Telecaster Basses - Not much interest on TalkBass these days:(

Conversely, I've just gotten back into teles - at least the headstock. Picked up a Warmoth neck with a jazz profile & a tele headstock, love it to death. Almost pulled the trigger on a 51-based Warmoth on Reverb (with PJ). Still kicking myself on that one.

Ironically, I started on a 'real' Tele (73) and hated it. Go figure. I like the look, but don't like the baseball bat.

 

I'm a huge fan of slab-bodied early P and Tele basses - owned a modded '71 for a long time and loved it - but they are somewhat of an acquired taste IMO. Not everyone can tolerate the lack of contours, or the fact that these need to be EQ'd differently than their standard P and J cousins in most circumstances.

Having said that, while I'm not actively shopping for one of these at the moment, I wouldn't mind owning one again. At all.

Long live the slab!

 

@shadven, you know how I feel about slabs. Now for the gratuitous photos.
Diary of a 1951 Fender Bass



Warmoth customs.


Cousin to the early P's & Tele, Custom Cabronita.

 

I just finished a ‘51 inspired build. I love slab basses!

 

From the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

Very nice results, @Slappinthecatgut! That beauty deserves a custom decal.

 

Nice! Is this a build of yours?

 

Dust at the office.

 

Thanks! It Is my first bass build and not my last.

 

I politely disagree

 

Tasty!

 

Nice!

 

Lots to love in that group.

 

It's fun enough to hang at the"office" then to have some nice tools to help get the job done.

 

I'm a big fan of these too--have enjoyed my Fender CS '55 reissue for many years and just this past year I picked up this cool Ampeg Big Stud -- tele-style bass with an extra pickup at the bridge position and 2x2 headstock:

 

Regret selling my 68 Tele. It was 9 years old at the time. Just got a Squier in trade(contoured). It is becoming my favorite electric. I retrofitted it with the correct tuners.

 

That's one hell of a collection you've got there! Whilst not my no. 1 favourite bass of all time, I've still had a deep love and appreciation for single coil P basses from the moment I first heard "No More Tears" by Ozzy. Amazing sound Bob Daisley gets from his '55 Precision.

 

I had a Sting sig for a while. Really miss it, but there were lots of little things I wanted to change - slab instead of the contour, color, Stinglay, etc. - and I found a nice L-1000 in trade.



I am going to build what I want some day. In fact, I was just mindlessly looking at Tele necks this morning.

I saved this photo a while ago. If I remember correctly, @Dark Horse built it. This is close to what I want to build. Except I want lollipop tuners and maybe the 2-saddle bridge.