Telecasticizing

[@bubuguaiguai]

"Cutaways are flashy and they may provoke impure thoughts leading to juvenile delinquency" 😂😂😂

[@jschinker]

I was literally just coming here to post that.

[@joesantamaria5874]

I think Frank Zappa said that on Joe’s Garage.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

Walk this way, but just regular walking…

[@manysnakes]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGKoqmNnrqmMgNk

[@nicolen.9642]

Loved it!😂

[@walterw2]

little tip for anybody wanting to adjust the rod on a vintage tele: _don't_ loosen the strings and _don't_ take the neck off! the whole point of the body-mounted neck pickup was that you could just take the pickguard off and reveal a channel between the neck pickup and the truss rod nut; adjust that with a right-angle screwdriver and you're done. in a way those old tele pickguards were really just giant truss rod covers! (same with the original single coil P-bass)

[@OzziePete1]

Telecasters are so solid, that when Keith Richards belted a stage intruder with one, he went back to playing after intruder was detained by security, and it was in tune!

[@jvin248]

Leo Fender did so well with the Telecaster design because he would build a prototype and go up the road to a dance bar that was popular with the displaced Oklahoma farmers. They would play the prototypes all night and tell Leo what they did or did not like. These are farmers who were used to being practical. Modern Corporate Markeing teams would call this "focus groups". More than anything, the bolt on design would have come from those farmer-players who were tired of all other guitars having to wait at a busy local guitar tech's back log to replace frets, repair broken headstocks, and so on. Like buying a tractor part and bolting it on to get back in the field, a bolt on guitar neck would allow a player to self-repair and be back on stage that night. Super important when you've got to make rent with that playing. Contrast that with Les Paul who made a studio guitar for himself (weight is not an issue sitting down) and the Gibson Committee-designed SG with it's oddities conceived by non-players in an office (and carrying over a Mandolin headstock with higher electric guitar tension) only trying to be guitar shaped and cost less to compete with that Fender guy soaking up all their sales. Leo didn't have Guitar Ego involved with the Tele design, he needed something to help sell more of his amps since amps were his real business. Kind of like buying an amp like a box of cereal and getting a free guitar inside.

[@qua7771]

Maple necks with no brake angle don't seem to have the breakage issues Gibson has. I'm not a fan of having to disassemble the guitar to adjust the truss rod, or swap pickups. My other complaint would be that fender necks don't always stay in place. You get the usual body crack near the neck. Regardless, I have one because there is only one way to get that sound.

[@Miami_Luthier]

I really want that to be true.

[@ckelly5141]

Really enjoyed reading this comment.👍

[@tonymurphy2624]

I think the '1111' is in fact JUL for July but worn off at the bottom. ETA: I bet that P90 sounds like chocolate custard.

[@scottmulrooney3130]

Exactly

[@adammono1839]

Clever deduction!

[@beenaplumber8379]

Nice catch! You can see the tip of the J's hook, and the "1"s have no serifs or whatever they're called on top.

[@jefferywarburton2116]

yes to both. Not 3/11/66, 3 JUL 66.

[@AndrewAHayes]

I was in a guitar shop in Doncaster England in the mid '80s and a guy was trying out one of these, during his try-out session he broke into some rock style double stops and triads, the salesman walks up to him and says something like "that guitar was not designed for that style of playing" and the guy said " if everyone had stuck to the rule book we would never have had rock and roll, and if Im buying a guitar I will play whatever I want on it" his language was a little more colourful though, my friend and I were in tears laughing. The guy did buy the guitar and tipped us a wink as he walked out, that guy was John Parr of St Elmo's fire fame!

[@volume8]

just woke up from a 2 1/2 hour nap and ted was waiting for me. what a great day.

[@TheOdditee]

Sunday naps are the best.

[@ronfleecs3666]

Same here...Great feeling 😂

[@markv.5962]

ill be taking mine soon@@ronfleecs3666

[@davidheller8540]

Team nap

[@vladi7441]

3 1/2 h nap on the couch here with Monk running in the background, and then this. Just superb stuff!

[@stimpsonjcat67]

That description of the geometry at about 60% of episode was simply fantastic.

[@Chuck-Bob]

I think Syd's was an Esquire. Just to be pedantic. And third option to the saddle issue: get remanufactured replacement saddles and screws, and put the originals in a bag in the case.

[@OhanaFilms]

Finally someone has the courage to speak out against cutaways!

[@GibsonDE]

The reference to „Clearance Clarance“ cracked me up. Top video as usual. Thanks.

