[GreatGretsch]

Tell us about your favorite guitar (or other instrument) and what makes it special. Give us all the details....
Below is a recent rant about my favorite Fender '69 Thinline:

This is not a normal Tele. It sounds AWESOME! I have never had a guitar that got so many good complements. Many non Tele players love the tone. It also confuses many people because I wire my pickup selector back wards. It has the perfect pickup balance. If you back off the volume on the bridge pickup it sounds great for rhythm work. The details of bar chords are still there. They cut the mix perfectly. When you fire up the neck pickup and turn the volume up it sounds beautiful for lead work.
Many Teles can sound overly bright when using the bridge pickup, but this guitar doesn't......(Have I mentioned how much I like this guitar).... It was one of eighty that were built at the time. I have a letter from Fender stating that it was a test. It is very difficult to find them in black. When you look at the inside of the guitar, the mahogany is much darker than my surf green Tele. I never liked tels until I played this one. I was at a friends music store and it was setting next to where I was sitting. I picked it up and it has been love ever since.

[GreatGretsch]

Wow...nobody has a favorite instrument?

[unbridled]

Oh yeah, I do.

My MIM Tele is just right. It's a very strange combination of parts. It is a top load only Tele, one piece maple neck, the Tuners look like American Standard tuners, it's either Ice Blue Metallic or Agave Blue, depending on which "expert" you ask. The Silver label also is strange for these guitars. So, basically, it has elements of just about all the different models from the Squires on up to the Americans. Maybe they were cleaning out the parts bin.

If you ever get a shot at a mid 90s top load Tele, buy it. I'll take it off your hands if you don't want it. I've experimented with different pickups but always go back to the stock pickups. I should measure them sometime and see what they put out. It appears to be an Alder body. The neck is pure butter and you just barely think about where you want your fingers, and there they are.

I've done a few mods. 4-way switch (a must-do mod on Teles), no-load tone, and a perloid pickguard, just for fun. It's also wearing Tusq saddles but, I'll probably go back to steel.

The 5120 is close but won't ever take over as my fav.

It's just so comfortable to play, too:

[dan P]

boy, there are a few I wished I had back, but life goes on...with the total of four that I currently own, I have had thoughts of selling the duo-jet to buy the power jet, I really have a hard time with the vintage frets and that may be why she stays in the case...I have had one before and did not remember this to be a issue, so did not pay any attention to it before I ordered...anyway, sorry....I have to say my 50s classic vibes...so lite, great sounding and looking strat, this guitar made me get rid of the two american strats I had at the time...Fender pulled out all stops when making these and people had been asking about the combination ( nice tobacco burst two piece lite alder body, tinted maple neck with jumbos , and very good alnico pups...completely shielded, and the screw is in the wood that grounds everything_) tuners that are excellent, block is the only thing I would address, but the set-up..factory..is excellent and the trem responds the same...so I guess at this point squier wins....

[unbridled]

I've heard those Squiers are awesome from anyone who touches one. I'll have to check one out. Not many of them showing up used right now.

[GreatGretsch]

I'd like to get my hands on one of the red Squire Thinlines with binding and gold hardware. They were a great bang for the buck.

[GreatGretsch]

Check out this latest offering from Squire. These are going for $299 at MF. It has a shorter scale...24 3/4", Duncan designed pups, and jumbo size frets.

Has anyone tried one of these out yet? It sure seems like a lot of guitar for the money.

[unbridled]

That is just slick! Ahh, the GAS.

[J i m m y]

I was looking at those but I must have missed the Gibson scale. I'd love to have a 24" shortscale Tele. Maybe Monte could build me a short scale neck.

I was never much of a Tele guy but my opinions have changed, especially after seeing the Tele love on this site.
I really like the looks of Scott's Esquire/Tele here in the "For Sale" section.

Favorite guitar? At the moment it's this Mosrite clone but we're still on out honeymoon. Of all time, either my Jag or my Iceman. (I still regret selling the Iceman.)

[unbridled]

The Esquire is definitly a hot axe, along with Ray's thinlines. I LOVE Teles.

Give me a while and I'll get set up for building necks.