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> Hmmm, well, it worked for the guy behind Johnny Cash (can't believe i
> forgot his name now!) who played both a Tele and a Jazzmaster (though not
> simultanously, to my knowledge!). Remember that in the '50s Cash was more
> of a r&r guy than a country guy, being on Sun label and all. And Paul
> Burlison of Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio (who did the
> original Train Kept a-Rollin') also used a Tele exclusively. And to
> namedrop him again, James Burton pretty much did that with Ricky Nelson,
> also on a Tele - following in the footsteps of Joe Maphis, a committed
> hollowbody electric user and a guitarist very much in the vein of Scotty
> Moore. So, there were quite a few that in fact DID do that.
The guy that played on "I walk the line", if memory serves, had never even
touched a guitar something like 3 days before the recording. That memory
might be from another song, but it was definitely one of Cash's bigger hits.
I think we are in agreement that James Burton was the original Fender ace,
though. Lots of guys played them, but only a few 'hitters' adopted them as
their main weapon. Maphis was a double neck Mosrite player, but I cant
remember the years he used that guitar. Where's Deke Dickerson when you need
him? LOL.
I never thought about a Tele as a rock instrument till Roy Buchanan did so
much with one. Danny Gatton, the Hellecasters (whew what pickers..), Tom
Principato and others have done a lot as well, but Buchanan was one of the
first to put a Tele out there in every possible format and make it work. (If
liked Hendrix's squeeks and farts, you'd love Buchanan when he's drunk! man
that guy make a guitar make noises it shouldnt..)
It's funny how Buck Owens and Don Rich made them "the" country guitar to
have, yet Don ended his career with a Les Paul. A few years after his death,
Albert Lee came out, and in my opinion, is the best Telecaster player to
ever pick one up. Such a shy and quiet guy, to have changed the face of
country guitar to such a degree, every "hot" country song record since his
work with Emmylou Harris (Luxury Liner, '78 I think?) has been influenced by
him. His only downfall is designing one of the ugliest guitars in history
(The Music Man "Albert Lee" signature series, a star-shaped, Strat layout
model)
A lot of guys played Jazzmasters at least once (the lead in "pretty woman"
comes to mind, that exact guitar now owned by Marty Stuart), but few were
diehard or even associated with Fender.
> > I'm pretty sure my dad told me a new Strat in 1961 was around $130-180,
and
> > the Jazzmaster was closer to $300. I have no idea if those are accurate
or
> > not, but I can say he had a blonde Strat and a black Jazzmaster in those
> > days.
>
> Brian's great site reference reveals the price difference to be much
> smaller, which was my memory as well.
You got me. I'm a '68 model, so those days were long gone before I even got
here. I wish they were a LOT cheaper back then, so there would be a lot more
of them available today.
> OK, I can go along with that - except you forgot to list Buddy Holly (and
> to a lesser extent Richie Valens), who was obviously very big and played a
> Fender.
I noted those two earlier, but still I wouldnt put either of them up as
guitar greats. Buddy wrote a lot of nice songs, and Richie had a nice lick
on 'La Bamba" but I'm not sure that was a Fender. I know very little about
him. All I can remember was how sickening it was to see the "Buddy Holly
Story" in 1978 and see Gary Busey wielding a late 70's, big headstock Strat!
> I thought about that, and I wouldn't say that a Tele didn't take off in
> rock. Keith Richards? Status Quo in Europe? Joe Walsh of the
> Eagles? Even Brian May played Crazy Little Thing Called Love on a
> Tele! Maybe there weren't a huge number of rock big names using them on
> stage, but Teles were commonly used in studios by those same names, and by
> MANY lesser known guitarists. But obviously, country music is where it
> was for the Teles.
Richards and a Tele didnt get together for quite a few years after the
Stones popularity grew, did they? Status Quo, I'm sorry to say, I've never
heard of. Joe Walsh
would be a 70's player so I would disqualify him being post-'69, and Brian
May was forced to play a Tele on that tune, he often remarks at how bad he
hated that thing (even though I agree it was his best tone ever). Another
major "non-Fender-legend" Tele tune would be the lead Jimmy Page played in
Stairway To Heaven. Again, post '69, but notable none the less. I will say I
never liked any of those bands or musicians with the exception of some of
Walsh's stuff, so I have no idea on their guitarology, so you are definitely
the man on anything in that realm.
> OK, then we are in agreement! It is true that Fender hit a pretty bad
> patch towards the end of the sixties sales wise. But don't forget also
> that Gibson actually DID discontinue Les Pauls in the '60s! So, it would
> appear than that Strats were more popular than Les Pauls in the '50s and
> '60s.
You know I forgot about the LP's getting the axe! You're right. Fender took
a hell of a nose dive in the mid-late 60's... I wonder if CBS thought "what
have we got ourselves into?". Damn shame Leo didnt buy it back for pennies
on the dollar, eh? I think Fenders were always more popular with the
average guitar buyer than Gibsons. Cheaper, easier to play (small radius
days at least) and not so fragile. I get physically ill when someone picks
up my Les Paul, for fear of them snapping the headstock off (the '60
reissues have very thin necks, much like a Mosrite). It's amazing how over
the years, the Gibsons and Fenders have traded places on the endangered
species list. I think the 'new' Fender management team that took over in the
buyout (1980-81 era) has really done well to put Fender out front and keep
them there.
> Thank you Robb. I enjoyed it too - a nice bit of mental exercise, and
> gave me a bit of a different perspective on Fender's history thinking of
> it in these terms.
It's truly amazing what tidbits of information are out there, and like most
things, are half truth/half rumor. It's always nice to talk about this stuff
and as you said, get a different perspective on it, or at least compare
thoughts to see which one might be the correct or at least more reasonable
idea. Someday I'd love to own one of each of the 'historic' Fenders, and
just get lost in them.
I wanna be Scott Chinery for a day!
Robb
