Strat Vs Tele Comfort

[johnnyj]

Hi guys,

for my next build i am undecided which body to chose. historically, i am a pure strat player but i REALLY WANT to like telecasters. they just look awesome, even if i ruin their classic spirit with my custom stuff.

my first build from warmoth was a tele and is in fact my best sounding guitar. unfortunately it is also the least played guitar because of comfort issues that make me take my strats instead. i now consider trying a tele again but undergo some custom body cuts before finishing to make it a comfort monster. here are my main issues:

while sitting:
when playing on my lap, the strat cutaway is wide enough to not make a hard corner poke into my chest, the tele unfortunately has the contour ending exactly at the point where my chest leans against it. for this i think the solution is somewhat easy, i would just need to extend the belly cut upwards. i assume this would already do the trick. do you guys agree?




while standing:
this is something i find really strange. when standing, i realized at some gigs with my tele that i was playing worse because i could not really see my fretboard clearly. and indeed, when comparing my strat with my tele position, i realize that my tele is hanging more parallel to my body while the strat is somehow leaning a bit towards me, which gives you exactly the small additional field of view over your fretboard that i need. i dont really understand what makes the guitar hang like that. both guitars are similiar in weight and similar in their frond/end heaviness. my first assumption is, that it is because of the upper left strap button position that is geometrically a bit more down on the tele? maybe it will behave differently when the position would be moved 1 or 2 cm higher?



did one of you did similar ergonomic operations? what was your learnings? any idea how to solve especially the standing issue?

also interesting to know from soloist owners: can you compare in strat vs soloist if the soloist behaves similar like the strat in these two issues i describe? this body might also be an option for me, even if i think that i dislike it aesthetically.

best
johnny

 

[Rick]

I've learned that every one is different and you have to explore different bodyshapes and placements on your own to find what you want. My suggestion is that you try a jazzmaster and see how you like it.

 

[stratamania]

Overall, it is subjective, but if you find Strats are more ergonomic then why not just stick with those. Interestingly, the Musicman Steve Morse models are close to a Strat type of shape but have no contours like a Tele as that is what he used to use and preferred.

 

[Bruce Campbell]

Hi guys,

for my next build i am undecided which body to chose. historically, i am a pure strat player but i REALLY WANT to like telecasters. they just look awesome, even if i ruin their classic spirit with my custom stuff.

my first build from warmoth was a tele and is in fact my best sounding guitar. unfortunately it is also the least played guitar because of comfort issues that make me take my strats instead. i now consider trying a tele again but undergo some custom body cuts before finishing to make it a comfort monster. here are my main issues:

while sitting:
when playing on my lap, the strat cutaway is wide enough to not make a hard corner poke into my chest, the tele unfortunately has the contour ending exactly at the point where my chest leans against it. for this i think the solution is somewhat easy, i would just need to extend the belly cut upwards. i assume this would already do the trick. do you guys agree?

View attachment 61632


while standing:
this is something i find really strange. when standing, i realized at some gigs with my tele that i was playing worse because i could not really see my fretboard clearly. and indeed, when comparing my strat with my tele position, i realize that my tele is hanging more parallel to my body while the strat is somehow leaning a bit towards me, which gives you exactly the small additional field of view over your fretboard that i need. i dont really understand what makes the guitar hang like that. both guitars are similiar in weight and similar in their frond/end heaviness. my first assumption is, that it is because of the upper left strap button position that is geometrically a bit more down on the tele? maybe it will behave differently when the position would be moved 1 or 2 cm higher?

View attachment 61633

did one of you did similar ergonomic operations? what was your learnings? any idea how to solve especially the standing issue?

also interesting to know from soloist owners: can you compare in strat vs soloist if the soloist behaves similar like the strat in these two issues i describe? this body might also be an option for me, even if i think that i dislike it aesthetically.

best
johnny

I had the opposite issue - went with strap button on the neck so it's SG/335-style - but moving the strap button around a bit while experimenting taught me that it makes big differences. The trick is taping or somehow fixing the prospective button locations in place before drilling/committing to screw locations. For what you want, you might end up aligning the button more to the top, based on my experience.

