Stratocaster vs Telecaster: Which Guitar is Right for You?

[@SEGREDOSPROIBIDOS1]

Both. At least three of each.

[@rdantunano]

At least!

[@roughcutguitars]

RIGHT? I mean, trad, HSS, deluxe, P90, yada yada...

[@andertons]

Correct :) & at least one Les Paul too - ha ha

[@Guttural]

Only have 2 strats and one tele 😢 A SG and a gretsch p90 I feel so under equipped

[@oldmantwofour5561]

What he said.

[@matthewcyahoo]

I'm from San Diego California, USA and I will probably never go to Guilford or England for that matter and I watch every one of these videos. I live a mile from a Guitar Center and I can't fathom why they don't develop guys to do videos like this. Makes the world shrink and you feel like you are hanging with friends. Love your vids...

[@hawedehre]

You never know. When I came over we made the Fender Factory tour. The very nice guy who went with us, I found him in the Andertons G&L factory tour 2019 at 26:00 working for G&L. Seems like he‘s David Brown, now back at Fender in a recent Mary Spender video. 😅

[@gorringeman]

It's a great shop I'm in London it's not too far away from me, about 24 miles

[@denahiramirez2796]

Oceanside CA here, closest GC is half an hour away so videos like this definitely make me feel included in Guitar Shop life

[@rebeccaabraham8652]

I first started haunting the shop when 'daddy' was running it... although I was more into synths at that time - and it was also much smaller and buried in a back street. Damned place was a 'tardis' - instruments on every possible surface; it was glorious!

[@petercollyer8500]

wouldn't come close to this mate! Andertons have a magic that not one else can emulate. They are the Top Gear of guitar vids. The British do this stuff best!!!

[@wholelottalev]

Having both, I've always thought of them like brothers. The tele is the older more dependable brother who could handle himself better in a fight with a Les Paul. The strat is the younger brother, more stylish and daring. Probably more popular with the girls. Dunno if that helps anyone with choosing between them😅

[@Voxguitarsrock]

Keef used his Tele on stage divers , and kept playing afterwards, so ya! Tele for the street fight win!

[@Bryan-kl5rr]

@@Voxguitarsrockhut patatapite! 💪

[@colinclement2752]

I'm more of an older brother myself

[@Ten2More]

Best description ever

[@fluffkiller]

That’s corny

[@math001]

I’m a Strat guy but cannot deny the versatility of the Tele. I have heard it played on so many genres and it always sounded good

[@anonymousguitarist7418]

Yeah, same, I stick with my tele abit more these days. Massive John Mayer fan here.

[@GGSHADOW-qx8uv]

Yeah I really can relate

[@kennethfisher1004]

Both are excellent guitars, each with their own characteristics. I love the ergonomic shape and feel of the Strat, but there is something to be said about the versatility and simplistic approach that is found in the design of the Tele. I love them both equally, yet differently, due to their unique personalities.

[@blastofo]

Strat is more versatile than the Tele. Not only because the strat has 3 pickups. But the standard Tele neck pickup, with the chrome cover, is weak as hell and not usable for many people. You'd need a tele that has a P90 or humbucker for the neck pickup.

[@nicolas.grisanti]

The Strat is maybe the most comfortable guitar, but the Tele is the best sounding (in my opinion), more reliable, and made for battle guitar ever made. I'm a fan of everything Leo Fender did, but the Tele is my favorite.

[@emdblues]

Yes, when I'm sitting. Playing standing the tele is more comfortable to me

[@RJ_HTx]

Tele with a belly cut and double humbucker is a guitar everyone should try.

[@OrkishEngineering]

@@RJ_HTx HERITIC. jk

[@ChaosHornet]

I prefer the Tele overall, but the comfort of a Strat.... so I had a new body made for my Tele with arm and belly contours. There's no reason why all Teles shouldn't have the contours these days.

[@ToxinInMyVeins]

@@ChaosHornet I agree. I have an FGN Iliad, which is basically a slightly more modern telecaster (with the belly contour) and man is it comfortable.

[@pepmasters-999]

I have both. Weighed it up for a long time, decided I really preferred a fixed tail to a trem system and bought a Tele. Then bought two Strats...

[@tomwatson283]

Brilliant. Sounds like me.

[@buddyryeSE]

We. Are. The. Same.

