Please help, I've got something of a dilemma!

[Poxican]

Right.
I'm selling my Lite Ash Tele. I fell for it in the store but I just can't work around the Twang and neck shape.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma though about where to go next.

Im still hoping on getting about £350 for it, I've had some solid offers via Gumtree and eBay correspondence so I'm fairly confident of that.
Now, I intend to spend between £100 - £150 on top of that (depending on how much the trip to scotland with my lady this weekend sets me back).

What I'm not sure about is:
Do I buy the best guitar I can possibly get for around 500 quid, or do I get something 'lesser' and spend the money on a few pedals as I've not got any and theres a couple things I'm lusting after.

On the one hand, if I spend it all on the guitar, I'll get something top notch, but I've still just got a guitar.
On the other, I've got the fuzz and wah I really want, but obviously the guitar won't exactly be 'the shit.' Or will it?

I guess I'm not sure what my priorities are, and I've been agonising over this for days.
I know some of you guys will have an opinion, any words of wisdom?

Sorry for the long and self-indulgent post!

[Niallmo]

Welcome to the soul destroying/enlightening world of GAS!

Buy the pedals, buy a very cheap guitar then save up for a decent guitar...

Oh, you will regret any option you pick because that is the Way of GAS, you will automatically think you made the wrong choice...those of us who have years of experience of this agonising choice know that it will never get better or abate...you just have to do what you want then buy more stuff later!

[Poxican]

Yeah I know you're right... I fear GAS will destroy me!

Surely 300-350 will get me a decent guitar though right? I think I've been a little spoiled by the Tele so I'm a bit snobbish about ahem... 'downgrading.'

[daveyh]

But the pedals, don't buy a guitar you don't really want 'cos you'll jprobably ust be wasting money, and save for the guitar you do want. I've just been down this road, looking at all the things I'd like and realising the only thing I really *want* is a '72 Tele Deluxe. Anything else will just keep that further away.

[TTony]

Originally Posted by Poxican

Yeah I know you're right... I fear GAS will destroy me!

Surely 300-350 will get me a decent guitar though right? I think I've been a little spoiled by the Tele so I'm a bit snobbish about ahem... 'downgrading.'

It all comes down to how the guitar feels to you - for many a Lite Ash Tele would be a great guitar, but you've found that it doesn't work for you. You might find "the" guitar for £200 ... or you might still be unhappy with spending £2000. I'd suggest hitting some shops and trying out anything that looks like it might work for you.

It's purely a personal choice, but at that sort of money, I'd look at s/h PRS SEs.

Then, if you find something you like for £350, you can spend the rest on pedals.

Little point buying the pedals if you compromise on the guitar and end up buying something that doesn't feel good for you ... so you end up not playing it that much ... so you never get to use the pedals anyway!!

[T-Keith]

Firstly don't worry about it too much.

If you aren't happy with the telecaster then for £500 you aren't going to get anything dramatically better. Often you'll find there's a multitude of cheapish guitars that in turn have excellent playability. Especially as you come to think about old fashioned guitars like Standard Telecasters, Les Pauls and Strats! The difference is mainly in sound and build quality and if need be you can always buy a very playable Squire/Epiphone etc and then upgrade the pickups later on. Basically a great amp can make a shite guitar sound good, never the other way around.

For now I would get a cheap guitar, something playable like an SG and then work on building up a nice array of pedals as this is also a thing you will eventually have to learn to understand well. If can often play a key part in developing an individual sound too.

If you aren't keen on the twang of a telecaster try a humbuckered guitar and you don't have to spend a fortune to an acceptable one.

Good Luck.

[Niallmo]

Just wait til you get to my stage...

I already have 16 guitars, mainly cheap...but I still want:

Another Jaguar
2 Strats, Squier Classic Vibe 50's and 60's
Gibbo LP Custom
Brian May red Special
Fender '62 Custom Tele
PRS McCarty
Strat Plus
Epi Casino
Squier Tele Custom II HB
Fender Aerodyne Strat

etc etc etc....

[T-Keith]

I have a few but two main ones.

A Gibson Les Paul Classic and a Fender US Strat.

I am never found wanting for sound as they go throught :-

Some effects - Big Muff, Wah Wah etc

then

Fender Blues Deville tweed 4 x 10
Orange Rocker 30 Combo
Fender Superchamp XD

[Poxican]

Cheers guys, some good advice here, not just for me but for others too.

It's a tricky thing to weigh up as it is, especially when you're limited for funds.
That said, I'm not as limited for funds as some of my favourite guitarists were when they made amazing music! So I guess thats something to think about.

I am chasing something with HBs, or maybe even p90s... The Squier Tele Custom is rather tempting, I'm gonna do everything I can to get my hands around one as the shape of the neck is super important for me.

I understand Tele's have some kind of trickery with the electrics that further accentuates the twang factor. Is that true? If so, does a similar thing apply to the Squier tele custom?

[Niallmo]

My Squier Tele Custom has a neck profile VERY similar to my now departed Lite Ash...

Tele's are just naturally bright and twangy due to the way the bridge and bridge pick-up are mounted, the Squier Customs have a different bridge and pickups. They are a lot different to normal Tele's.