Tele vs. SG

For anything to do with guitars, amps, effects units and any other music making accessories

Moderators: David Martin, dave robinson, Iain Purdon, George Geddes

Tele vs. SG

Postby csus » Sun Aug 16, 2020 11:48 am

am in the market for an electric guitar. I have been playing acoustic for 15 years, and I want to try something new.

The two solid body electrics I like are the Fender Telecaster and the Gibson SG
behold more information. I know these two guitars are worlds apart in many ways, and similar in a few.

I am not a "chicken picker"... yet... and of course I dont play heavy rock either. If I get a Tele - I do want the traditional 2 single coils or possibly the Nashville set up with the strat pick up in the middle. If I get an SG, I would prefer the standard double humbucker setup.

What are the advantages / disadvantages to a single coil guitar vs a humbucker set up? Should this play heavily in my decision?

If you were going to own only one solid body electric - what would you go with and why?

--- Now I have entertained the idea of a hollow body as a possibility but I'd like to focus on solid body guitars in this thread if possible.
csus
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:22 pm
Full Real Name: Daniel Woodward

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby dave robinson » Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:55 pm

Tele vs SG ? I have several of each and it isn't a contest, nor are they comparable as each are designed for different jobs.

One guitar ? Stratocaster every time.
Dave Robinson
User avatar
dave robinson
 
Posts: 5937
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:34 pm
Location: Sheffield
Full Real Name: David Robinson

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby Stu's Dad » Sun Aug 16, 2020 8:40 pm

I've got both and I agree with Dave. You just can't compare them, your decision must be based on what you want to play. As for your other question about only one guitar, I've been asked this many times and my answer's always the same - it would be a Stratocaster because of its versatility.

Len
Stu's Dad
 
Posts: 409
Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 3:34 pm
Full Real Name: Leonard Evans

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby Tigerdaisy » Mon Aug 17, 2020 9:16 am

I've had a couple of SGs and loads of Teles. I prefer pups that lean towards single coils as they are more 'musical', also the Tele is a much more robust instrument than the SG which does have the benefit of relative lightness. My last SG I fitted with Tonerider Alnico II pups which are much more musical and bell like than many thicker humbuckers. To me the Tele is more 'Fenderish' than the Strat, but of course Strats can vary a lot depending obviously on the pups. Personally I'd go for the Tele as it has a good range of sounds and can be made to overdrive if you need to- think Jimmy Page.
Tigerdaisy
 
Posts: 361
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2010 8:29 pm
Full Real Name: Martin Kay

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby bor64 » Mon Aug 17, 2020 3:19 pm

I'm with all what's written by the 3 others about SG vs Tele.

I've two tele's and one SG with a P90 at the bridge so a junior.
The tele's are built like a tank, in compare with the SG...very light and fragile indeed.
I've several guitars with a angled headstock and I've bin always super careful with these...a broken headstock is almost common amongst these.
I know some luthiers who gonna be go belly up without Les Pauls and SG's with broken headstocks...they have them all weeks in a year!
So if your gonna rock the place I would choose the tele for it's durability ...

Cheers Rob
"afterwards everyone is clairvoyant"
User avatar
bor64
 
Posts: 529
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:22 pm
Location: The Netherlands
Full Real Name: Rob Aartsen

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby RUSSET » Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:34 pm

They are both great guitars, & you need to go to a store to try them out yourself, to experience what you actually feel comfortable for yourself. I briefly owned a 'Vintage' brand SG, with two P90 style pickups, which was well made & sounded, sort-of OK, but not the comfortable Fender style guitar I was used to. I do own a Fender Nashville Tele (with Fender Noiseless pickups) & that is a great guitar, as well as being versatile in it's tones having the 3 pickups & a Strat-style selector. In effect it is a Strat in a Tele body. You can't get the two-pickup bridge & neck together Tele sound. But, it is still a great guitar.
Like the other lads here mention, the Strat is the most versatile guitar for getting five separate different tones in one guitar.
It is also the most physically comfortable guitar to wear, with its contoured body.
Two other guitars I have acquired in the past 2-3 years are the Epiphone ES339 & the Casino Coupe, which are versions of the regular ES335 & Casino, but with 3/4 size bodies. Being hollow bodied guitars, they are a lot lighter in weight than a solid-bodied guitar. They are also great guitars, & very reasonably priced. The ES339 particularly is very versatile, having coil-tapped pickups, giving the choice of humbucker & single-coil pickup modes.

Tony.
RUSSET
 

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby davec » Tue Aug 18, 2020 3:20 pm

RUSSET wrote:Like the other lads here mention, the Strat is the most versatile guitar for getting five separate different tones in one guitar.
Tony.

Substitute a 'Freeway Blade 5B5-01' for the standard 5-way switch and you get TEN separate, different tones.

DaveC.
davec
 
Posts: 85
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 1:39 pm
Full Real Name: David Coombes

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby Stuart » Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:02 pm

dave robinson wrote:Tele vs SG ? I have several of each and it isn't a contest, nor are they comparable as each are designed for different jobs.