[@HaramGuys]

just fixed bridge mod your strat. easiest way is to add high tension springs so that the trem is essentially fixed

[@mikelundquist4596]

Hardtail strats rule

[@briandevitt6903]

Absolutely, hard tail all the way.

[@CornPop.]

One day it just hit me, that teles are awesome!

[@Lovell93]

They’re just so ugly lol that’s my only beef with them.😂

[@CorbCorbin]

Yeah, almost perfect, like a Strat… 🙃

[@sirbaronvoncount4147]

For me the tele is perfection

[@zThisPlay]

same here

[@jzyyz]

They're guitars for grown-ups.

[@4vinylsound]

I like the way the Telle sounds more but I like the way the strat feels more.

[@bechhoefereric1291]

that is exactly the point

[@mercedesescobarmusic]

Same! Strats feel somehow easier to play. Like the strings are a bit more slinky or something

[@Ten2More]

I keep a cheap Strat around in my shop and play it as a guilty pleasure more than the others. So easy to play but Tele has a more intentional sound for me.

[@SierraAppa]

Love Pete’s passion for the tele. He has a great “I’m in tonal heaven” face. His enthusiasm is infectious. Cheers brother

[@grahamnunn8998]

Both is the answer! For the record, Hendrix played the Purple Haze solo on a Telecaster. It was recorded on a night session after a gig where he had smashed up his own guitar!

[@Babysmack-ns2vx]

😂 No he didn't. Prove it.

[@christopherkassner8894]

I was always a strat guy for obvious reasons. Jimi, both Eric’s and on and on. But about 2 years ago I started to lean towards the tele. And now I get it. The tele is so simple but so awesome. And your 3yr old can drop it down the stairs and it’s still in tune. What’s not too love.

[@Lalairu]

I read a joke once that said: "After the nuclear apocalypse only 3 things will remain: rats, cockroaches and Telecasters. And the Telecasters will still be in tune". sorry if I made mistakes, English isnt't my mother language. Pd. Tele lover there.

[@Dantespeako]

@@Lalairu ..and Keith Richards to look after them

[@Lalairu]

@@Dantespeako 🤣🤣🤣 that's right

[@CorbCorbin]

How well a Strat stays in tune, after I really hit the strings hard, and use the vibrato a bit. If it feels great in the hands, and it stays in tune, pickups, and all other electronic components, can be changed. Tuners can be changed, but the great MIM Strats I’ve had, along with my mint 98’ Standard, and excellent condition, 91’ Peavey Predator. That Predator, actually sounded so much like the Tele, that I was thinking about buying, I decided to save my money for a Tele with a Bigsby and a Humbucker.

[@bobboyle7629]

For me... Telecaster all day long. I'm 75 . Strat was my first electric guitar back in 1965. In 1966, I dreamed of having a Tele. Sold the Strat in 1968 and played Telecasters ever since.

[@Babysmack-ns2vx]

Hendrix never played a tele.

[@blastofo]

Strats look nicer, they're much more comfortable with the body contours. More versatile with 3 pickups. Better intonation with 6 saddles. And the standard spec tele pickup is too weak and small. Though the bridge pickup has a killer clean tone. The tele is the guitarists guitar. Meaning non guitarist look at a tele and think its ugly as sin. But guitarists love them.

[@derin111]

@@blastofoPersonally, I disagree. I really dislike the look of the Strat….always have done and I’ve been playing for 45 years. I own a Tele. I accept a Strat is more comfortable…..but I just can’t get past the look.

[@blastofo]

@@derin111 I remember when I saw the strat for the first time, at my local mom n pops music store when I was 9, it was a red one, I thought it looked so futuristic and cool, and the strat design was more than 30 years old at that point! But everyone has their own taste. But I don't think you can argue that body contours make the guitar more comfortable, and that 3 pickups is more versatile than 2, and that the standard tele neck pickup has very low output thats not balanced well with the bridge pickup.

[@GetUnwoke]

​@@blastofoI personally think strats look hideous which is why I chose the tele for my first guitar. I'd rather get an Ibanez shredding guitar than a strat personally if I were to go based on looks.

[@JasonWharton82]

The answer is surely both?

[@jackdixon29jd]

This is my Kryptonite

[@jefframos]

My man!!! Don't temp me like that😢

[@paurelius885]

Indeed lol

[@roob67]

Several of both!