[@Miami_Luthier]

Agreed! I had to stop the stream I was laughing so hard!

[@3cardmonty602]

The most versatile workhorse guitar one could ever own. It does Jazz, Blues, Rock, and of course Country. At 7lbs, that’s a beauty.

[@johnford7847]

Your videos are always informative and entertaining, with little tidbits of guitar history. Thank you very much for sharing.

[@robertkibbler1564]

Always great to have a Ted video to watch.! My 69 tele. (All original) also has pot codes for1966, Fender must have bought a large amount then for stock…. Cheers Ted,Rob from England.

[@GuitarFosterParent]

Great stuff! Your love and care for these great old guitars really comes through in your work and presentation. I especially appreciated your explanation of neck geometry and shimming. Thanks!!

[@ghfdt368]

While I don't like that zebra pickup replacement I have to say its really nice to see guitars that come on your channel that are clearly players guitars that have wear and tear and clearly loved and used to make music since they are played so much and worn. While I understand people want vintage instruments want to be kept pristine to retain the value, The whole point of these things was to be played, hard and rough and for many many years so its always great to see a old workhorse come into your shop for some work.

[@manysnakes]

Sad how notable this is, especially with vintage Gibsons.

[@qua7771]

I was.thinking that original P-90 must be worth a fortune. A black, or nickel humbucker would look better in that guitar than zebra.

[@CellZealot]

@@manysnakes I play my '55 ES-125 every day...but am kind of happy about the fact that whoever owned it before me apparently left it in a closet for decades. The fretboard is in beautiful shape still with what appear to be original frets with moderate wear. The finish is quite good and wasn't beat up and abused over the years. Lucky me...

[@mikedavis3841]

telecasters are magical.👍

[@jeffreycase9497]

Muddy , Roy and James Patrick made it widely known

[@TheGorillafoot]

Telecaster's are so versatile.

[@frankcarter6427]

in the wake of nuclear war, beetles will rule the world and all the teles will still be in tune

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

"George, yer G string's a bit flat, mate ..."

[@jamesfetherston1190]

And Keef will be there, removing the Low E string and tuning to open G.

[@robertbull6895]

My favourite time of the week. Thanks Ted!

[@Donorcyclist]

I love how much that Gibson has been played!

[@pauleandersonmusic]

My guess on the dip in the tele body is that if they sanded it with an orbital disk sander if and when they stripped off the old finish, they may not have factored in the extra amount taken off in the areas that were routed for the pickups, making those areas lower than the broader parts of the top of the body, which sand away at a slower rate when using any aggressive sanding technique

[@sweettoof9002]

Telecasters are still the best electric guitar ever designed. Leo hit a home run first try.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

So many home runs!

[@Chuck-Bob]

Its not my favorite style, but I think you can make a strong argument anyway. Such a versatile beastie.

[@daviswall3319]

My favorite electric!

[@7171jay]

@sweet Actually Leo's first attempt lacked a truss rod and was a big failure but that was corrected fairly early on, many of the first Fender guitars had to be replaced due to the necks not staying true. Once that bump in the road was fixed it did take a bit of time for large numbers of players to realize that a solid body guitar was a cool thing. Not exactly hitting it out of the park on the first swing but clearly a gigantic win in the long game.

[@reffyfikserting]

He did not really hit the home run. He made the first truly usable solid body guitar and the guitarists decided this was it and didn't want anything better even as countless people, most notabley Leo himself on numerous occasions, tried to offer it to them. It's like if we'd all still be driving model T Fords thinking anybody who created something better just ruined it. And so people can't even make a guitar usable without a thousand guitar nutters crying out in rage. The guitar world is truly bonkers, and no other instrument world an even come close to it in terms of superstition and lunacy.

[@Dewydidit]

Buy replacement screws to cut down, toss the original screws into the case for cork sniffers.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

But some tonewood was removed from the pocket! Thus reducing the oscillatory sustainiousness of the fitment!

[@mrnosuchuser]

imagine walking up to the plate for your first at-bat in the majors and on the first pitch you nail a grand slam. that's the broadcaster/esquire/nocaster/telecaster. the stuff of legends.

[@paulhcan]

I have often claimed you could use a tele as a cricket bat (UK here) on an afternoon and play it at a gig in the evening

[@scottdunbar4898]

Well thanks for finding the source of all of my impure thoughts. Who knew?

