You've got a $1k budget to build a Tele. How are you spending the money?

[Brad1]

Heck I'd cheat like crazy & start out with a Mexi or Squier that feels good to play, set it up proper-like, then see what about sticking upgrade parts on. Definitely satinizing the neck, no sticky lacquer for me thanx! One thing I always want to try is reversing the control panel like one of my Tele heroes Bill Kirchen.

I've done that to every Tele I have had. Pretty easy to flip the switch over to still correspond to bridge/both/neck positions, and swap the volume and tone pot positions which puts the volume pot within easy reach at the front.

Brad1

[gui_tarzan]

So, I'm not the only one who's not a big Tele fan?

I wasn't a Tele or Strat fan for a long time. I built my own and liked it a lot, but there was a quality factor missing so I went in search of a "name brand". I walked in to a buddy's guitar shop and a flamed maple tele was hanging on the wall at eye level, screaming "pick me! pick me!".

I got it down, sat on a stool, hit an A chord and instantly fell in love with the feel, the acoustic tone and how it fit me. Sold. Bought it right then. Turns out it's a mid 90s MIJ Foto-Flame but it's just gorgeous to me. I have had it for around twenty years and will never get rid of it. I did change the pickups and pick guard to go from the three pickup setup to a Texas Specials two pickup & switch.

To answer the OP's question, I wouldn't build one from scratch or parts again. It was a great learning experience but I would have to shop around and try every guitar that caught my eye and decide from there.

[gui_tarzan]

Jeff Kollman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olv1Z2aIzUM

Being a bass player I listen for tone and technique. Jeff's bassist has a tone I love but haven't figured out how to replicate it. It's hard to describe but it has a "metallic" sound when he slaps. It's different from the norm, it almost sounds alive to me. Just for that instant. I've tried different speakers, amps, tone settings, maybe my Jazz is just too warm and mellow sounding.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I've done that to every Tele I have had. Pretty easy to flip the switch over to still correspond to bridge/both/neck positions, and swap the volume and tone pot positions which puts the volume pot within easy reach at the front.

Brad1

You bet, the word is "ergonomic." Never considered it before seeing an interview with Bill & immediately realized "all the other Teles in this world are reverse of what they should be." Vol pot can be twirled up with the pinkie allowing pedal steel-like expression, also a little wah like effect with the tonw control same way. The miracles a small change can bring. I'm all in.

[Steve Blackdog]

Are we assuming our labour is free of charge?

[Chuck H]

Probably my favorite tele player is Brad Paisley. He's unique and doesn't try to sound like anyone else. My favorite tele tones are probably Mike Campbell and Keith Richards (of course, right?). And of course Jimmy Page did some great recordings using a tele too.

[SoulFetish]

Are we assuming our labour is free of charge?

Well, I think that we can consider the labor involved in any assembly, setup, and modification as a separate expenditure. But, service or labor directly related to the acquisition of critical parts (ie. buying an unfinished body, and sending it out for a custom finish) would reasonably fall under the $1000 budget.

[SoulFetish]

Honestly, I don't think I could. That would be really tough for me. To me, a Tele has to be a traditional Tele. Once you start adding humbuckers to a Tele it's not a Tele anymore IMO and there are other guitars that do non-Tele things way better than a Tele.

I can appreciate that. I'm a bastard when it comes to the aesthetic of a strat. To me, a tele with a single coil bridge pickup and humbucker on the neck is still a traditional tele. Just like a gold top Les Paul with P90's is still a traditional Les Paul.
But it takes all kinds to make this big 'ol world go 'round.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Probably my favorite tele player is Brad Paisley. He's unique and doesn't try to sound like anyone else. My favorite tele tones are probably Mike Campbell and Keith Richards (of course, right?). And of course Jimmy Page did some great recordings using a tele too.

David Gilmour on Animals, I'm pretty sure a lot of that is Tele, with some whammy Strat overdubs. Gets me in all the right places. To think I ignored this album for ages . . .

[Chuck H]

And Prince used a tele a lot too. I know he had some silly shaped guitars for stage use but in less glamorous footage he often has a tele. Though his tone was usually more "processed" than other tele users.

[Helmholtz]

What about Steve Cropper - and Muddy Waters? Or Lowell George?

[Leo_Gnardo]

And Prince used a tele a lot too. I know he had some silly shaped guitars for stage use but in less glamorous footage he often has a tele. Though his tone was usually more "processed" than other tele users.

Prince had a Bradshaw switching system but what was in his fx rack I don't rightly know. A big box 'o blinkin' lights to be sure!

[Greg_L]

I can appreciate that. I'm a bastard when it comes to the aesthetic of a strat. To me, a tele with a single coil bridge pickup and humbucker on the neck is still a traditional tele. Just like a gold top Les Paul with P90's is still a traditional Les Paul.
But it takes all kinds to make this big 'ol world go 'round.

It's an interesting thing to think about though. I've never really considered it. I've always just dismissed Teles as guitars that almost everyone loves but they are not for me. Like....how could I, someone that dislikes Teles, make a Tele that I'd want to play? My single coil needs are few and better served by other guitars - Strats and Mosrites mainly. I like and play surf guitar music. I personally LOVE Mosrites. I have four of them. The single coil bite and twang could definitely be had with a Tele, but I also need the vibrato. A Tele with a Bigsby could work. But it would still be an ugly boat paddle looking plank of a guitar with the worst headstock ever. A Jag, Jazzmaster, Strat, or Mosrite are way better looking to me. Then there's the scale length. I prefer the shorter "Gibson" scale length, or something in that ballpark. That rules out Strats and Jazzmasters....and Teles. The Jaguar or Mosrite are better suited for me. So lack of vibrato, the Fender scale length, and being hideous are all strikes against a Telecaster for my own personal wants and needs. I can't think of realistic way to build a Tele for me that would still be a Tele and make me want to play it. And for humbucking guitars, forget it. I've got Gibsons for that.

[Chuck H]

Veering OT for a moment. I just looked up images of Prince with his Telecaster and realized it's not exactly a Telecaster. So I did more digging and found out it's a Hohner model that happens to be a tele copy. Though it is an especially nice looking one with a flame maple top. And I can only assume it plays well too since Prince used it throughout his entire career. I know Hohner did make some good guitars. I also know the brand wasn't known for that. In my era Hohner was a cheapie guitar. So I was surprised about this. Still...

It's tele "shaped" and seems to have tele "shaped" pickups.?. So it's basically still a tele?

[SoulFetish]

What about Steve Cropper - and Muddy Waters? Or Lowell George?