[@bjornandersson3837]

Of course you need both! You also need one with single coils and one with humbuckers. So you need, at least, 4 guitars.

[@joshuafisher412]

The way that Pete talks about the tele...true love...one true love...

[@eetulaurila1641]

Telecaster made the guitar click for me. Its simple, 3 pickup combinations with clean and dirty gives plenty of tonal variety. The bridge pickup especially with gain is made to rock and roll. Most of my favourite artist have been/ are strat players and I feel I can mimic some of those tones with a tele too. The tele allows me to be me 😄

[@Guttural]

Yeah, disconnect the tone from the neck pickup and you're good to go

[@vincentfender87]

Bridge pickup tone : Telecaster Neck pickup tone : Stratocaster. Clean tone : Stratocaster Edge of breakup tone : Stratocaster Overdriven tone : Telecaster. Lead guitar : Stratocaster Rythm guitar : Telecaster Own both guitars. I'm a Fender guy all the way (even if I prefer the Strat).

[@robmcd]

Check out Justin Ostrander on a Jazzmaster

[@AnkurWow]

Strats are a lot more comfortable and have a better headstock and output jack placement, IMO. Teles are easier to set up though and probably more indestructible.

[@mhtmht2217]

More comfortable how exactly? Like the neck or what because I’m still trying to decide but ngl for some reason the strat really did feel more comfortable

[@AnkurWow]

@@mhtmht2217 Strats have curves ("contours") that Teles don't that make it more comfortable to hold and play. They won't dig into your right arm or stomach.

[@justincatterall9597]

Had my Strat for forty years, got my T type in '22, I wish I'd had the T from the start, my strat has lived in its case ever since.

[@Bryanpjc]

Love them both; however, the Stat always wins for me. Positions 2 & 4, huge lead. Tremolo bridge. More is more. Finally, the Strat headstock is the most aesthetically perfect headstock. Yes, the neck pickup on the Tele is brilliant, but that doesn't make up the gap. And the Strat's more comfortable. And the neck isn't a willow, so that's nice.

[@adrian_V99]

Middle pickup is actually wonderful and should not be ignored.

[@brutusmuerto]

Highly underrated.

[@vyvynylification]

What an insane timing for this upload! I was literally looking up "tele vs strat" an hour ago AND was looking specifically at the vintera II line as well. And now I click "refresh" and there's a brand new video on this specific topic!

[@marvinthemartian6788]

I was exclusively an Ibanez rg player. Bought an affinity tele in 2018. Now I own 3 . There’s something special about a tele

[@audioglenngineer]

I appreciate them both for different things. I think it takes time to get to know them and understand the give and take. I used to modify my Strat to do all sorts of other things for which it was not originally designed, and that can be cool, but eventually I found I missed the Strat being a Strat. Now my approach is guitars are like characters in a play I’m directing - they need their own identity, quirks, and personality to carry the scene when I want. I think you also, through a lot of time and experimentation, find the customizations that enhance the character of the guitar to your expression without detracting.

[@CorbCorbin]

I can make any good guitar, that stays in tune, work. It’s really about what I’m used to, trying to go Strat to Les Paul, for an entire gig. I’ll be changing my amp and pedal settings, all gig, because it’s just such a different attack and impedance to the board.

[@timetraveler_0]

We all start with strat but find out why teles are special.

[@andrestrat]

so true...

[@MrTimdriver]

Indeed.

[@maxpeck4154]

I started with a Tele in 1993 and it wasn't until a year ago I said "ya know, if I occasionally crave the neck/middle position sound no one has to know"

[@thomaslthomas1506]

agreed !

[@yoloswaggins3103]

true that, I had a Squier CV 50s that that sounded absolutely amazing on anything I did, I sold it because I just prefer the look of strats/offsets (and this one was in the butterscotch color which I absolutely despise, I get that some love it though) - 2 years later whenever I pick a favourite recording it always ends up being played on that Tele :c

[@misfitguitar4415]

Just want to give props to Oz or whoever is doing the editing... been watching over a decade, and seeing the improvements and little touches (masking out Pete and Lee/placing text behind, drawing the lines showing the contour differences between the slab and belly cut, etc.) are definitely seen and appreciated! Keep up the GREAT WORK in 2024!