As far as the extended contour cuts, it must be worth a try. Unlikely to destroy the functionality of the body being in that location, and since you're already having issues that are prompting modifications, why not. I also have tried to enjoy Teles, but just prefer the Strat immensely in terms of ergonomics.

 

[sdeeg]

I'm with you on the comfort issues. My Les Paul is my least played guitar because of comfort/weight issues. My W tele thinline is only moderately played because of comfort, but I also love the way it sounds so I do end up going back to it. I'm going to be experimenting with strap button placement like @Bruce Campbell suggested for the tele, and hopefully will find a better balance for it, but nothing's going to get rid of those sharp edges.

I don't know if this is a good solution or not, but my approach to building my best collection of instruments has become going custom parts (yea Warmoth!) with interchangeability. I have a Velocity body on order and going forward I'll get everything with Strat pockets so I can switch around necks. I occasionally go to the guitar store and play factory shapes there and try to get a feel for what will work for me which has helped me rule out some things. In the end though, it's all just a big experiment constantly in progress.

 

[teleme01]

I also like to swap necks around. Difference is tele neck really locks in better than a strat neck on the tele, I'm thinking that instead of making all neck pockets strat, make them all tele since you can use a strat neck on a tele body but not a tele neck on a strat, the other option is to have tele neck with strat heel.

 

[johnnyj]

I'm with you on the comfort issues. My Les Paul is my least played guitar because of comfort/weight issues. My W tele thinline is only moderately played because of comfort, but I also love the way it sounds so I do end up going back to it. I'm going to be experimenting with strap button placement like @Bruce Campbell suggested for the tele, and hopefully will find a better balance for it, but nothing's going to get rid of those sharp edges.

I don't know if this is a good solution or not, but my approach to building my best collection of instruments has become going custom parts (yea Warmoth!) with interchangeability. I have a Velocity body on order and going forward I'll get everything with Strat pockets so I can switch around necks. I occasionally go to the guitar store and play factory shapes there and try to get a feel for what will work for me which has helped me rule out some things. In the end though, it's all just a big experiment constantly in progress.

yes, the tape idea is good and i will try it. regarding the velocity: i have this too and it has the same ergonomics like a tele. the body looks much different and is smaller, but unfortunately is in the crucial parts as uncomfortable as the tele (at least for me).

 

[mayfly]

Here's my take: The telecaster has it's own thing going on. If you dig the shape and the sound, you just have to embrace the whole slab of wood thing. It's got it's own charm, which many folks (including myself) have grown to appreciate over the years.

My advice: Embrace the Slab. You'll thank me in the end.

 

[Spud]

I just ordered a slab (no contour) Strat body. The comfort curves are cool but not necessary. YMMV

 

[Hodgo]

I’ve met one truly uncomfortable guitar in my life, a round back Ovation. Awful.

Every other guitar? I hardly even think about it.

And while I’d agree a Strat is ergonomic, its also not my particular cup of tea aesthetically. It’s the New Balance sneaker with orthopedic inserts of the guitar world IMHO.

 

[Knthn]

Hi guys,

for my next build i am undecided which body to chose. historically, i am a pure strat player but i REALLY WANT to like telecasters. they just look awesome, even if i ruin their classic spirit with my custom stuff.

my first build from warmoth was a tele and is in fact my best sounding guitar. unfortunately it is also the least played guitar because of comfort issues that make me take my strats instead. i now consider trying a tele again but undergo some custom body cuts before finishing to make it a comfort monster. here are my main issues:

while sitting:
when playing on my lap, the strat cutaway is wide enough to not make a hard corner poke into my chest, the tele unfortunately has the contour ending exactly at the point where my chest leans against it. for this i think the solution is somewhat easy, i would just need to extend the belly cut upwards. i assume this would already do the trick. do you guys agree?

