Telecaster vs. Stratocaster: Which sounds better to your ears?

[de la mocha]

From a bass player's perspective of course. I really dig the Tele sound, I like that twang. Probably because too many people around here play Ibanez guitars. A nice Tele sound is so refreshing....

[pasta4lnch]

personally I've always liked strats better, but only by an inch. My own personal preference (I'm a guitar player too ) are hardtail strats w/ a fender/duncan pearly gates plus in the bridge. . .

my fenders . . .

[panama]

tele

[MRDOOM]

Strat

[miacomet]

It depends on the player. I could be way off here, but from experience the strat seems a bit more forgiving tone wise. Our rhythm player just made the switch from tele to strat and it just sound a lot rounder and buttery. I do love the twang though when played right.

[hinklegm]

Whenever I have the time, I'd like to get a tele just so I can learn a thing or two about guitar as well as bass.

[Oric]

Depends on who's playing it

[Jeff K]

Yeah, depends on the song a lot of the time. But this question kinda' reminds me of the "Which is better, P-Bass or Jazz Bass?" question. They're both great. Same with Teles & Strats. Here are mine:

[Mike M.]

I have both a Tele and a Strat as well, love them both and I would have a very difficult time if I had to choose one over the other.

For my own preferance and for the music that I write I tend to prefer the Tele for the more rhythm orientated things while the Strat seems to work better for things that are more linear. But it really depends on the song. Sometimes I think "yes...the Strat" only to find the Tele works better.

Either way they are both classic guitars that have more than stood up to the test throughout the years. Like the P bass, they're here to stay.

[lunarpollen]

I definitely prefer the Telecaster. I like the Jaguar too. What I'd really like to see is a cross between the two, a Tele body and electronics with a Jaguar 24" scale length and bridge/vibrato unit.

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by Oric

Depends on who's playing it

+1.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by de la mocha

From a bass player's perspective of course. I really dig the Tele sound, I like that twang. Probably because too many people around here play Ibanez guitars. A nice Tele sound is so refreshing....

Most of the guys I gig with play either strats (very nice) or Paul Reed Smith (Gibson sounding... not so much IMO).

However, when I'm on the gig with a good, clean Tele player, I just LOVE it. That's a very unforgiving tone regarding technique, but if a guitarist has the chops and skill to play cleanly and accurately, it is just smokin'.

I'll take a Tele any time!

[Joe Gress]

Tele with 'buckers. Or a Les Paul.

[mongo2]

I own a Tele and a Strat but my favorite sounding guitar right now is my Squier Duo-Sonic.

Our guitarists used a Strat and a Tele last night and I had no preference as to which was used in our roots/blues/country gig.

[Darkstrike]

Definatly Tele, but I do like Strats too.

[nutso42]

I'm tempted to say Strat, but simply because it's generally associated with music I prefer more, whereas Tele's are commonly used by people like Brad Paisley, whom I would not call myself a fan of.

However, when I pick up either of these guitars and play, the Tele almost ALWAYS sounds better to me.

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by Oric

Depends on who's playing it

+1

[tplyons]

I love Tele's but play a Strat... just more versatile IMO. If I'm only packing one guitar, it's a Strat.

Best guitar I ever owned was a baritone Telecaster I put together. That thing sounded absolutely killer.

[Gord_oh]

they are both great for what they do.
a tele is twangy sounding to me, but sometimes it makes sense for a song.
a strat is more edgy, modern and classy sounding.

i own a tele custom with p-90s, not your standard tele,
as well a strat with noiseless pickups.

i like my strat more, but im learning to like my tele as well.
im still a fairly new convert from bass to guitar but that is my .02...if its worth that much.

[Godfather]

Tele