[@ozpowell6589]

I'd love to take the credit for this one, but that all goes to Taytay! He's a master!🙌 You can usually tell who's edited a video by the style. If it's really professional-looking and clean, that'll be Tay 100%. If it's full of terrible zoom-ins, intentionally distorted audio, nonsensical comedy sequences and acid trip visuals, then that'll be me trying to make myself laugh. We both have our strengths 😂 But Tay is really amazing when he has the time to make something look good!👍

[@misfitguitar4415]

​@@ozpowell6589 Thanks Oz, appreciate the reply. Great team there!

[@ozpowell6589]

@misfitguitar4415 It is indeed, always great when the work is recognised by members of the community. Thank you!

[@neilmisquitta4825]

Slick editing - I agree. It helps in making the video almost seamless and hugely informative

[@huskyspade3461]

@@ozpowell6589 "Dig-I-tal John".... "Djentle-man BENNNNNNNNNN!!!" :D Those were your ideas, weren't they? ;)

[@SimonBishop779]

Man, this is the kind of fly-on-the wall conversation that we need. Just two people who really know their stuff, and love what they do.

[@anthonycashero7605]

Love the telecaster simplicity. Comfortable to hold a beautiful sound.

[@CorbCorbin]

A Strat is pretty simple, too. The first Strats were only three pickup positions, like a Tele has. Then players started using the in-between, leading to the 5-way. I’ve had Teles, and I’m just more a Strat guy, if for nothing but its neck pickup, that a Tele just doesn’t do. While, a Tele will inspire me to play a bit differently, and come up with new ideas, especially with a Bigsby on it. I used an awesome, 83’ Les Paul Studio, for years, as my main guitar, but I always had a Strat style one, to play as well. I’m really saving, and looking for guitars as close to the LP Studio and 96’ Tele with Bigsby and Humbucker mods, that I had over the years.

[@anthonycashero7605]

@CorbCorbin yea, as far as neck pickup, needs upgrading sometimes. Pretty much love all guitars, really. I always enjoyed my LP Standard until I got into the Telecaster. Just feels sweet to me. Very touch sensitive through a nice amp. Takes pedals nice. Cheers for your gear journey. Rock on.

[@sn00pgreen]

tele, straight into a marshall, no effects, turned up..beautiful

[@jeremystephen5764]

“Well try to keep this snappy” Checks time -46 minutes!

[@andertons]

Thats will be my epitaph!!

[@arielm7643]

For this topic, that’s actually very snappy.

[@dabblesonguitar6752]

It’s spelled epiphone /s

[@3rdStoreyChemist]

They might have been referring to the tones!

[@SingSurfStrum]

Yeah ? Let me know how that works out for you 😂

[@jasonpalawan5902]

I'm a huge fan of your videos even as a beginner player where most of what is discussed goes over my head (🤣🤦‍♂️), the best part for me of any Andertons video is just how well you guys make the environment feel simply like a great place to hang out. I could "hang with you guys" and listen to your amazing jam sessions for hours, honestly 😁🎵🙌💯

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Cool review! It's the Tele for me all day!! I love the Bridge Pickup of the Tele! I love the Spanky, Quacky, sound, especially when the signal starts to break up. Could never bond with a Strat. If I do decide I get a Strat, I would get one in the HSS Configuration.

[@trevorreniger5670]

I've always been a Tele guy. First decent electric guitar was a 1990s Mexican Tele which I later modded to put a Duncan Tele Hotrails (which still has the plate under the bridge around the pup) in the bridge with a coil tap mini-switch in the controls plate so I could still get decent Tele single coil sound, but could use in my metal bands. Much later in life, I finally found a Strat that I love for some bluesier licks. Both are phenomenal, but as a Les Paul main, the Tele feels more like home.

[@Semach]

Unfair video! Pete was FIGHTING for the tele, and is a monster player. The strat needs the same kind of defence.

[@Lynx33PL]

The real answer is a hardtail super strat, as it combines the best thing about the strat (comfort cuts, more ergonomic design) with the best aspects of a Telecaster (simplicity, stability, reliability). What it lacks is the nostalgia, of course, and that's the reason I used to really like Telecasters. However, after playing guitar long enough to accumulate some minor injuries in the process, I now can't take a guitar without a forearm cut/bevel seriously.