One guitar ? Stratocaster every time.

Dave is right! The Strat is pretty well unbeatable.It didn't become the most emulated guitar in the world without good reason.
User avatar
Stuart
 
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2018 7:15 pm
Location: Chelmsford,Essex
Full Real Name: Stuart Watson

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby dave robinson » Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:28 pm

I have bought a lot of guitars during my career and played thousands of gigs in that time, we still do a bit even now.
I started with Vox Duotone because a Fender Stratocaster cost a kings ransom to us back then, but when I got my Strat I immediately felt comfortable with it. I swapped it for a Telecaster because it became troublesome after a re-fret and I fancied a change. I had stopped playing Shads music in the late sixties so the trem wasn't a big issue, but after four years, having tried a Les Paul along the way, I bought a second hand Burns Nu Sonic with trem and I loved it, immediately using the trem again. I ordered a custom built Strat from John Birch on the recommendation of Karl Green of The Hermits, as I was with Dave Berry at the time and our paths were always crossing being under the same management and we worked together a lot. Karl had been recommended to go to John Birch by Roy Wood, who already had guitars from Mr Birch, as did Tony Iommi, Noddy Holder and Dave Hill and quite a few other chart bands at that time. Fender weren't making good stuff during that period which is why we all wound up at Rubery, Birmingham at John Birch guitars. The Strat was white with a tiger stripe pickguard with a John Birch Humbucker and two strat pickups and a double selector switch for every pickup configuration. I had the neck shaped very thin to make it easy to play for me, much thinner than my old Strat had been I used that guitar for over ten years before buying a Tokai fiesta red Strat because they appeared in the shops and weren't expensive and they were excellent, everything that Fender hadn't been. This was my route back to Fender in a round about way. Fender finally changed hands and I'm pleased to say they got their act together once more.

I also began experimenting with other types of guitar but always went back to the Strat and I still do to this day. I figured out that The Strat has everything and covers all bases for what I have to play, where a Les Paul, 335, Gretsch, ES175, SG and similar do not. That isn't to say I don't like them, but it's down to practicality and I always go to the Strat if I can only take one guitar to a gig. I do have options as the Brian May guitar is equal to a Strat in every way and I love it, as is are my PRS and G&L, but the Strat has one thing that these don't for our music - THE LOOK.
So that's my reason for sticking to my Strat, I have my Burns Marvin too but find it clumsy although great to look at. Leo's G&L Strats are terrific, but mine is dark blueburst and I don't like dark colours on stage, they clash with our stage attire and you can't see them. There are all sorts of reasons why our minds are swayed towards a certain tool, or instrument and you also have to consider in theatre on a sixties nostalgia show that the audience too have expectations, they expect The Shadows to be played on red Strats or white Burns, which is why we have them simply for aesthetics. We recently switched the heavy Vox AC 30 amps for new lightweight Fender ToneMaster amps, but as we are not a Shadows Tribute act it doesn't bother me at all, but we did make the effort when we actually focused on The Shadows shows.
Back to guitars and I still have a couple of Teles, though rarely use them and do prefer Strats' , particularly my latest Fender American Deluxe in fiesta red. The last electric I bought is a Burns SSJ twin pickup short scale and that too is a nice, easy to play guitar for £249.00.
Although I love the look of them, I have lost count of the lovely big Gibson Jazz guitars I've had and sold, simply because they are uncomfortable to play for a full set, just because of their size. I have now settled on a couple of ES339 guitars by Epiphone and fitted Duesenberg Trems, they are delightful and easy to play and that trem is one of the best I have ever had.

I'm at an age now where I can buy what I want so I'm trying out all the things that were unaffordable to us back then, I guess like many more of us on here.
I had the Gibson J200, Martin OM28 and they are lovely, but Tokai J200 sounds just as good at £3000 less money, as does my Vintage Gordon Giltrap acoustic versus the Martin.
OK the Gordon Giltrap isn't cheap, but I got mine as 'B' stock for £329 so I'm well pleased. It's the only electro acoustic guitar that I have being able to successfully use for lead work on stage without feedback problems and it sounds terrific. The firm 'Vintage' make some great instruments, I'd recommend them all day. :)
Dave Robinson
User avatar
dave robinson
 
Posts: 5937
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:34 pm
Location: Sheffield
Full Real Name: David Robinson

Re: Tele vs. SG

Postby paulgshaw » Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:53 pm

I’m with Dave.....if you can only have one guitar then it has to be the ‘Strat’ design, not necessarily by Fender. Great range of tones, looks the business, stays in tune! Unlike my Les Paul Custom, easy to play and available at a whole range of prices from different makers, both used & new.......buy a Strat, you know it makes sense....Cheers, Paul....
paulgshaw
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 10:17 am
Location: Sandford, North Somerset
Full Real Name: ....................

Next

Return to Gear

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests

Ads by Google
These advertisements are selected and placed by Google to assist with the cost of site maintenance.
ShadowMusic is not responsible for the content of external advertisements.