[@brianlegg6009]

I've watched every single one of your videos on here and I'm not gong to go through them all again to figure it out but I do believe you've NEVER played the same thing twice at the end. As much as I enjoy watching you work I always look forward even more to the playability test when you're finished. Well done, yet again.

[@Riverdeepnwide]

1966 ... Mike Bloomfield, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton. Steve Cropper, Robbie Robertson, ... wait, I've gotta go crank up the stereo

[@joesantamaria5874]

Clapton in The Yardbirds.

[@ColeWheeler4Lyfe]

Good call on the R. R.

[@Riverdeepnwide]

Ooo Beck's Esquire too! And, years ago read of Roger Mayer saying that Jimi's white Strat didn't show up on the session for Purple Haze and they borrowed a Tele from a friend of Noel Redding. There's a whole book about tracking that Tele down, "The Grail Guitar" by Chris Adams.

[@dunxy]

Roy 😍

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

I had that exact year and model Gibson. Great player. I gave it to my grandson on his 21st birthday. He plays it every day.

[@BenState]

he's probably sold it for crack

[@dalgguitars]

I absolutely LOVE Telecaster time!

[@reefe5657]

Thank you for taking the time for your production of the videos. Bring a smile to my face.

[@valentino3191]

Thanks for mentioning Dangerous Don. He was why I started playing as a kid and have for 40 years now. Don Rich was one in a million. 🙌 💜

[@jimpage601]

When I watch next Sunday's video, I'll be wearing my NEW WOODFORD T-SHIRT!

[@HaroldDickert]

Hey Ted, nice job on those guitars. And the Arch Top sounds great. I saw Alfie perform with it at the Moonshine on the weekend. It growls just like his singing.

[@scottmartin356]

Great stuff about the complexity of even slight changes! I appreciate the depth and clarity of your explanations 😘😘😘

[@Chirbeef]

Love the 'veneer' style boards. A small comment, if I may. They were not bent around the maple for the joint. A matching concave radius was dished out of the fretboard. The entire purpose for moving to the veneer style board had to do with complaints of 'instability' in the slab board necks, and less effective truss rods. Folks in the R&D department felt that a thinner board would help by giving the maple a better chance to resist forces from the thicker boards, and at the same time, making the joint radiused allowed them to move the truss rod anchor higher up in the neck, which allows for more pre-bend and thus a more effective rod. They made the thickness such that the rosewood reveal on the edge of the fretboard was roughly equal to what it was on the slab boards at the end of the neck - comes out to about 0.1".

[@thomasmcd5862]

Yay! Another Sunday afternoon with Ted!!!

[@Tonks143]

I got my sticker yesterday, thanks for the prompt postage Ted!

[@johnherbold5451]

I own a '52 ES125 and it's a really cool looking and sounding guitar. It looks exactly like the one you worked on. I bought it nearly 20 years ago for a measly $700.00!!

[@howiekeegan8804]

Loving the Gibson which is as old as me! 1953 was a good year for some things! PS thanks Ted for the sticker, which came to the UK quicker than if it had been posted in the UK!

[@andrewturnbull5897]

Brilliant craftsmanship as always! Love your work and your presence!

[@jstar1000]

I bought a 1957 ES125 from my brothers 90 year old father in law for $1000, it sat in its original case for many, many years and is in really good shape. I love how it plays and sounds, it totally amazes me how nice it is.

[@beenaplumber8379]

Isn't it good, century-old wood... (Ok, 72 years, but that's close enough, and it doesn't scan.) (Edit - ok 67 year-old wood. I can't count.)

[@jstar1000]

@@beenaplumber8379 What blows my mind is the overall quality of the build, materials and how well it plays and of course looks with that aged patina.

[@kimheaston7574]

I had a Martin second brand acoustic. The guy I was jamming with at the time had a '54 ES 125. I don't think he appreciated what he had because he asked to trade guitars one-for-one. I traded and have had that guitar since the late 70's.

[@jstar1000]

@@kimheaston7574 Yeah back then those guitars were worth $100 to $200 mainly because they made so many and were always pretty cheap.

[@bobross5580]

I consider the weekend uploads as a clinic because Ted brings up issues regarding so many things I have never even considered. I always look forward to the knowledge that is shared here! Long live the "Telecaster"!

[@SkepticalLlama]

The “Telecaster," if you will.

[@danielmargolis3210]

I saw Jimmy Page play a Telecaster with the Yardbirds. He also played it with a violin bow.

[@bobmcdoggish9659]

Thank you for another peaceful Sunday evening.

