I’ve never owned a Telecaster, and I think that’s been a mistake

In previous posts, I have asked what the best all-rounder guitar might be. I mentioned various types of guitar, eventually settling on a 335 style guitar such as my Harley Benton HB-35 Plus.

I also praised the Stratocaster, another guitar I have more than one of, in various forms. I certainly mentioned the Telecaster, but when I read the articles back, I feel like I was unfair to the first ever commercially produced electric guitar. Why?

The answer is probably because I have hardly played one in comparison to Strats or other guitars. And while over a dozen Strats have passed through my guitar collection in the last quarter of a century, I have never owned a Telecaster of any kind.

The more I think about it, the more striking that is, especially when considering how many of my favourite guitar players used Teles. These include guitarists from literally every genre you can imagine, including (but not remotely limited to):

Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)
Steve Cropper (legendary guitarist on some of the world’s best known soul recordings)
Jimmy Page (who recorded Led Zeppelin’s debut album entirely on a paisley telecaster)
Roy Buchanan (influencial sideman known as ‘the guitarists’ guitarist’s guitarist’)
Bob Dylan (who infamously went electric at a folk festival by plugging in a Telecaster)
George Harrison (in the later years of The Beatles, including during their legendary rooftop concert)
Tommy Tedesco (legendary session guitarist)
Bill Frizell, Mike Stern & Julian Lage (amazing Tele-playing jazz guitarists)
James Burton (Elvis Presley)
Bruce Springsteen (The Boss)
Joe Strummer (The Clash)
PJ Harvey (lauded British singer-songwriter)
Andy Summers (The Police)
Graham Coxon (Blur)
Chrissie Hyde (The Pretenders)
Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
Rick Parfitt & Francis Rossi (Status Quo)
Muddy Waters & Albert Collins (blues legends)
Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; Fleetwood Mac)
Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine; Audioslave)
Waylon Jemnings (country legend)
Matt Bellamy (Muse)
Mike Bloomfield (blues & session guitarist who worked with Dylan, among others)
Jeff Buckley (revered singer-songwriter)
Anna Calvin (three times Mercury-nominated artist)
Richie Kotzen (Poison; Mr Big)
Jerry Donahue (insanely talented country-fusion string bender)
Brad Paisley (one of several amazing country guitarists wielding Teles)
John 5 (Marylin Manson; NuMetalist)
Jim Root (Slipknot)
Cornell Dupree (soul session legend)
Noddy Holder (Slade)

…and did you know Hendrix used a Telecaster (borrowed from his bass player, Noel Redding) to record the solo to Purple Haze?

*A handful of famous Telecaster players. Clockwise from top left: Bruce Springsteen, PJ Harvey, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, Prince.*

It goes without saying that the above list is by no means exhaustive, and also that many of the artists listed above used other guitars. However, the vast majority of them relied on a Telecaster for their most seminal recordings or the bulk of their live work – as have so many others.

So why haven’t I?

I think I started off by buying a Stratocaster as my first proper guitar, and fell in love. I became a Strat Guy, and in many ways, remain one. It’s the guitar in the hands of many of my earliest guitar heroes and was the dream guitar of my teenage years. And as I have said previously, the Stratocaster is an incredibly versatile guitar. But I wonder if this has led me to overlook Telecasters as a result?

Perhaps it’s time to change that. Any recommendations for the best value Telecaster to buy? I’ve a few in mind, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.

And of course, if/when I eventually get to put a Tele through it’s paces, I’ll report back…

2024 wrapped

Advice & Tips

Companies and apps have a new habit of ‘wrapping’ the last year. The whole thing is a document in your own consumerism, from the songs you listen to the most to how many minutes you spent staring at a screen trying to improve your Portuguese (or is that just me?).

We all buy into it, taking joy from the evidence of our every move online (or at least on our phones) being mined and researched so someone else can profit from it. We even share the findings, further doing the marketing work of these huge corporations for them.

But sometimes, it’s a good thing to look back over the previous twelve months and assess how far we’ve come – and consider where we’re going…

The most important things

Ask yourself the following questions:

What am I most proud of this year?
How did I affect the lives of others?
What made me happy?
What could I have done better?

For me, I feel like 2024 was the year that the original music projects I’m involved with finally got back up to speed. I’ve spent the years since the pandemic prioritising my work as a Music Therapist and live performer. But this year, I worked on two records for dear friends and my new band, Solcade, has had a successful year of shows, with plans to hit the studio at the very start of January next year.

