I just wanted to offer a little praise for Leo and the Tele-The solid body that really got the ball rolling. This is my '72 Tele which I love. Any other Tele pickers out there?

Hail Leo - I'm not worthy (on my knees bowing towards Fullerton, CA). I don't have a Tele right now but I do have a '56/'57 Strat (not a reissue) that is right up there on the pedestal with my Collings guitars. Cream of the crop. Serial number 14XXX. It sometimes makes me ponder that when this Strat was made there were only ~14,000 Strats on the planet. No knockoffs - just Fenders. Kind of like where we are now with Collings. Less than 14,000 on the planet.

I, too, bow to Leo as I am also a Collings/Fender devotee. My rig is a 1995 James Burton Standard. Not a boutique instrument by any stretch, but a great workhorse in gigs and jams.

And that's a fine '72, Kilgore.

Yep, Leo belongs in the pantheon of guitar (and amp) making geniuses that shaped the sound of American music. Country without teles? Rock without strats? Unthinkable. I confess to having deviated, purchasing a Don Grosh retro classic, which is his take on a strat, and the best of its kind I've ever played, and I've owned a bunch of strats from Fender. Nothing from the fifties, though, and I'm sure there are some miraculous guitars out there- and the prices are out there with 'em.

the only ELECTRIC I own is a '58 custom shop tele with a glendale bridge (compensated saddles and small cutaway). super light, super tone thru the Dr Z. when it comes to unplugged--after going thru a martin authentic, its only collings for me.

but i do think a 290 is my future--can you imagine playing one thru a custom reverb two-rock?

however, the tele never gets sold until someone dumps off whatever, if any, of my estate is left over...

fyi, Mass Street has a little known brand, Gehring, that makes a 30 watt single twelve that is the best amp I've ever played through (though I've coveted Z's for a good while), and the Gerhring costs half of what a Two Rock does. Two Rock is about twenty miles from my house, but no local discount. Rats.

sonoman, I'm across the bay and know those guys at TR don't discount for 'locals' but maybe you could hang around their dumpster and pull out a reject John Mayer proto...LOL.

there are sooo many great amps out there these days but an 60's marshall (if functional) at full volume with an LP (ok city limits) plugged in still hard to top....well maybe a tele in '65 twin reverb.

I just "picked" up (pun intended) a G&L ASAT, butterscotch with a black pickguard. It's a beautiful guitar and great sound. I'm able to play jazz, Nashville chicken-pickin', and other styles on it.

Ace
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Yes, long live the telecaster(and ASAT Classic)! I currently have two: a limited run American ash telecaster and a Custom Shop 60s 'custom telecaster'(bound body).

My favorite pickups are by Harmonic Design ('54 specials and 'mini-strat'); and both my teles will soon be sporting Glendale bridges and saddles.

I push them through my '66 blackface Deluxe Reverb (orignal) and my Peavey Delta Blues (15).

Great guitars for jazz, blues, chickin' pickin and anything you can throw at them!

My new Collings 03 has been warmly welcomed into the family.

I've got a G&L Broadcaster that is awesome. I think there were 869 made all were hand signed by Leo. There was a suit over using the Broadcaster name and production ceased.

I too have a '75 tele in sb and a maple fb.
I have a PRS that has a great tele selection and a strat tone too.
Grant

I have a recent Nashville Tele, good and cheap, that's what Leo was up to. Great little guitar