RE: What's everyone up to right now?
January 9, 2021 at 7:34 pm
(This post was last modified: January 9, 2021 at 7:36 pm by Rev. Rye.)
All right, I teased that I had another guitar coming yesterday, and it came:
Yes, Fender has finally released a cheap Esquire, costing about $400. The only catch (besides its body being made of pine, which isn’t that much of a problem) is that it’s a limited edition and I think I purchased the last one Chicago Music Exchange has.
Honestly, while the single-pickup Esquire has a lesser reputation than its two-pickup brother the Telecaster, between artists like Jeff Beck (he’s the reason I picked up this particular version), Luther Perkins, Syd Barrett, Steve Cropper, Joe Strummer, Paul McCartney (he used it on a few tracks, including “Good Morning, Good Morning”) and Brian May (who played one specifically for “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” because of all the combinations of pickups and phase on his Red Special, he couldn’t get that sound), most of the Telecaster players I admire are really Esquire guys (and that’s not including guys like David Gilmour and Bruce Springsteen who added a neck pickup to their Esquires, arguably defeating the whole point).
I got to the point where I decided if I ever bought a Telecaster (or a Tele kit), I’d mod it to Esquire specs. Now it looks like I don’t have to do so. That said, Given that it came in a huge box nested in a few other boxes, I suspect that I’ll never bother buying a guitar online if only because the packaging is fucking insane.
Also, Dad brought up the issue of the bridge cover (which was not included,) and after watching this video
I think I’ll get one. The tone with it sounds crisper with it on, and the bridge on the guitar seems compatible with it, unlike many modern Teles. Sure, it’ll be harder to palm mute (which is the reason it ended up being phased out of modern versions), but, funny thing, I don’t fucking do palm muting.