*Solcade have been well recieved this year*

In terms of live shows, 2024 has felt quite varied. My gigs have been a mix of grassroots slots, concerts and of course, lots of weddings and parties. I feel that I’ve been able to maintain a healthy balance between original and covers gigs recently, and with thirty dates already booked in for next year with a variety of acts, 2025 looks set to continue that trend.

Of course, there have been setbacks, but nothing that hasn’t left me (or the acts I work with) stronger. My therapy work has changed too, with some contracts coming to an end as exciting new opportunities begin. My plan for next year is to build upon these to grow the service I provide to children, adolescents and young people in my region.

Quite a lot of this is still in the planning stages, but if the network of specialist creative therapists I’m trying to establish continuesnto grow, we will be able to reach even more people and help a vulnerable group build the life-changing mental resources needed to lead fulfilling and enriching lives. Wish me luck!

So that’s me. What about you?

The next steps

Now, having asked yourself about the year which is coming to an end, ask yourself:

What do I want to achieve in 2025?
And what do I need in place to make this happen?

As always, let me know your thoughts, as well as your plans and hopes for 2025. My main suggestion would be to look after yourselves and each other.

Go easy on yourself and forgive yourself when things don’t go according to plan – then get back up and carry on.

Surround yourself with people who make you feel as happy and fulfilled and you are trying to make others feel. None of us can get very far through life on our own.

*Guitarist at work, live & in the studio*

Now, I’m about to set up for me final show of the year – and because it’s a New Year’s Eve party, it will also be my first show of 2025. So since I’ll be busy at midnight here in the UK, allow me to take the time now to thank you all for reading these posts (as well as contributing your comments and messages) and wish you nothing but the best for 2025, and beyond!

Until next time. I’ll see you on the flipside…

Haiku for the New Year (2022)

Poetry & Writing

Here’s two haiku to start the year off. The first distills my hope that I’ll get out more and meet my friends more often this coming year. But of course, it all depends on this ongoing pandemic:

Twenty Twenty-two
Might I see more friends this year?
Coming months will tell

And one on the unseasonably warm weather we had on New Year’s Day here in Northumberland:

No wind, mild and bright
Warmest New Year on record
It didn’t last long

Wherever you are, make the best you can of 2022 and go easy on yourself. It’s been hard at times, we all know, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just take care of yourself in the mean time.

Until we meet again…

Haiku for a green summer

Poetry & Writing

Cow Parsley grown tall
Scent of roadside wild garlic
Drowned Spring yields lush greens

…at least, this has certainly been the case here in Northumberland. Here, an incredibly wet April and May have finally given way to a gloriously hot and sunny June.

Both the cultivated and wild plant life have all responded well. I have even heard one keen gardener tell me that his Himalayan Blue Poppy has flowered for the first time in thirty years! Clearly this is the combination of months of rain to sunshine it requires!

What are your garden stories? Leave a comment or drop me a message. Until next time…

A Haiku for the weather in April

Poetry & Writing

(…well, here in the north of England, at least)

False Spring to late snows
Wrap up warm and wait for warmth
The Sun will come soon

Italy in small details (2)

Poetry & Writing

Here in the UK, 2021, we still can’t travel anywhere, so here are a few more images of Italy, focusing on the small details. These images were taken in Lucca, Florence and Rome around summer/autumn, 2016. Enjoy…

*Details from street art, sculpture and inside an old music shop (top left), circa 2016*

I have a few more sets of photographs from other cities around the world, which may find their way into a new post in the future. In the meantime, I’d love for you to share your travel stories with me. Get in touch…

Italy – in small details (1)

Poetry & Writing

These photographs were taken in September 2016, around the cities of Rome, Florence and Lucca. I guess since we aren’t currently allowed to travel anywhere, I thought it might be nice to reminisce about happier times…

One of the pictures below (top left) shows some small detail on a statue in Florence. Tortoises are a common motif of artwork commissioned by the Medici family, but you don’t notice them until you spot four or five in a single morning!

There’s something about the small, sometimes missed, details – in backstreets, doorways, or looking down on you from the corners old old buildings – that I find intriguing. Individually, they are a curiosity. Collectively, they form interesting insights into the cities they have inhabited for years – or in some cases, centuries.