[@klopfer_im_baellebad]

Why decide: have both, love both

[@jordanpratt3821]

Suppose a person was lucky to afford only one???? I imagine that's the case with a lot of people.

[@never97]

I have to wait 2 years atleast before I can get another guitar haha. Lucky for those who can buy both at once

[@klopfer_im_baellebad]

@@never97 I can recommend the squier FMT Affinities. Cheap and quality.

[@never97]

@@klopfer_im_baellebad Thanks. I'll look into it :)

[@TheSuperspyk]

I love how creative all the ‘like and subscribe’ bits have gotten

[@Koffieleuter]

Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, John Frusciante, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton...

[@user-ev2qo1hj1g]

Danny Gatton, Brent Mason, Johnny Highland, James Burton, Keith Richards, Andy Summers, Albert Collins, Jimmy Page, Roy Buchanan, Terry Korth, Jeff Beck

[@markanstey2654]

Strat -1 Tele - 0

[@user-dh5bnafe4b]

​@@user-ev2qo1hj1g Rory Gallagher, Robin Trower, Jeff Healey, Dick Dale, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Eric Johnson, Hank Marvin, Robbie Robertson, Ronnie Wood, Ernie Isley, Nile Rodgers, John Mayer, Mark Knopfler......

[@teachscott]

Roy Buchanon RIP played a Telecaster. I have a set of Don Mare hand wound pick ups that Roy passed on in my Tele. Roy wanted a brighter sound so these were installed in my teleaster and they are buttery goodness!!!! I spoke with Don Mare and he confirmed his hand in the production and winding of the pick ups. It is my favorite guitar!

[@luisvolpon1598]

What an entertainment for a Friday night! The jam in the end is amazing. You guys are fantastic.

[@lanedebbie]

I’m late to the party but really enjoyed the video. I’ve always been a humbucker guy, but about six years ago I sat in with a friends band and got to play my first Stratocaster. I was amazed all the sounds you could get out of it so I got a nice 🎉onefor myself. I really do like the guitar but it’s not my favorite. Two or three years later I got to play my first Telecaster and fell in love. It is so simple, so versatile. In 2020 I bought an American Ultra - one of the last swamp Ash models. That’s an amazing guitar.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

I have an 🇺🇸 strat and was looking for a Mex telecaster to modify, while I was in the " candy" store, waiting for the Mex telecaster, I asked the guy if he had a professional 2 telecaster and he brought one, a Miami Blue one to me. As soon as I saw the color, I liked it, but as soon as I held it, I told the guy to forget about the Mex telecaster, cause I knew that the professional 2 telecaster was mine ‼️ I ♥️ my strat and I ♥️ my telecaster ‼️ Before I set my pick ups lower, I used the neck pick up, but now I use the middle pick up - more crisper As for Jeff Beck, I think when he went strat and without a pick, his playing went to a much higher level ‼️

[@alejorag]

I'm definitely a both guy and I love both models deeply so this is like making me choose between my (future) children, but if I could only have a single guitar on a stranded island it'd most probably be an SSH Strat

[@lazvt8469]

I'm 62. Historically, I've kept about 20 guitars in my lefty arsenal...few doubles...all different, brands, pups, etc...a variety. Then, rediscovered the Tele last year and now have 9.5 Teles (a HB is a test bed). Teles rule...

[@never97]

I want to be like you

[@never97]

Inspiring how you kept your interests alive even at that age. I get worried if I'll let myself go at that age as I get busy with life and other things. So refreshing to see

[@KCChief1204]

Always been a Tele guy but recently been loving my Strat (a USA G&L legacy). A Tele has a feel to it where you aren't afraid to dig into notes and flat out ROCK. A Strat feels more refined and gets you to really focus on your dynamics. Good Strat pickups will completely change the way you hear your playing. Those middle positions on a Strat are just so iconic...you'll get inspired with those middle pickups immediately.

[@Reese_Kyle]

Quack vs twang? That's the question. Both are absolutely essential. (although tele is the best 😂)

[@nvs6177]

John Mayer plays his 52 Telecaster on "If I Ever Get Around To Living". You can also watch his Periscope live on KZbin and he's playing the same Tele through a Fender Dual Professional. It's probably the best clean tone you'll ever hear from Mayer, which speaks volumes since he already has some of the best clean tones through his signature Strats.

