I surrender

[antisymmetric]

there's more to it than the scale, i bet.
teles and mustangs hang differently. On mine, there's a difference in reach when playing first position stuff.

Have you tried playing the Tele with a capo and maybe experimenting with string gauges to suit? (25.5" minus one fret is 24") It might help you to work out if it's the scale you're struggling with, or if it's what Con-tiki! suggested.

[601210]

Guy: I just bought a mustang

OSG: Ok but have you tried literally everything else?



Kidding aside, I also agree that a Tele really shouldn't be inherently any less playable than a Mustang, and there are certainly ways to make it easier for you without having to completely change guitar, but at the end of the day what really matters is what you're experiencing that helps you play.

[mysticguitar]

there's more to it than the scale, i bet.
teles and mustangs hang differently. On mine, there's a difference in reach when playing first position stuff.

Have you tried playing the Tele with a capo and maybe experimenting with string gauges to suit? (25.5" minus one fret is 24") It might help you to work out if it's the scale you're struggling with, or if it's what Con-tiki! suggested.

It's definitely scale length I'm struggling with, I love my friends mustang, no I have not played with a capo....I think it would be confusing, I wouldn't have the open string notes , EADGBE, at least initially, but it's something to look into down the line....I'm using 9s on the Tele.

[mysticguitar]

there's more to it than the scale, i bet.
teles and mustangs hang differently. On mine, there's a difference in reach when playing first position stuff.

I think telecasters are the perfect instrument, an amazing first stab that has stood the test of like 80 years.
Mine however, hasn't left it's case in months.
right now, what works is a Jaguar

What do you mean they "hang differently"? Yes there is a difference in reach when playing open position stuff on a Tele, that's the problem, but I love the Tele tone.

[BoringPostcards]

Guy: I just bought a mustang

OSG: Ok but have you tried literally everything else?

Mustangs are severely underrated around here. They're appreciated to a degree, but you don't see a lot of threads about them, nor do you see much praise or hype being thrown around about them, when they do come up.

I love my Mustangs and will always have at least one in my arsenal.

[Larsongs]

If there's nothing wrong with it why not get a perfect Neck? They make a jillion different sizes.. I'm sure there's one that's perfect for you...

Well...I need a short scale, that's not possible on a Tele is it?

Finding a perfect Guitar ain't easy. A Mustang is no Tele!

If my Guitar had the perfect Sound & the only thing that bothered me was the Neck I'd get a new Neck... They make a jillion different Necks. Different Radius, Frets, Wood, Fretboard etc...

Best of luck with that Mustang......

[SAVEStheDAY]

Mustangs are great, I hope you like it!

[mysticguitar]

Guy: I just bought a mustang

OSG: Ok but have you tried literally everything else?



Kidding aside, I also agree that a Tele really shouldn't be inherently any less playable than a Mustang, and there are certainly ways to make it easier for you without having to completely change guitar, but at the end of the day what really matters is what you're experiencing that helps you play.

I think I agree that the Tele "inherently" isn't less playable than the Mustang....but when you add the "external" factor such as finger reach and flexibility it becomes less playable and it's like you say it's what "your experiencing" that helps me play....thanks for chimming in.

[Larsongs]

If there's nothing wrong with it why not get a perfect Neck? They make a jillion different sizes.. I'm sure there's one that's perfect for you...

Well...I need a short scale, that's not possible on a Tele is it?

Finding a perfect Guitar ain't easy. Mustangs are great Guitars but they're distinctly different sounding than Tele's. Like Apples & Oranges...

If my Guitar had the perfect Sound & the only thing that bothered me was the Neck I'd get a new Neck... They make a jillion different Necks. Different Radius, Frets, Wood, Fretboard etc...

Best of luck with that Mustang......

[mysticguitar]

Well...I need a short scale, that's not possible on a Tele is it?

Finding a perfect Guitar ain't easy. Mustangs are great Guitars but they're distinctly different sounding than Tele's. Like Apples & Oranges...

