Can you put a strat neck on a tele? (2023)

Will a Fender neck fit on a Squier Telecaster?

You can put a Fender neck on a Squier body, but the compatibility varies from one guitar model to the other. As long as the neck fits the dimensions of the body, you should be fine when looking for a replacement. Fender has stated that most Squier and Fender necks can be interchanged.

Heel and Neck Pocket Shapes

A Strat® neck fits a Strat®-shaped pocket because both the heel and the pocket are curved at the end. A Tele® neck fits in a Tele®-shaped pocket because both the heel and the pocket are squared at the end.

What really stands out with the Telecaster is the bridge pickup, which is larger than the Strat pickup and mounted in the Tele's bridge plate to give it a sharper and more powerful tone. The pickup selector switch on the Tele can give you the sound of each of the two pickups separately or in combination.

As we will see below, both are easy to play, but a Tele is a little easier to play since it has fewer controls, a fixed bridge, tuning stability, and simpler adjustments. It's an ideal choice for beginners, and those wanting a no-fuss electric guitar. Both guitars are iconic, and serve different purposes very well.

As you probably know, you can't simply put a Stratocaster bridge pickup into a standard Telecaster bridge because of the different mounting systems and sizes. A Tele bridge pickup usually has three mounting holes, while Strat pickups have only two.

While it is true that many players associate the Tele as sounding brighter than a Strat, it's not 100 percent cut and dry – but there is definitely a lot of truth behind this idea. First off, if you look closely at the bridge pickup on both guitars, you should easily notice that they are at a slight slant.

Stratocaster Necks vs.

Both the modern Telecaster and Stratocaster bolt-on necks largely feature 22 frets and a 25.5” scale, with identical nut width and 9.5” fretboard radius.

Stratocasters from the 50's, 60's and 70's all had 21 frets and so are considered the classic specifications of Strats. They were built that way because a 21 fret neck was much quicker to assemble.

The tonal transfer between neck and body is better in a set-neck than a bolt-on, resulting in a warmer and fuller sound. This isn't always a good thing, as some people prefer the snap of a bolt-on. The set neck will couple all of the energy from your guitar strings and blur it in a way that fattens the body of a note.

They discover a few solid facts in the chaos of Hendrix history: that Jimi used a Telecaster on overdubs on the 'Purple Haze' recording, even though his guitar of choice was the Fender Stratocaster; that Hendrix bass player Noel Redding had procured the guitar from a friend for the session; that Redding ended up with ...

Did Eric Clapton ever play a Telecaster?

The 'Blind Faith' Telecaster was Clapton's most unique guitar, combining a 1962 Fender Telecaster Custom body with original 3-way switching (bridge, neck, neck - tone bypass) and the neck from his favourite Stratocaster, "Brownie", allowing him to enjoy the bluesy tones of a Tele while still enjoying the same comfort ...

“I wanted a Telecaster because I had played a Telecaster when I was younger,” Springsteen said in an interview with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I picked one up somewhere along the way, and Jeff Beck was one of my great guitar heroes and I think Pete Townshend played one in the Who also for a while.

Ever since it launched in its original Esquire and Broadcaster incarnations, the Telecaster body style has inspired guitarists of all genres – from country to punk to classic rock to avant-garde-noise-jazz, it's hard to think of a style of guitar playing that doesn't feature any T-type players at all.

Like the three-pickup Stratocaster which followed it in 1954, the Telecaster is a versatile guitar and has been used in many genres, including country, reggae, rock, pop, folk, soul, blues, jazz, punk, metal, alternative, indie rock, and R&B.

Guitars. Slipknot's number #4 has used various guitars over the years, but he is most synonymous with the Fender Telecaster.

Maybe that's because the Telecaster has a reputation for attracting players of technical renown. The tight attack and quick response these guitars are known for can hew the rough edges off a sloppy technique in short order. This puts them in high demand for the precision of modern music styles.

Humbuckers have more output (they are louder), sound fatter, chunkier, and mellower when compared to single-coils. Because of this, jazz, rock, and metal guitarists tend to prefer guitars that have this kind of pickup.

There's more wood in the Tele, so it's a slightly fatter sound than the Strat. Contrary to popular belief the pickups aren't too different from Strat pickups; it's the metal plate the pickup's mounted in that gives it most of its distinctive twang when plugged in.