[@MyName-nx1jj]

I love them equally, that's why I have five or six of each!

[@roberthaugen9117]

The middle pickup and volume pot just gets in the way for me in the strat. Love the tele. Have 2 of them

[@rca3rd]

Tele guy here!But i use them both!

[@MarkSchuster-ym3iy]

I’m still in love with my line 6 DT 50 W12 COMBO AND A DT 50 HEAD THROUGH A MARSHAL SLANT BOTTOM 412 VINTAGECELESTION GREEN BACKS ALL 16 OHM WIRED OARALLEL DOWN TO 4 OHMS, 20 WATT SPEAKERS, AND BASS INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL 79 HRZ INSTEAD MINE IS 55 HRZ. I DID SOME RESEARCH THE 55 HRTS WAS HENDREX FAVORITE. BEST TINE EVER.

[@FlyGuy457]

Excellent comparison-fully enjoyed the back and forth as well.

[@mountainman615]

I'm retiring next year (2025) and want to treat myself to a Fender. I was leaning towards the Strat but now after your video I'm considering the Tele as well. I love the sound of both. Great informative video guys. Thanks!

[@Bluedragon003]

Correction Lee, The reverse wound middle pickup was not introduced until 1985. Before that ALL the pickups were wound the same. Edit: introduced as STANDARD on the Strat.

[@jensschettler1732]

And non rwrp Sounds better. Even the neck and Bridge cause the middle IS not affecting by the Strings the other way. So every Pickup Pick the String in the Same direction. So for me rwrp IS a No Go.

[@jamesc8563]

Lee’s playing has gotten better since the last time I watched an Andertons vid. Not that he was ever bad, mind you! Just saying I can recognize the practice and development he’s put in

[@michaeledmondsonrock]

Let's be real. You own both and know them both very well and still watched this video like I did.

[@tompoynton]

re: the Nashville Tele, I’ve had an MIM Deluxe since 1998, still my main guitar. I put a Filtertron in the neck about 5 years ago

[@malthus101]

A Strat is not ugly, but a Tele is beautiful.

[@rogercantwell3622]

The Strat goes in and out of fashion but the Tele is timeless. No-one will ever feel the need to ask you why you chose a Tele.

[@LarryWhite-kw5mj]

Listen to skunk baxter ,'reeling in the years'steely dan,he used a fender telecaster

[@donald-parker]

Nashville Tele. Ideally with a mini toggle to have the neck PU "always on" which regains the standard tele "middle" position plus "all 3 at once".

[@paurelius885]

Love that tele. Might be getting it soon 🤔

[@ListenToPowerViolence]

Pretzel Pete has a sick Casio collection. Love the DW5600VB he's rocking.

[@foolcyclist]

This is my current dilemma! Now if only there was a video to convince the wife of the necessities of both.

[@ianbruce9960]

Wives don't open guitar cases, she'll never know

[@petercollyer8500]

You'll never get that mate!

[@weets69]

Great vid. For years I associated the Tele to country music only. Man, I was so wrong in my thinking. Jimmy Page just to mention one is a master on the Tele in which I did realize until years later. What a wonderful guitar.

[@vracan]

yup the whole first album recorded on tele not to mention yardbirds

[@OttoisOhio]

Answer is Jazzmaster debate finished

[@caknut]

jag...

[@rancicstevan5264]

jazzmasters can be cool sometimes but it doesn't come close to these two legendary guitars, there wasn't much to improve upon in my opinion

[@OrkishEngineering]

jagbass?

[@vracan]

too ugly

[@jamesdaly1971]

Cheers guys for the education. I didn't realise that the lower tone knob only controlled the bridge pick up, whilst the middle knob controlled both neck and mid. As for the Tele, it has made my choice of a new guitar to replace my beginners cheap unknown Strat, even more difficult.

[@lukesteverything627]

I can't believe I didn't hear the word 'Twang'.

[@martymccoy6475]

I put a Lipstick and a Texas Special in my Strat. I loved it. It gave me the Tele country twang and also the Bluesier growl.

[@JeremyLeech]

Telecaster always.

