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What is the difference between a telecaster and a stratocaster?
I only own a strat, and have played a tele only a couple of times, so what i say about the tele is based mostly on hearing, not playing. Also, bear in mind that these things a…re very difficult to put into words. You must hear and play both guitars before deciding. The tele seems to stay in tune better and has a 'stabler' feel when playing chords, which i think makes it a better rythm guitar. It generally sounds more tuned than a strat. This is probably because of the tremolo bridge on the strat. A strat may not be the best guitar for rythm. The strat sound is sparkling, crisp, and flatter than the tele sound. The tele produces a bright, defined sound with a tighter midrange. The strat, however, appears to be more responsive to changes in picking intensity, making it easy to emphasize notes or give them different characters. You can get a wide variety of sounds from it; it can vary from the sweetest sounds to the most raucous cries. For this reason, a strat is said to 'scream' on solos. I find strats to be unbeatable for lead. Having said that, telecasters are also extremely versatile guitars. Their bright sound is said to 'cut through the mix' because they always sound clear and defined, making them an elegant and efficient choice. They can be used for almost any kind of music. When distorted, their pickups seem to have more 'punch' than strat pickups, and they break into distortion earlier. Because of their stability, as i mentioned above, you somehow feel you are more in control than when playing a strat. Although teles are nowadays less commonly used for lead than strats, they can just as well be used for that purpose depending on the sound you're looking for. If played right, a strat will 'scream' and will be suitable for a huge range of expressiveness. However, its sound is dreamier and more 'liquid' than that of a tele and, because of this, the strat requires you gain a lot of experience playing it to really sound professional. The tele sound is more uniform and defined, more straightforward, and seems to do the job with more elegance. I don't know, really. Both are extraordinary guitars. If i had money i would have both, as to choose between them is almost impossible, as they are different guitars. (MORE)