If my Guitar had the perfect Sound & the only thing that bothered me was the Neck I'd get a new Neck... They make a jillion different Necks. Different Radius, Frets, Wood, Fretboard etc...

Best of luck with that Mustang......

Yes, while it's true "they" make a zillion different necks, I'm not going to get a 24" on a Tele, but thanks for the suggestion. As said in my initial post I'm willing to sacrifice the tone of a Tele for the playability, in my case, of the Mustang, thanks.

[Larsongs]

Just an FYI. They make 24 3/4" necks for Tele's....

https://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/necks/te ... nneck.aspx

[barryd]

What's the problem with the tele?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Tele, I love the tone, but there is something wrong with me...with old and small hands, I'm 5' 6", it's just to much work to play....they say if you practice enough, even with small hands, you can play well on a 25.5 scale. That maybe be true but I don't have a lot of time left on this earth, and I need a guitar that's easier to play so I can progress faster and be less frustrated, even if I have to sacrifice some tone. I'll put the Tele up for sale on reverb in a few days.

Well done, I'm 5'7 and when i tried a tele it felt awkward so i got a jaguar and it felt confortable which is very important. I since tried a Vintera Mustang in a store and if i hadn't bought the jag already i would have brought it home, off the shelf with 9's on it the playability and feel was great and i quickly got nice tones from an amp i'd never played in big store...hope you enjoy it!

[mysticguitar]

What's the problem with the tele?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Tele, I love the tone, but there is something wrong with me...with old and small hands, I'm 5' 6", it's just to much work to play....they say if you practice enough, even with small hands, you can play well on a 25.5 scale. That maybe be true but I don't have a lot of time left on this earth, and I need a guitar that's easier to play so I can progress faster and be less frustrated, even if I have to sacrifice some tone. I'll put the Tele up for sale on reverb in a few days.

Well done, I'm 5'7 and when i tried a tele it felt awkward so i got a jaguar and it felt confortable which . Sis very important. I since tried a Vintera Mustang in a store and if i hadn't bought the jag already i would have brought it home, off the shelf with 9's on it the playability and feel was great and i quickly got nice tones from an amp i'd never played in big store...hope you enjoy it!

Ok barryd, I'm very happy someone else in the world feels the same as I do.....and I just got the guitar 1/2 hour ago, cosmetically it's perfect, seafoam green. My first fear, that vintage frets would be a bummer, well they are not, bending is not a problem with them. Second fear is fretting out with the vintage radius, right out of the box whole step bends are no problem, except around the 19 the fret on up, this is out of the box, I'm going to raise the action later and see if that helps. I play about two genres of music, Hawaiian, which is mostly major in tonality, no bending notes with Hawaiian and I play blues, more accurately I'm learning blues and If I can't get this vintera to bend as I need with blues I'll switch over to my friends mustang with P 90 s, I may trade the Tele for the P 90 Mustang. Aside from certain minor limitation with bending the vintage radius mech feels very comfortable, I can even play thumb over the neck on some chords. I have no idea how the switching works and I haven't tried the Term bar yet.....Peace

[SignoftheDragon]

Nice! Sounds like you're on the right track- Best of luck, and post some pics!

[tamerofbantha]

To the OP:

i don't think i would call it a surrender or an admission of defeat to move onto a different model and/or scale length of guitar.

playing guitar is about musicianship. it is not olympic lifting, boxing, or any other choice of traditionally masculine / "tough" pursuits, athletic or otherwise.

music should be about serving or creating the song. or simply expressing yourself in your own unique way.

it seems to me like the whole "real men play 13s" BS started with Stevie Ray Vaughan and ended pretty quickly thereafter - it did not make sense then and does not make sense now.

beyond that, Buzz from the Melvins was quoted at least once as saying that he recorded some of his heaviest tunes on a vintage Mustang. i'm sure a bigger fan of his might correct me here.

but the point remains: you can put out heavy, bone crushing music on just about any make or model of guitar. i hope you enjoy your new axe