# What's in a name?



## GUInessTARS (Dec 28, 2007)

I was having a discussion with a friend the other day about the guitars we have and the ones we actually play. The guitar you come home to, to learn cover songs on or to create something new. I have two, one being a G&L asat jr., which I referred to as a "tele". I also have a Fender custom shop tele, and a G&L asat classic, and in my mind they are all "tele's" . His assertion is that they are all distinctive different guitars and only a Fender Telecaster is a "tele". I thought I would cast the question on the forum - what's in a name? Is a tele only the original Fender version, in its original iteration or is "tele" a genre? Likewise, I guess, Strat, Les Paul, P-bass etc. Interested in your thoughts, thanks - Dave


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

these days, most of my regular players have blank headstocks.
three strats and an esquire.
my older guitars all say fender on them, but they all pre-date my introduction to the internet, when it was a hassle to buy parts
now that i can get raw parts with a couple clicks of a mouse, thats what i do.
my guitars are very traditional in style, no mistaking what they are.
they just dont say fender on them.
doesnt devalue them in my eyes, but im not selling them lol


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

since most guitars are copies of the original 1950's shapes i refer to them as "teles"..."strats"...etc...no matter what brand...

you might see an esp les paul...or an ibanez sg...or an el degas strat....just go by the silhouette...

the only time it matters is during a lawsuit where you must refer to a "strat-a-like" instead of calling a non-fender guitar a "strat" which is a registered trademark...etc...


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## Astroman86 (May 6, 2010)

i have a fender tele, but its built just like a les paul. so i dont really see it as a tele. and it doesnt say it on the headstock either... the other weird thing is i usually name my guitars, but havent found a name for this one. my one buddy calls it 'jimmy page's ass' i think its because its like a combo of page's studio tele and on stage LP. dunno. i just find it funny.


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

that reminds me...famous guitarists simply refer to their axes by name...

eric clapton has "blackie"
srv has "number one"
bb king has "lucille"
neil young has "old black"
yngwie malmsteen has "the duck"
eddie van halen has "frankenstrat"
albert king has "lucy"
willie nelson has "trigger"
etc...


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I call my Lindert Conductor Linda. It's neither a strat, tele, Les Paul or SG, so it needs it's own name.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Fender Telecasters and G&L ASATs are both Leo Fender guitars. So you can refer to them both as teles IMO.


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## GUInessTARS (Dec 28, 2007)

To take the discussion further, is an ESP eclipse a les paul? It has some differences, as does my Asat jr., from the original, but as far as I can see they are shades of the same colour. I read in a magazine about the Andy Timmons Ibanez. Looks like a Strat to me.


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## Sparrow Guitars (Mar 17, 2009)

This is one of those questions where context provides the answers.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

GUInessTARS said:


> To take the discussion further, is an ESP eclipse a les paul? It has some differences, as does my Asat jr., from the original, but as far as I can see they are shades of the same colour. I read in a magazine about the Andy Timmons Ibanez. Looks like a Strat to me.


an ESP Eclipse is a singlecut, not a les paul. I'd call Timmons' Ibanez an RG - it just has a strat look.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> Fender Telecasters and G&L ASATs are both Leo Fender guitars. So you can refer to them both as teles IMO.


I agree with that.

Also of note would be that when Leo sold Fender to CBS he also sold the model names so Fender owns the right to the name(s). As you said...what's in a name? It is the same thing but called something different due to legality.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

If it looks like a tele, smells like a tele, plays like a tele then it's definitely a tele. One thing's for sure, it's not a strat; they smell differently.


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