Can a Telecaster be used for metal?

nightlight

nightlight

Well-known member
Sure, any guitar can be used for metal. The question is all over the net, so I thought I would do a short demo.

A few riffs in Drop D and then in E standard. I think the video came out well, the damn thing is a bitch to play, but it has a unique sound which isn't half bad imho.

 
many guitars can be used for different music than their design indicates, however they may not be optimal.

I put a Ric 330 into my high gain Engl. Sounded good, but the guitar isn't designed for fast runs, chugging, bends, etc. because I have it set-up for rich, full jangle and chime chords and clean leads. I'm sure I could lower the action, get lighter strings, or downtune it, etc., to help; but then it wouldn't do the Ric things I'd want.

I'd say my Majesty is my most versatile guitar, that can go from swing jazz / fusion jazz to metal, followed by my EBMM Kaizen. My Fender Jag works great for swing jazz / fusion jazz so I sold my D'Angelico hollowbody...

I recall seeing jazz guitarists of the past using Les Pauls, and Strats,...so anything is possible with the right skills IMO
 
rsm said:
many guitars can be used for different music than their design indicates, however they may not be optimal.

I put a Ric 330 into my high gain Engl. Sounded good, but the guitar isn't designed for fast runs, chugging, bends, etc. because I have it set-up for rich, full jangle and chime chords and clean leads. I'm sure I could lower the action, get lighter strings, or downtune it, etc., to help; but then it wouldn't do the Ric things I'd want.

I'd say my Majesty is my most versatile guitar, that can go from swing jazz / fusion jazz to metal, followed by my EBMM Kaizen. My Fender Jag works great for swing jazz / fusion jazz so I sold my D'Angelico hollowbody...

I recall seeing jazz guitarists of the past using Les Pauls, and Strats,...so anything is possible with the right skills IMO
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I think it’s all about sound/tone, as well as experimentation. While a Tele ordinarily wouldn’t be my grab and go guitar for a metal gig, I think a lot about bands like Rage Against the Machine, which have their own sound due to unorthodox choices like Morello’s use of a Tele for Drop D tuned songs.

In the studio, it’s quite interesting to use different guitars on a track, like say something for a clean part, something for a crunch part and something for a high gain part. Obviously, this is not feasible in a live situation.

What I really loved growing up was hearing a new album with a sound I had never heard before. Take Soundgarden’s Superunknown, for example. The album sounds unique due to some of the odd tunings, and the tones were superb. Or say one of Green Day’s early albums.

The question is, do you really want to sound like everybody else?

I think one of the things that makes modern productions so bad is that they all sound similar, right down to the vocals sounding like the same person.

I’m not very good in the studio unfortunately, but that’s another story. Always looking to explore more sounds till I can get something that I want to call my own. For that, I’m prepared to throw well-established formulas out the window.
 
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my guitars feel different, but into the same amp they can sound very similar. I don't do much recording, but may get around to it once I retire!

for now, I'm enjoying different guitars, amps, plugins, modelers, and exploring sounds, I also have the Boss SY-1000 and SY-300, and the effect building Poly Effects Beebo that sounds like nothing else, because you can design and build complex effects with it.
 
Absolutely. I dig the single coil alnicos on my Tele - that allows me to be more flexible, wider range in EQ/tone shaping. The bite works great for slicing through but is also extremely tight. Perfect for bringing the heavies. A Tele through my Mark Boogies, Rectos or JCMs are a fun experience every time I plug in.
 
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Teles with humbuckers are not teles!

Having said that...I use a Fender Tele with a BKP Piledriver in Drop C# through a Monomyth Skeleton Key and it has so much awesome mid range grind to it. The style of riffs are probably closer to a RATM or Les Zeppelin, but just throw in more palm mutes.

Used to use the stock V-mod that came with it and was still pretty happy with that for higher gain stuff, wouldn't mind trying out some other boutique stuff still.
 
ners said:
Teles with humbuckers are not teles!

Having said that...I use a Fender Tele with a BKP Piledriver in Drop C# through a Monomyth Skeleton Key and it has so much awesome mid range grind to it. The style of riffs are probably closer to a RATM or Les Zeppelin, but just throw in more palm mutes.

Used to use the stock V-mod that came with it and was still pretty happy with that for higher gain stuff, wouldn't mind trying out some other boutique stuff still.
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I'm not a Tele guy but I think that HB in a Tele comment is just a mental thing. Just like saying a HB in a Fender Strat. There is something about the necks and bodies of those two guitars that seem to gel well with humbuckers imo.

But yeah, LZ riffs in C is so much fun :yes:
 
311splawndude said:
I'm not a Tele guy but I think that HB in a Tele comment is just a mental thing. Just like saying a HB in a Fender Strat. There is something about the necks and bodies of those two guitars that seem to gel well with humbuckers imo.

But yeah, LZ riffs in C is so much fun :yes:
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Haha I mostly say it in jest, a HB in a tele can be great (much like a super strat) just feel that the pickup is like 90% of a "tele" tone.
 
agentrx said:
It’s not the guitar per se that makes the “metal” sound. It’s the technique and a few overdrive pedals imo
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This. My buddy was recently playing some really heavy riffage with his Tele through his JMP boosted hard and it was raw and snarly af.
 
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