[@davidwood351]

I always enjoy the historical information. It’s great to know the background.

[@rnguerra]

Ted - got my stickers in the mail. Love them, AND you need to make some headstock recapitation merch with the stamp on the card! Love the Gibson Glare!

[@MikeGervasi]

My soul needed this today.

[@chadwilliams8583]

Wow this guy is like a younger Dan Erlewine!!!!! simply amazing!!!

[@beenaplumber8379]

I got my 2 t-shirts and my 5 stickers on Thursday, same day from the supplier and from the man himself! Bonfire was fast. Thanks Ted! (The card was a nice touch. 🙂)

[@trevorclarey3336]

I'm a oldie & I tried my best not to like Telecasters because of the plain flat simple looking bodies & on the few occasions I got to play one I would not even admit to myself how good they felt while all the time praising my Les Paul "copy " then over the years I now love the fantastic design of the Tele above all , & I have a lot of guitars . They are a work of art play great , feel great , sound great .Just wanted to get that off my chest .

[@ShannonFerguson]

Received my sticker! Thanks, Ted!

[@philgallagher1]

Ordered mine on Tuesday and it arrived in Liverpool, England on Friday! Excellent customer service! Highly recommended!!

[@rodneykroetsch2924]

Recieved my sticker. Top notch boss letter stock 😊

[@beenaplumber8379]

My stickers & t-shirts arrived on the same day. 🙂

[@new290767]

Got my sticker in UK about 4 days after ordering, I treated it like a precious jewel haha

[@goodun2974]

Perfect timing! A bright spot to an otherwise shitty day of things going wrong.....

[@garywhitt98]

I love how Ted seems to let the guitar tell him what to play on it. He always puts the guitar in the best light.

[@georgefrench1907]

Great sound from that 125. Thanks for the repair demo.

[@dwebster50]

Cool … in 1966 I was playing a 1963 Tele , in our band Grimm Reaper , soul music lol

[@kbjerke]

Yay! Sunday is complete, with a Ted video! Thanks, Ted!

[@bitfenix90]

Gorgeous... and I have enjoyed your pal's Theme Song HOW TO video, too. Thanks so much.

[@SHADOWBEAR82763]

I worked on a '62 ES140 last year. Such a sweet sound.

[@dlstanf2]

Fender jammin', gotta love it!

[@Puisheen]

I use the same angle calculator! Stew Mac 148 is my favorite wire and the perfect choice for that old 125.

[@FairlyUnknown]

14:30 or the option I would choose: get shorter replacement screws and then bag up the originals and store them in the case or the control cavity.

[@GilgaFrank]

Keep on polishing, polishing, polishing

[@davidsigglekow1349]

Your trigonometry skills are absolutely brilliant

[@GWBridge]

Not sure I like the zebra look on this guitar, but kudos to the owner for doing what he wants with it. Used cream and black zebra humbuckers on a matte burgundy Grote 335 and they look great. I have both the classic and new style stickers on my guitar room door! Polishing, polishing...

[@beenaplumber8379]

I don't like the look at all, but 1) it's not my guitar, and 2) it sounds bright and lively. So, good call. 🙂

[@daviswall3319]

Sure does sound good tho

[@CellZealot]

Thanks Ted! I have a '55 ES-125 in mostly gorgeous shape that I am hesitantly considering a refret on and possibly a neck reset to address a slightly elevated tongue at the neck joint. They are exceptionally nice guitars if they are in good shape. I wouldn't replace that P90 and love the tone of mine. I changed out the tuners, which were period but may or may not have been original as they had been replaced before. They still functioned but were in rough shape. I put on Kluson Supreme 19-1 drop in replacements to avoid any alterations to the headstock. I also put a Tune-O-Matic bridge on it so I could intonate it properly with various string sets and conditions and to help account for the slightly high action needed to avoid buzzing up above the twelfth fret. 70 year old guitars need some love and attention but are well worth the trouble. They have a vibe you can't get from newer guitars that have many of the design flaws and issues solved by modern techniques but just don't have that mojo.

[@the-chillian]

I don't know if you read the comment section, but just so you know, I received my sticker on Wednesday, in California. I appreciate the extra effort of individually signing each card, which must have been at least bothersome.

[@tryptix]

Amazing work as always! In the early 2000's Wolfe had a gathering at his place of guitar forum bros, and wound me a custom humbucker while we all watched. It's still in my junior-style guitar and sounds great!

[@leonarddaneman810]

So sassifying . . . having a beverage and watching you work!