Simply set your 5-way switch to the neck and middle position and turn on your bridge pickup and you will hear the sound of all three pickups working at once. 5-way switch set to neck and middle position. Neck and middle position set on the 5-way switch with the bridge pickup toggled on.

And many genre-defining blues and rock players regularly sling Strats over their shoulders. Maybe that's why many players say that if they can only have one guitar on a gig, it would be their Strat.

Is a Telecaster better than a Stratocaster for hard rock?

Telecasters are sonic chameleons and are more versatile than Stratocasters, but Strats perform better with warm rock tones. While Teles have a more straightforward design and are easier to tune and play, Stratocasters are much more comfortable with their iconic C-shaped necks.

A Tele isn't just good for metal rhythm players but lead guitarists too. The neck pickup is smooth and warm and will really shine as it's got a unique sonic tonality. If you want to cut out a bit of the brightness, simply roll back on the tone knob and use a compressor pedal to thicken up the single coil pickups.

A Tele with the stock neck pickup or a humbucker in the neck will be warmer than a Strat, generally. However, the bridge pickup of a Tele is brighter than one in a Strat.

Description. The Fender Player Series Telecaster guitar neck features a comfortable, modern “C”-shaped profile and 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets.

When Stevie died, Rene Martinez decided to install the original Number One neck back onto the guitar, and then gave the instrument to Stevie's brother, Jimmie Vaughan, who still owns it to this day.

The 6105 is a tall fret (almost as tall as the 6000 size) but quite a bit narrower in width. These are great for getting the added pluses of string bendability and a thicker, meatier sound too. Guitarists that do a lot of bending, such as blues and fusion players, should definitely check out these bigger options.

With their built-in preamp, active pickups usually have a greater overall output when compared to their passive counterparts. This makes them excellent for high-gain sounds, while the comparably lower noise-floor helps to reduce unwanted hiss.

A well-designed and constructed bolt-on neck joint will perform and sound better than a poorly constructed set neck joint. What is this? Seeing a guitar with a set neck doesn't immediately mean the neck joint is better than a bolt-on neck. A well-constructed bolt-on joint is incredibly strong.

Maple. Maple is an extremely popular wood for necks and fretboards. Recognizable because of its bright tone, grain patterns and moderate weight. It's tonal characteristics include good sustain with plenty of bite.

Did George Harrison like Telecasters?

This guitar was based on the iconic Rosewood Telecaster prototype gifted by Fender to the guitarist in 1968. Harrison fell in love with the instrument and used it for the rest of the decade including during the Let It Be sessions and the notable final performance on the rooftop of Apple Corps headquarters.

The Telecaster typically has two single-coil pickups, with the bridge pickup being wider and longer than its Strat counterpart. What's more, it is mounted on the Tele's metal bridge plate, which can give it a more powerful tone. (Fender also makes Stratocaster and Telecaster models with humbucking pickup options.)

The beautiful 41-year-old Telecaster (pre-auction estimate of $7,500+) previously belonging to American singer-songwriter Tom Pacheco and may be the only known example of a stage-played Telecaster used by the legendary Texas blue-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Elvis kept his Telecaster prototype for a few months and used it a number of times, though not in concert. He eventually decided that the Fender was too heavy when compared with his much loved Gibson and Martin guitars.

“Out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite,” Cobain said in a 1991 interview with Guitar World. “They're cheap and totally inefficient, and they sound like crap and are very small.”

Elvis often used Gibson SJ-200 acoustic guitars, aka “The King of Flat Tops.” Gibson has now created Elvis' favorite SJ-200 in Ebony that is based on a guitar that was given to Elvis as a gift at a recording session at RCA Studio B in Nashville, TN in the mid-1960's.

The Telecaster has been a staple for Clapton throughout his career. Graham Coxon (born 1969), guitarist of Blur, has relied on the Telecaster for the majority of his career, achieving a distinctive sound underlined by an inventive use of effects that played an integral part in Blur's success during the 1990s.

When he formed Led Zeppelin in 1968, the Dragon Telecaster became Page's go-to instrument and he played it onstage and in the studio until 1969, wrote Brad Tolinski in Light & Shade: Conversations With Jimmy Page.

Compared to Les Pauls, Telecasters are tonally brighter and are a great choice for genres such as country or blues; on the other hand, Les Pauls are much fuller in their tone, and you can see them used in metal and rock music. The looks and feel of these guitars compared is completely different.