View attachment 61632


while standing:
this is something i find really strange. when standing, i realized at some gigs with my tele that i was playing worse because i could not really see my fretboard clearly. and indeed, when comparing my strat with my tele position, i realize that my tele is hanging more parallel to my body while the strat is somehow leaning a bit towards me, which gives you exactly the small additional field of view over your fretboard that i need. i dont really understand what makes the guitar hang like that. both guitars are similiar in weight and similar in their frond/end heaviness. my first assumption is, that it is because of the upper left strap button position that is geometrically a bit more down on the tele? maybe it will behave differently when the position would be moved 1 or 2 cm higher?

View attachment 61633

did one of you did similar ergonomic operations? what was your learnings? any idea how to solve especially the standing issue?

also interesting to know from soloist owners: can you compare in strat vs soloist if the soloist behaves similar like the strat in these two issues i describe? this body might also be an option for me, even if i think that i dislike it aesthetically.

best
jo

Hi guys,

for my next build i am undecided which body to chose. historically, i am a pure strat player but i REALLY WANT to like telecasters. they just look awesome, even if i ruin their classic spirit with my custom stuff.

my first build from warmoth was a tele and is in fact my best sounding guitar. unfortunately it is also the least played guitar because of comfort issues that make me take my strats instead. i now consider trying a tele again but undergo some custom body cuts before finishing to make it a comfort monster. here are my main issues:

while sitting:
when playing on my lap, the strat cutaway is wide enough to not make a hard corner poke into my chest, the tele unfortunately has the contour ending exactly at the point where my chest leans against it. for this i think the solution is somewhat easy, i would just need to extend the belly cut upwards. i assume this would already do the trick. do you guys agree?

View attachment 61632


while standing:
this is something i find really strange. when standing, i realized at some gigs with my tele that i was playing worse because i could not really see my fretboard clearly. and indeed, when comparing my strat with my tele position, i realize that my tele is hanging more parallel to my body while the strat is somehow leaning a bit towards me, which gives you exactly the small additional field of view over your fretboard that i need. i dont really understand what makes the guitar hang like that. both guitars are similiar in weight and similar in their frond/end heaviness. my first assumption is, that it is because of the upper left strap button position that is geometrically a bit more down on the tele? maybe it will behave differently when the position would be moved 1 or 2 cm higher?

View attachment 61633

did one of you did similar ergonomic operations? what was your learnings? any idea how to solve especially the standing issue?

also interesting to know from soloist owners: can you compare in strat vs soloist if the soloist behaves similar like the strat in these two issues i describe? this body might also be an option for me, even if i think that i dislike it aesthetically.

best
johnny

That’s a beautiful color on the tele, what wood/finish combination is it?

 

[johnnyj]

the tele is a roasted alder (back) / roasted swamp ash (top) with transparent red finish

 

[sdeeg]

yes, the tape idea is good and i will try it. regarding the velocity: i have this too and it has the same ergonomics like a tele. the body looks much different and is smaller, but unfortunately is in the crucial parts as uncomfortable as the tele (at least for me).

In the for what it's worth department, I did an experiment with tape and thinline and found that I'd have to move the strap button way up the bottom to get anywhere near the change I'd need (the natural position for this instrument is head slightly down from neck parallel to the ground). @Bruce Campbell suggestion of a SG style mounting had better results and was more comfortable generally, but exacerbated the issue you see with fret board visibility.

I guess I'll see how the velocity hangs on me.

Anyway, this worked for my experiments. The Gorilla Tape was plenty strong, and didn't leave any schmutz on my gloss finish.

 

[damon-k]

Yes, by all means go for a big tummy cut like the one on Strat, also forearm cut.
Strat is the most popular body for reasons.
These contours have nearly no impact on the sound, electric guitar sounds are all about pickups, effects, amps.
Quite often people who trash contours / poly-finishes are not capable to mix their own music properly in DAW.
Regarding the standing issue, it's actually weird, none of my Strat lean towards me when standing,
I have to kinda rest the guitar on my thigh so that it will lean towards me.

 

[MoreSpaceEcho]

I can't play a standard tele for more than a couple minutes, I need the contours, especially the forearm one. I took an angle grinder to my real tele and contoured it, which ruined any resale value but made it infinitely more comfortable.

For me, a strat, soloist, or contoured tele are basically interchangeable, especially sitting. Standing, the s-types hang a little bit better.