]

Ya buddy so nice Jay!! This is a prime example of the marvel that is called the Telecaster!! I have a 2017 American Pro and I love it but I am looking for a heritage guitar and would love one with a Bigsby!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@richardfinney8784]

Jay I so enjoyed your music! I myself love the Telecaster, I've played for 42 years and although I own every type made lol, I always go to my tele. I have a inexpensive tele made by Austin guitars. It has a tiger Maple fret board on top of a maple neck, my pickups are wilkinsons, it has the punch and beautiful roundness that is unlike any other I've heard , till I listened to yours. No other guitar I've got or built sounds like that, I do my own electrical work and pick up combos. You are definitely gifted sir it's a pleasure to listen and watch how much you enjoy playing music. Makes me Happy . Thank you so much , looking forward to seeing more videos and maybe soon we can do a session together? Via new cell phone tech. God bless you

[@landofahhs_1]

Very informative video, Jay. Loved your insights/observations regarding volume and sound and how the Bigsby mod effects the sound. I've owned a 1969 Tele Trimline since 1976 and related to many insights and impressions you spoke about. Thank you for the honest review.

[@alansouthall8221]

Never has a guitar been so matched to a player. Wonderful

[@JayLeonardJ]

Really appreciate it!

[@polaroidsandpen]

That grab 5:07

[@droid1008]

this is a very special guitar, you can tell just by looking at it that it's a very special instrument, the way it sounds too is incredibly nice.

[@JayLeonardJ]

It really is: definitely love this thing. Thanks so much for writing and rock on :)

[@b.rodclark7349]

I'm rewiring my Tele using the 50s Gibson diagram now I've witnessed your sound...WOW!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Hope it works out for you :) It's a very handy little mod

[@Baci302]

You're guitar playing is unreal. Thanks.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Really appreciate it!

[@2wfit]

Really enjoyed this, what a guitar... Pleasure to watch your playing and this guitar also, thanks for posting.

[@1912Gavin]

Eloquent playing and joyful passion; great to watch and inspires me to remember just to enjoy playing.

[@GuitarJesse7]

Love your enthusiasm bro! That guitar is exactly what I am looking for right now, except not the vintage price. Bigsby, the pickup character... super happy for you.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Thanks :)

[@mikelandreth7810]

I love Telecasters. And this is one of if not the best one I ever heard. Great playing too.

[@steelysam7189]

They really made great fender strats and teles in 1968. Proud owner of a 1968 olympic white strat🙌

[@JayLeonardJ]

My first electric guitar was a mid 80s Olympic White Strat! Thanks for writing!

[@YBNegative]

Your skill, matched with your joy the instrument are infectious!

[@richsackett3423]

Putting a Thinline together and trying to work out the Bigsby problem. You were hugely helpful. I'd like it to be a very special guitar: One of those things that make you go "mmm". Really good Gilmour solo. He's the best. I'd guess part of your neck pickup's specialness is owed to the idiosyncratic wiring. Heard there's something similar going on with gold foil pickups.

[@MrMongo321]

Great! Always happy when I see you posted a vid! 😄

[@JayLeonardJ]

Always great to read your comments too :)

[@littlefish_tvlftv6025]

Masterful picking and plucking, very inspiring

[@GrizzzlyTCG]

love the channel, I just saw the sub count and I don't understand why you don't have more subs man, your inspirational man keep it up

[@christianmarchan6577]

i have only used les paul all my life but a telecaster sounds so cool and even better if the tele has bigsby.. great tone Jay

[@bobbaumeister5243]

The best Telly I've ever heard! Unbelievable! Thx Jay!

[@stratorarious]

You have that same energy as Tony Emmanuel with your own amazing musical chops. I always look forward to your videos. That's Tele has Mojo for sure!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Thanks so much :)

[@coffeewaldo]

Haha 200 thumbs up. 👍 jay deserves more than 9k subs. Soon you'll be at 100k. I'm sure of it.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Thanks so much!!! Great to hear from you again: hope you're doing great!

[@HTEK207]

Jay totally dig your Tele. My first electric is a 73 Telecaster Blond with with white pick guard and a maple fretboard. I got it the day Ronald Reagen was shot. It was later dubbed by an old roomate as Hinckley. Simillar sound to yours but no bigsby. I've had problems with the neck for a long time it had what for lack of a better term a twist or dogleg in it. Finally had one of the best luthiers in Cincinnati fix it. He had to wand down the fret board and refinish it to get it right, I am battling it to get the action right. It's higher than I like it to be but it still works great for funk rhythm which happens a lot and chicken picking (what little I do) I've been considering trying to get a new neck for it. The rework was great but I can't drop the strings too much more or I get to close to the bridge pickup, and the evil feedback starts when a drive pedal is on. If you had to replace the neck on your Tele where would you turn to get a replacement? How can I get Hinckley up and running again. It's such a wonderful sounding guitar that I hate to limit it to my James Brown phases.