[@markgordon4368]

Made and repaired many of these electrics, my favourite electric guitar, great to learn something new, 😊

[@Apostrophe65]

From the standpoint of original, she's been resprayed so that ship sailed. I'd replace the screws with shorter ones and put the originals away.

[@telecasterbear]

The removal of the telecaster pick guard exposes the ability to adjust the truss rod nut. Stewmac makes a truss rod wrench for that.Or you can use the paint can opening tool you get at the hardware store. Adjustments can be made with strings at tension.

[@aintgottime2bleed78]

Big fan of Wolfetone pickups. It was nice to see one on the channel.

[@wulfman15]

The grain on that body is freakin' amazing looking

[@davemason6870]

Yeah. It's a pity it's largely hidden under a layer of paint.

[@giovanni5063]

Just watching when you started on the math calculations for the neck shim. For me, it was like explaining why the sky is blue to a 3-year-old."Son, because that is what it is made of, O.K.?"

[@wr5347]

I have a Mario Matin tele that looks almost exactly like this one, with a Brazilian rosewood veneer and blonde finish. Saddles are traditional brass though, and the pickguard is single ply.

[@rayvoorhies7180]

I'd like for Ted to discuss his time in bands. I know he said there's no time to play anymore. I can tell that at one time he must have played constantly. He's played several styles on his guitar demos.

[@Miami_Luthier]

Thank you for the tutorial on shims

[@hanovergreen4091]

Thank You Sir! Best Regards and Best Wishes!

[@markdalton6662]

Ted I love your thoughts on the cutaway , I was laughing my ass off .

[@0whitestone]

Just got my sticker in the mail! It's great :) thanks for the card

[@daverice2426]

Gotta go with what the customer wants but YIKES that brand-new zebra humbucker is like tits on a bull. Of course Ted, being a boss, made it reversible in case the guy comes to his senses and wants to put that sweet old P90 back where it belongs. Always great watching this guy work.

[@cripmeister9104]

My French Bulldog loves your show, especially when you *plink*

[@tfunk1829]

There is just something great about 60s rosewood board teles.

[@peterbayliss1484]

Nice Airplane reference at 22.42 🤣🤣🤣

[@amateurism1]

Ohhhh A telecaster with a shallow neck pocket is heaven for me, I can't metal on the guitar without the strings above the bridge.

[@nonsuch]

Nice! I'm sure the owner is happy. I love a rosewood fingerboard Tele. It's not as "spanky" as a maple, making the guitar a bit less of a one trick pony. But If you're a true Tele fan, at least one of each is really the way to go in the standard pickup config. I have a 3rd with rosewood and stacked humbuckers for another flavor. Mine are all 90's/2000's MIMs so, it's affordable to have a few at under $500 each.

[@paulrobertson3326]

Thanks for another entertaining and informative video Ted!

[@RogerioCosta1.0]

Better option: nem screws and keep the "valuable" ones in a little plastic bad inside the control cavity.

[@Quikshiver]

Comedy gold in this episode!

[@margaretanncarno4014]

Perfect way to end the weekend

[@xdoctorblindx]

Great playing in this video, Ted!

[@joesantamaria5874]

I like Ted. Look forward to hearing from him every Sunday afternoon.

[@theariesexperiment4642]

The strat and the tele were specifically designed to simply switch the neck out after frets are done. I heard that Fender almost implemented a core charge system where you send your neck in and pay half price for your new neck. It wasn't ever implemented via Leo's departure..It truly is the tank of guitars. And probably the most recorded model,.....with Les Paul's coming in a close second.

[@guitarsofold100]

As discussed on many forums the radiused overlay fingerboard was Fender's way of combating neck warp-age the slab boards were returned for warranty due to the board having not been cured This was confirmed many years ago by Tom Walker former Musicman founder...He told me Fender were made use traditional fingerboards due to players and dealers complaints of the maple discoloration... It is more labor intensive to laminate the radiused boards,but it worked to some degree!

[@pamartin]

"Enough clearance, Clarence "😂😂😂

[@ckelly5141]

Beautiful Gibson.

[@ChrisCanMakeStuff]

I know you've mentioned this before, but I do smirk at the lengths people go to keeping these Tele's "original" (i.e. the grub screws) when Leo made them to be working guitars where everything was supposed to be replaceable!

[@petedazer3381]

My favorite Fender!

[@slo5283]

Limit 1 on the Stickers BTW -- glad I could contribute to my favourite Channel 😊