What is the hardest genre to play on guitar?

People generally agree jazz guitar or classical guitar are the most difficult genres, but it really depends on how you define 'difficult'. There are a lot of 'metal' guitar solos which are extremely difficult to play - very technically demanding.

Telecasters are often the first thing that comes to mind for worship music, and for good reason: their inoffensive looks and sterling tones fit the bill perfectly. The Deluxe Tele Thinline takes the signature Tele tone, but plonks it on a semi-hollow body instead.

Telecaster is much more versatile, whereas Stratocaster offers a broader palette of tones. Telecaster is easier to play and tune, whereas Stratocaster is more comfortable to hold. Telecaster has one piece that extends right below the bridge pickup, whereas the Stratocaster bridge that has a two-point tremolo system.

“I thought it was cool because no-one expects somebody to play music like Slipknot's on a Telecaster – something you'd see Tom Petty with,” he reflects. “I thought that was a nice cool juxtaposition. At the time, I was like, 'Well, I'm gonna go against this'. It's sort of my anti-metal punk-rock mentality.”

Eddie Van Halen: A Master Of The Guita

While he played a variety of instruments throughout his career, his self-built Frankensteinstrat was the product that made him famous. He played primarily EVH Wolfgang guitars in addition to his own brand of guitars after starting his own company.

Heel and Neck Pocket Dimensions

Unfortunately, they are not universal...even among Fender® products. Careful measurement is the only way to be sure your parts will be compatible.

Fender says that most Fender and Squier necks are interchangeable, but I've never actually gone through the whole process until now. In my example we're assuming that you have two guitars, one Fender, and one Squier and you will be removing both necks and swapping them between each other.

The Squiers aren't quite up to the same standard as the Fenders. Many of the components used to make the Fender guitars tend to result in an instrument that resonates more. Most Squiers are made using cheaper woods, pickups and hardware – a saving that is then passed on to you.

Fender vs Squier: Sounds & tones

In a nutshell, Squier makes more affordable versions of Fender's biggest-selling models, though they do also have their own lines and models. They're made in the Far East and most of them are made using cheaper components.

In a situation where you get a fantastic guitar with a poor neck, or even an old neck that you're just too used to, you can just swap it out to change the experience. When it comes to playability, replacing a guitar neck is almost comparable to replacing the whole guitar.

Does a neck reset devalue a guitar?

Does a neck reset devalue a guitar? If done properly, a neck reset should not devaluate a guitar. Either on a bolt-on or glued neck, the reset process should be done by a professional who knows how to do the job without damaging the instrument's finish or its physical integrity, like a luthier or an experienced player.

Fender Standard Series Telecaster Guitar Neck Features:

25.5" scale length. Modern "C" maple neck profile. 9.5" radius pau ferro fingerboard plays like a modern classic.

“Can you put a 22 fret neck on a 21 fret guitar”. The answer is yes. You can put any scale neck on any body, as long as it fit's the pocket and lines up straight.

A lot of Fenders will have either a 7.25” or 9.5” radius and most Gibsons will have a 12” radius. So what does this mean to a player? A shorter radius means the neck has more of a curve and a longer radius means the neck will be flatter.

The movement of a wider neck is naturally more comfortable for a wide range of fingers. The muted strings are less likely to muted while playing chords. The reverse is also true. Those with small, thinner fingers may find it easier to play if their neck width is narrower.

After he received the gift in 1968, the Rosewood Telecaster quickly became an iconic instrument, as it was used it in the film Let It Be, during the Beatles' Abbey Road recording sessions and even in the Beatles' iconic final public performance on the rooftop of the Apple Corps headquarters.

Joe Trohman, founding member of Fall Out Boy, not only is regularly seen playing Squiers, but has his own signature model with the budget manufacturer. The Squier Joe Trohman Telecaster is an early '70s inspired take on the iconic Fender, with both humbuckers and single coils.

Telecaster is much more versatile, whereas Stratocaster offers a broader palette of tones. Telecaster is easier to play and tune, whereas Stratocaster is more comfortable to hold. Telecaster has one piece that extends right below the bridge pickup, whereas the Stratocaster bridge that has a two-point tremolo system.

A big part of a guitar's playability is due to string tension. The higher the string tension, the harder you need to work to press down and move the strings. A Les Paul has lower string tension when compared to a Strat with the same gauge strings. This makes a Les Paul easier to play.