[@appliedphysicist]

The strat bridge has some very niche uses, such as in funk. It's also great for big chords without getting too muddy. The thinness is also part of the reason the position 4 sound is so iconic

[@somethingbl]

Pete: "Fretboard wood makes absolutely no difference" Also Pete: "You MUST HAVE brass saddles"

[@ianhenry8252]

You might need to elaborate

[@tomstegall1346]

No difference, that’s why they sound different

[@reddottx]

My ears are not that precise but even I can hear the difference between brass and steel. Preference is another matter

[@jamesfetherston1190]

Both. I’ve played Strats for 20+ years, but have been wanting a Tele for years, and built a Warmoth Tele. They are both great, but do different things. I love having a vibrato bridge-except when I don’t. Got to have a fixed bridge for the pedal steel bends. Favorite mods: Stratocaster: a higher wound pickup, or a humbucker in the bridge, and a mini toggle (or switch of choice) to engage the neck pickup, so to get the bridge/neck combo (and get a bit of Tele sound), also wire the tone so the bridge can get tone control. Also: the middle pickup is great and I often find that it works best in a mix with other instruments. Telecaster mods: 4way switch for series/ parallel. Flip the control plate for better access to volume and tone (needs rewiring too)

[@brandonanderson2066]

Everybody needs 4 telecasters. 4 prs. 4 les pauls. 4 Gretsch. And a strat if you have room.

[@charliepayne9248]

I’d happily go along with that.

[@GeoffByrdMusic]

I'll sub a Jazzmaster in place of that strat if you don't mind.

[@Brotelho]

I like strats, but I tend to have more fun with a tele. Because every tone you can get out of a tele is a good tone, I tend to use the knobs and switch more. Even when playing the same song or improv. Also, I hate the selector switch location on a strat as I always hit it. Same with the annoying middle pickup.

[@kylebaker8619]

Honestly these could be my number 1 and 2 style guitars. It all just depends on the day. I do lean for the tele more. Add a jazzmaster and you have my 1, 2, and 3 favorites

[@glenproctor1999]

Yes, get both and play them!

[@ratedrrr]

I started off with a Strat back in the 90's, but just last year I finally decided to buy my first Tele (60's Baja). Oh man, that guitar is my favourite, the twangyness from the American Vintage pickups are just awesome. So, Tele gets my vote

[@M_EvoBass]

I'm a bass player but have an old 70s Tokai strat sat in the corner, which I obviously never touch but this show has totally made me want a Tele to just park next to the strat. They're both such beautiful looking instruments. Love these shows

[@user-tz2zz5ij1s]

I’ve always had the impression/approach that both sound great. Both give you an amazing clean to dirty sound. Tele is for rhythm, strat is for lead just because the more options.

[@samsschool3639]

you guys working hard on getting that million sub, my compliments and LETS GOOOO!

[@simonjpalmer]

I have an 80s US Strat Plus I bought new from Rose Morris on Denmark Street. I then spent 25 years trying to find a Tele I liked. I played hundreds and right across the price range and vintage guitars too. I never found one I liked as much as my Strat. So I decided to build myself one from Warmoth parts and it has become my favourite guitar. Maybe it's because I spec'd it myself and I knew what I wanted. The only thing I would say about your video is the fingerboard. I think there is a significant difference in feel between a maple and a dark wood. The standard tele maple fingerboard has a gloss finish whereas the rosewood or pau ferro or mahogany is just the natural wood grain. They feel more like classical instruments in my view. Otherwise, nice chat, thanks

[@johnzapper1652]

Both for sure. I have a deluxe strat and a 60th telly both with Rosewood slab necks, 2 awesome guitars.

[@cosmicowl7584]

Awesome guys... love how passionate you are about two very iconic guitars...I've seen Prince and Jeff Buckley omong others play the famed Tele which was a big lean towards...but then you have Jimi...Stevie...and John Mayer among others on the Strat...two diffinitive tones when paired with an awesome rig...definitely two dream guitars to have in one's collection🤘🏼

[@steverolfeca]

I did a quick, rough restoral on a ‘57 Tele when I was 14. The frets were bagged out, and I didn’t see the appeal. It was decades before I tried another one, and realized that a Tele with a 4-way switch is my forever guitar.

[@MarkSchuster-ym3iy]

I’ve played many teles over the years. None of them got close to the strat quack from just 2 tele pickups, yours sounds great

[@Polyphemus.]

Like Pete, my first 'decent' (ie: expensive) guitar was a tele. An American Series '00 model, white blonde, rosewood neck. And despite spending the intervening quarter of a century attempting to acquire 'one of everything' in addition, that same tele still feels like home.

