TELE-OLOGY
Learn the tonal techniques behind five classic tracks by Tele-toting masters
GREEN ONIONS
STEVE CROPPER, BOOKER T. & THE M.G.’S
1956 FENDER ESQUIRE
This soul classic was recorded with guitarist Steve Cropper’s 1956 Esquire equipped, as is the Esquire way, with just a single bridge pickup. Amp-wise, Green Onions’ biting tone was reportedly delivered through a 10-watt Fender Harvard valve amp. There’s also a rich echo on certain parts of the guitar track that’s most likely to be a plate reverb.
THE MESSIAH WILL COME AGAIN
ROY BUCHANAN
1953 FENDER TELECASTER
This track showcases the singing emotion Leroy ‘Roy’ Buchanan could conjure with his Tele ‘Nancy’. Flipping between the bridge and middle pickup positions and adjusting volume on the fly, Roy would coax both gentle tones and stinging leads from his guitar. No effects are necessary. Just a Fender Vibrolux amp with volume and tone cranked to maximum, plus reverb and an Echoplex delay unit for ambience.
CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE
BRIAN MAY, QUEEN
1967 FENDER ESQUIRE
Brian May actually put down his Red Special to use one of Roger Taylor’s natural-wood Telecasters in order to nail the ’50s throwback style on this song’s rockabilly solo. Its status as a wonderful anomaly is further added to by the fact producer Reinhold Mack put May through an unfamiliar Mesa/boogie for it. Use a neck pickup, a little compression and a low-inthe-mix slapback delay.
GRACE
JEFF BUCKLEY
1983 ‘TOP LOADER’ TELECASTER
Proof of how atmospheric a clean Tele can be with creative chord work. Jeff’s borrowed blonde Tele (now owned by Muse’s Matt Bellamy) was loaded with a Seymour Duncan Hot Tele Lead pickup in the bridge position that he added himself. In the studio he opted for the chiming cleans of a rented Fender Vibroverb ’63 reissue with Mesa/boogie Dual Rectifier. Switch between the neck pickup for the intro arpeggios, the bridge for the riff and back to the neck for the verses.
DAZED AND CONFUSED
JIMMY PAGE, LED ZEPPELIN
1959 FENDER ‘DRAGON’ TELECASTER
You can’t talk about Tele tones without mentioning Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut. Page’s rig remained the same for nearly every song: 1959 Telecaster into Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional MKII fuzz pedal into Supro Coronado 1690T amp. Simple enough, but Dazed And Confused saw
Page creating other-worldly sounds with a theremin, natural harmonics and behind the nut bends. Dazzling stuff, but potentially a little confusing if you want to recreate it!