[@codyridenour3561]

That jam face 👌 beautiful

[@ProfessorHumblesDelusions]

Love it. I want to buy the new Vintera 60s style Tele with the bigsby. Basically an affordable version of your guitar. Your playing and energy are addictive.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Ooh, haven't seen the Vintera 60s with bigsbys, I gotta check that out!

[@fabienares5577]

Your playing is fucking geniously awesome!! Congrats dude

[@MM-bg7in]

Love it! You’re awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[@zwoelf160]

Great Demo. Beauty Guitar. 👏

[@blondebandido4304]

Jay Leonard J, you weapon! I have to learn that Jazz piece.

[@jamesdantonio9710]

My favorite guitar is a 2011 Ronaldo Custom Telecaster. As the story goes, I visited his shop to ask him to build my dream guitar ... a spalted maple topped mahogany body, a fat maple capped neck, a vintage set up. To my surprise, he goes in the back and pulls out a Tele body and fat neck about half way complete. Ronaldo shows me a book-matched flame, spalted maple top on a one-piece Honduras swirly mahogany body. The flame maple fretboard capped a flame maple neck. I just knew it was "the one". It was finished a half year later and I've loved and played it a lot over the past decade.

[@CastlesMadeOf...]

Love your energy, love your playing, love your Tele!!!

[@cleawox]

If I was in charge of Fender, there would be a Jay Bigsby Telecaster signature model on general principle. Awesome video!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Dang, I gotta find a way to get you in charge of Fender cause that would make my life, haha :)

[@michaelinglis8516]

I saw your blue tele with a fender style Bigsby the other day and ive been daydreaming of it ever since. I love that sound and ive always wanted a Bigsby since I was a teenager listening to Isaac Brock (modest mouse). That amazing single coil sound with the added expression of a Bigsby is all i can think of lol. I looked up tele with a Bigsby and what do i see but your video talking about how great the combination is. Thanks for showing me my next guitar! Anyways i think ill watch the video now lol EDIT: Great now im really really hooked!

[@JayLeonardJ]

I always wrote off Bisby Teles, but the second I played one in real life. I absolutely fell in love! Thanks for writing :)

[@superflea72]

great guitar Jay! have you done a video on the blue Bigsby Tele? I love that one...

[@hawsshaw]

I have a Telecaster which I modified d Bigsby....it has long sustain and tuning stability..... With Jays skills I’m a Rock Star lol... Great Video Man👍

[@marka.monroe9539]

you're awesome dude! I just got ah tele with a Bigsby... I'm just learning ♥✌

[@markinthemix6055]

Love your videos. Your absolutely one of my favorites.

[@rsaathoff]

Killer playing and guitar. I want a '67 telecaster for the year I was born.

[@mboyer68]

Damn... that guitar is old! I know because I'm a 1968 too! Love your playing, i think you're the best guitarist alive today. And..i don't know of any dead guitarists who are better either.

[@JayLeonardJ]

I'll take that complement any day of the week, haha. I really appreciate it and thanks for writing :)

[@McDoinky]

Yo jay I just had my friend wire my control plate in reverse, the same way you did, after watching your vids. It looks a lot better and makes more sense to have it that way! We also carved a belly cut and arm contour onto it, then we painted it bright blue. Might put a Bigsby on it next! Great stuff, man

[@JayLeonardJ]

Sounds like it's been a killer project! The control plate switch is especially helpful for bigsby teles since they tend to get in the way of the volume and tone knobs when stock :)

[@McDoinky]

JayLeonardJ I’m probably not gonna install a Bigsby, but I love being able to control the volume and tone this way. It’s faster, plus the pickup switch doesn’t get in my way either. Also, we cut belly and arm contours onto it and refinished it bright blue. It looks killer

[@jazzguitarneophyte-christo7988]

That guitar is lucky it found you! Cheers!

[@viperBSG]

Dud! You have some sic Guitars! This and the Lake Placid Blue Tele are to die for. Like you didnt already know that. LOL! thanx for sharing gives me something to work for! :)

[@JayLeonardJ]

Thanks so much for writing. They are definitely special guitars and absolute joys to play 👍

[@danielstiver9031]

Comments on pre amp/EQ pedals, and their place in a pedal rig? Specifically the JHS Colorbox vs others. Thx. Great playing, you can't hide that you love it - very motivating 👍

[@JayLeonardJ]

Great idea!

[@TheMusign]

What a great guitar, it really sounds like anything a guitar should sound like and great playing too! I’ve planned to get me a bigsby on my Cole Clark culprit Tele thinline which is a great guitar as well. Hope it sounds a bit like yours afterwards...

[@JayLeonardJ]

SO Cool! Never heard a Thinline Bigbsy before: Let me know how it turns out!!