[@rhykko77]

This is one of if not theeee best best discussions and demos I have ever heard regarding this absolutely fundamental/roots subject ! Thanks guys !

[@theanarchistcook]

The most important factor is what feels best in your hands and on your body. I went into a shop planning to get an SG, but as soon as I held a telecaster I knew it felt right. I also love the way Jaguars look, but they just don't fit my body well.

[@jerrylev59]

Very thorough analysis, nice job, guys. Great playing, too!

[@TMCMR]

A tele in Pete’s hands can never be a bad thing. Personally I love my EC Strat with it’s mid boost

[@Voxguitarsrock]

😊 Leo got it right the first time. But I don't mind Strats , sometimes.

[@jmorrow7298]

Hi Lee and Pete, love the videos Lee, you are the only other person I know of who had a Squier series strat I know yours was made in Korea but mine was made in Japan at the Fujigen factory in 1992. I traded it a while back against a Gibson les Paul which I love. Pete will probably like that I have a Tele which was hand built by a local Luther. It's a keeper Keep on making these, great fun to watch

[@EricHoffs]

Mostly a Strat guy myself. In my teens (the color era, lol), I visited this Fender Ave factory and Leo's wife Gloria gave me a tour. Leo was to the right of this camera (the office door right behind this cameraman) at his bench, sitting on a tall stool, testing a Vibrolux with an oscilloscope. Ostensibly, I was there to merely buy a replacement tremolo arm for my all blonde Strat, ash body, maple neck. Yep, shoulda kept her... / RIP Gloria and Leo, you continue to reign over the musical instrument kingdom, and even now, I have some of your gifts!

[@fender4brad]

Both have stood the test of time, amazing. Best purchase I ever made was a one pick up guitar. I learned the power of the volume and tone knobs. I would not have appreciated the of the volume knob does for your tone otherwise. Changing picks, and using finger are also cheap ways to effect tone and where you pluck the string is huge for dynamics.

[@edwinstovall3334]

In all my years of playing and buying guitars, only once did I get close to buying anything Tele-shaped ... and that fell through because a nice Stratoid came along at the last moment! And I started playing in the 70s!

[@markyymarkXL]

Srv wasnt shy of the bridge pickup on his strat, sounded aggressive and balanced, mixed well, overall both great guitars, and require quality playing

[@belo1971]

That red Heritage H530 is stunning on the wall😵‍💫

[@3rdStoreyChemist]

My first guitar was a Squier Strat and went down the rabbit hole of that "More features = Better" mentality and really obsessing over specs. By the time I could afford my first "proper" guitar, I got a USA Tele for the look of it with the intention of modding it to have all these features. Still have that guitar over 20 years later and still not done a single thing to it, its still stock. It was a revelation that I didn't need a thousand pickup options or a vibrato system, I'd happily play the guitar and didn't miss any of it. I love all of Leo Fender's designs actually, but the Telecaster is my favourite, you'll work out what you need from an electric guitar much better with one and it what I reach for unless I actually do need the things a typical one can't do.

[@adriancarroll6995]

I think the neck pick up on the telecaster is usually underrated. Most people don’t play with the volume and tone knobs enough. People always talk about how valuable the volume and tone is on a junior but you don’t hear a lot of people talking about the magic of the volume and tone for the neck pick up on the telecaster. Not to mention the middle position which is terrific if you keep the volume and tone knob in mind while playing.

[@RFW1979]

I love the jam session at the end, such talent. Great video comparison guys. I love both guitars. I personally only currently own a strat, but will be visiting Andertons this November and hoping to buy a tele in black friday deals😊. Looking likely to be a sire, or G&L. Be great to meet you both.

[@stephanguntzel504]

The second electric guitar I ever got was a Fender Stratocaster Richie Sambora Signature MK1 in the mid 90s and up to today that's the best guitar I own. Three decades later I still totally love that guitar. Currently I have three Strats and one Tele. The latter one I play quite rarely though. I guess that makes me a Strat guy…

[@jameswebster8105]

lets face it guys Leo, George, Freddy, Dale and a couple more influential business partners got these two guitars pretty much right from the get go. Pretty much the standard to go by for every small guitar maker to large world wide companies. A BIG THANK TO LEO FENDER.