[@Pepino969]

Hi, Jay. I can't find your email anymore so this looks like a good place to post this: You really need to do a review on the Yamaha Revstar RS720B guitar. It comes with the Bigsby you like and seems like a sweet guitar. Hope you can try one out someday. I'm surprised Yamaha didn't send you one to demo! Peace.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Yeah! That would be an awesome axe to try; maybe they won't send me one because I refuse to return that RSP20CR they sent me, haha :)

[@andrewgriffin9943]

I'd like to see you review and play more guitars from past and present

[@JayLeonardJ]

Those are the most fun vids to make :)

[@CNCTEMATIC]

Wow that is so different from your blue Tele. The in between position reminds me of Robin Ford's blonde 1960, which is my favourite sounding Telecaster. The neck is much nicer too, much more vocal, less strident.

[@jimdeeds]

Great guitar. Great playing. Great video.

[@rnemchev]

Man, you are an inspiration! Keep on!

[@martintobias6319]

I have Nash telecaster I installed Dfix kit for Bigsby.... Sustain is a lot better & strings became tight specially on G & B strings and no worries of getting out of tune no matter how u dive that tremolo...

[@nathannorton2093]

Hey Jay. Guitar is sexy as all get out. I was wondering if you could do a video on your current pedalboard set up. Would love to see that. Maybe call out your must-haves versus the boxes that are always changing.

[@JayLeonardJ]

By far my biggest request! I definitely got to get that done soon!

[@JimWalkerMusic]

I was born in 68. I've wanted a 68 Tele for years. Guys my age usually buy Corvettes or Speed Boats fulfilling the Midlife Crisis. I will have a 1968 Fender Telecaster before 2021...

[@JayLeonardJ]

Good luck on your search: at least it will be cheaper than a speed boat or a corvette, haha 👍

[@guitarforudude]

What a killer player!

[@jimbob7332]

you get major point for the dark side and the Floyd style chops 😁

[@shariffcote]

Now the blue telecaster!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Ohh, that one is definitely coming :)

[@ludvigchristiansson798]

@@JayLeonardJ Where's the vid about the blue tele? Would love to see it! Keep up the good work, love your channel!

[@view1989]

@@JayLeonardJ where's the video for the blue one...

[@MrJimmyjoe7]

I love your videos about guitars. You are a passionate player with superb skills! I learned a whole lot about telecasters from you, thank you for this! About this gorgeous neck pickup, what's its DC resistance?

[@JayLeonardJ]

It's a very strange reading: 7.1K. Crazy high for something that clear and bright under a brass cover.... Something funky going on in there...

[@christianboddum8783]

Man you light up a bad day!

[@johnnymossville]

Wow. Amazing sound.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Lovely guitar bro! Great video!

[@thehansongoons8975]

Absolutely killer playing!! Love how into it you get. Have you played one of the Vintera series 60s Teles with the Bigsby? If so, how does it compare to the real deal?

[@datsun370z]

What a beautiful guitar.

[@Casquillo8520]

This video made me happy yo!

[@cgavin1]

Gorgeous guitar! I'm looking at one of these but I'm kinda hung up on the string thru + high break angle being a huge part of tele tone. I bet the shallow break angle makes it really slinky to play though. 👍

[@l3ertuz362]

i can watch this all day!

[@IantaylorCanuck]

I think you let me play this at a jam once in HK. Awesome guitar, great playing.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Most likely :) Miss those old HK days: thanks for watching the page dude!!!

[@krunkasaurus05]

Hey Jay, you and I both agree on the importance of mid frequencies in overall guitar and amp tone. I know you use the Fender Twin amp pretty frequently and I can tell it's very similar to a Deluxe Reverb in the sense that it doesn't have a mid knob. I've read that those kind of Fender amps are preset to about 8 mid-wise but I don't always agree. They often sound scooped (to my ears anyway). How do you compensate for this lack of mid whether it be on your pedalboard or otherwise? Love the Tele btw. It's got some miles on it for sure.

[@JayLeonardJ]

My big tip for flattening out a Blackface amp is riding the bass down to one and the treble down to 3. It will smooth out that dip significantly and, as an extra bonus, make it easier to crank your amp to really get those tubes cooking!

[@marxug1]

So those threaded rod bridge saddles still OK with you? I put a Mustang bridge on mine - a perfect swap, and the strings never jump the slots, haha! And great to hear you singing the praises of the middle pickup position - it does not get near enough love from guitarists on KZbin IMO. I play 90% on the middle, with neck alone or bridge alone being more like “special effect” settings.

[@JayLeonardJ]

I've been really been digging the threaded saddles lately. I even switched out the Mastery on my blue Tele with the old school bridge last year and really have been enjoying it :)

[@marxug1]

@@JayLeonardJ Oh man, for such an energetic player you must have an admirably light touch. I just knocked those strings out every time. Well, I’ve also had problems battering the neck pickup of my PRS down into the body, so it’s definitely a “me” problem, haha! Great, great playing, BTW. Inspirational!

[@stonedinsect]

Winding the neck pickup with 42 awg plain enamel coil instead of standard 43 awg will get a lower reading on the multi meter but the pickup will be loud and sound like a Stratocaster neck pickup maybe that is what is going on with this guitar it might possibly have had a re-wind

[@JayLeonardJ]

Thanks so much for writing. That was my theory too, but it didn't quite work out in application. I got good results by getting the magnets right up to the cover and making the bobbin really tall, but there is still something missing. The pickups reads 6.9K if you were curious :)

[@Ivayloi123]

Or maybe underwound A5 pickup with disgaused magnets and 7000 turns will bring you there with only tinned silver cover.

[@verachuckdave]

Jay what’s the reading on your bridge pickup ?

[@terryduane9221]

Had the same year model. Payed around 895.00 with hard shell case, was stolen , never recovered and miss it.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Ah painful, I can definitely relate to that kind of heartbreak! Hopefully it made it's way somewhere it can still be cranked loud and rocked out :)

[@bellsclubsbarsandbows76]

Good lord! Fender give this man a signature tele! 💯🇺🇸🤙

[@tomfoolery2082]

A 68 tele , thats alright , dont get much better than that . Very Cool !

[@thomasthanmatistan5801]

Love your reviews awesome !!!

[@r.a.fiallos234]

Man, that is a gorgeous sounding guitar. Great playing too! I've been wanting to get a Bigsby tele, but thinking of moding my partscaster Tele first....but dang, why can Fender sell Tele bridges for $16, but a bridge for bigsby (with the low back of the ashtray so the strings won't rub from the Bigsby) so much more? Head scratcher...

[@theexpert8163]

I'LL BET HE'S A MONSTER IN CONCERT !!!!!!!

[@iananderson12796]

With a factory bigsby! That's a rare guitar sir

[@JayLeonardJ]

I know. Wouldn't trade it for anything :)

[@pierlucazecchetto6297]

Great Guitar! Great Vid!

[@StephenNaveed]

Dude love the tone and the tele. I'm a tele guy myself & really want to get one with a bigsby next. One question though, what gauge strings do you generally use? Or does it depend on the guitar? I put 11-49 on all mine.

[@plrbplr]

Jay, really missed your vids! Great to see you back! Isn't that jag bridge a pain in the ass?

[@JayLeonardJ]

I put some heat shrink tubing around the posts to help with the sway and that helps a lot: I also shaved a bit of the rear so the strings don't hit the bridge on route to the Bigsby. Still, 9/10 times, I'll just use a Mastery... Best invention ever :)

[@plrbplr]

As a fellow Mastery user I can't agree more ;)

[@melvynobrien6193]

Too much messing around. Not twangy enough for a Tele, although it does have a nice tone to it.

[@collintheplonker4809]

It's good to know I'm not the only one who makes funny faces while playing the guitar,

[@foxxygearreviews7754]

Great playing. Dang.

[@josephgoltz87]

super duper!! lovin that , man!

[@i.shadrin]

Very special axe!

[@coffeewaldo]

Hey Jay idk if you’ll ever see this since it’s not a new video but what’s the radius on that fretboard? It’s vintage so I’m assuming 7.25? If so does that bother u when u go to bend strings? Do they choke out? Because I like low action. Also, and this is just an all around question that I’m asking to myself I guess. Lol. I wonder why all the (custom shop strats for example) have such beefy, big necks. Not all of us have giant hands. If I ever get one one day in the far far far future it removes half the really nice ones, relic for me. Every time I find one I like it has a giant neck. Anyway, cheers.

[@JayLeonardJ]

After years of refrets, this guitar's radius is down to around 10". I actually like the slimmer necks as well (nothing beyond the Fender 60s Oval C Profile). The reason I guess giant necks are popular is because of their vintage correct appeal and the very slight increase of sustain and tuning stability. That being said, I usually leave those on the rack and do my work on the slimmer necks :)

[@74dartman13]

JayLeonardJ that's an awesome Tele. I find that I like the slimmer necks too! So many peolle want a "beefy" neck and I think...why? I just love the slim Tele necks. It's what I learned on...just love em!👍😎🎸🎶

[@blueterrace]

I have this same guitar for sale now, except it's 100% parts original with original case. Unfortunately the first owner refinished. We're the second owners. Me and my son. Bought from a widow who walked in our guitar store. My son said, "I'll handle this". Ha.

[@endesp]

That neck pup might have had a travel buddy on its way to planet Earth.

[@arthurxafis]

great playing man

[@mwooly1]

Sounds funky great tone ✌🏻