Telecaster discomfort quick fix?

[willytown]

Hi All,

i just got my first telecaster. It is cool and everything, but there is no contour and it is very uncomfortable for me where my right arm rests on the top/edge of the guitar body. Does anybody have a quick fix for this?

Have a good day

[Boston Joe]

Hi All,

i just got my first telecaster. It is cool and everything, but there is no contour and it is very uncomfortable for me where my right arm rests on the top/edge of the guitar body. Does anybody have a quick fix for this?

Have a good day

Belt sander?

[whiskey02]

Historically speaking, the stratocaster was the specific fix for this. It probably would be much cheaper to find a belly cut/ arm rest tele body than sanding and refinishing what you have. I have posted before that I am not a Fender guy at all but man a strat body becomes one with your rib cage and forearm.

[MarkRhodes]

Historically speaking, the stratocaster was the specific fix for this. It probably would be much cheaper to find a belly cut/ arm rest tele body than sanding and refinishing what you have. I have posted before that I am not a Fender guy at all but man a strat body becomes one with your rib cage and forearm.

Funny you should put it this way. I had a Strat when I was young and felt 'at one' with it. Someone loaned me a nice Tele and I couldn't do anything with it because it felt so awkward to me. ("Where does my arm go? this s*cks!") In retrospect, I could have given it more time and probably would have gotten used to it. The Tele is a marvelous instrument, good for rock, country, rockabilly, blues and jazz---few other guitars are!

I hope to spend time with a Tele again someday.

[guido5]

One approach might be to play with the headstock more extended so your arm is more parallel to the face of the body. A lot of guys play their tele that way...

[fws6]

[oldane]

That's the main reason I choose a hardtail Strat type body when assembling my Warmoth partscaster some years ago.

[lammie200]

I have never found a slab Tele to be uncomfortable. To me they are sort of the classical guitar equivalent of an electric guitar. I have considered Tele bodies with contours, but they weren't for me. Not the simple utilitarian Tele vibe, if you know what I mean. Maybe the OP should hold it more like a classical player would hold a classical guitar.

[RonD]

This is my "Tele". Warmoth.

[docbop]

Just play it and you'll get used to it. Archtops and flattops don't have relief and people play them all day and night same with Teles. Try changing the angle you hold the guitar a litle or raise the strap a touch all change angle arm crosses the guitar body.

[Boston Joe]

I deliberately went with a non-contoured body for my Warmoth Tele. I agree with lammie that it seems to run counter to the Tele's form-follows-function vibe.

I've never found Teles uncomfortable. Maybe it's because all my other guitars (apart from the Strat) are noticeably deeper.

I will allow that Strats do seem to melt into one's waist.

[docbop]

I will allow that Strats do seem to melt into one's waist.

I was reading something by one of the Fender Custom Shop people he was making a custom Strat, but left the bottom squared off like a Tele. That the squared off body helped keep the body from slipping outward when guitar is sitting on leg playing. I never thought about that.

[mr. beaumont]

I'd imagine you'll just get used to it. I'm not sure I even knew a guitar could be "more" or "less" comfortable back when I bought my tele 20-something years ago. But familiarity breeds comfort...now, I can't think of anything more comfortable to play than that tele.

[Gitfiddler]

If any guitar is too uncomfortable for me, and repairs are not an option, then I sell it and get something more compatible.
There are way too many guitars available these days (especially Tele's) to keep one that doesn't suit one's needs.

[rob taft]

You can try adding a John Pearse armrest. Just pick the shape best matches the contour

http://www.jpstrings.com/armrest.htm

[Boston Joe]

I was reading something by one of the Fender Custom Shop people he was making a custom Strat, but left the bottom squared off like a Tele. That the squared off body helped keep the body from slipping outward when guitar is sitting on leg playing. I never thought about that.

There is that. My Strat does tend to slide when I play sitting.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Funny you should put it this way. I had a Strat when I was young and felt 'at one' with it. Someone loaned me a nice Tele and I couldn't do anything with it because it felt so awkward to me. ("Where does my arm go? this s*cks!") In retrospect, I could have given it more time and probably would have gotten used to it. The Tele is a marvelous instrument, good for rock, country, rockabilly, blues and jazz---few other guitars are!

I hope to spend time with a Tele again someday.

Good to see ya back, Mark!

[neatomic]

you need a tk smith crafted armrest

Tele Armrest | TK Smith



lots of tele bodies are now available with tummy cut and arm contour

if you play standing up, you might want to adjust your strap length till the guitar sits more comfortably

ps- jeff becks esquire was already like that when he bought it from one of the walker brothers

cheers

[radiofm74]

The post-2012 American Standard tele had a belly and arm contour. But I have to agree with Jeff that it’s a matter of getting used to it: when I started playing teles (coming from strats) I thought they were slightly uncomfortable. Now I don’t, and I thank heaven that I did not buy a “contoured” tele. Yes strats are more comfortable, but I like my teles as Leo intended and they are my favorite electric guitar, just as they are.

Sorry! My answer boils down to: it will pass

Or you can use a belt sander as per Jeff Beck’s picture…

[lammie200]

There were much earlier Teles that came with belly cuts than the ones after 2012. I think some model in the early 70's did. That dude Mark from Norman's Rare Guitars usually youtubes a Tele demo on Tuesday's. If you like Teles it is a must see. He showed a three bolt Tele with a belly cut not too long ago.

[Zigracer]

Yeah, play it. The human body seems to adapt quite well.

[radiofm74]

There were much earlier Teles that came with belly cuts than the ones after 2012. I think some model in the early 70's did. That dude Mark from Norman's Rare Guitars usually youtubes a Tele demo on Tuesday's. If you like Teles it is a must see. He showed a three bolt Tele with a belly cut not too long ago.

Regular teles never came with a three-bolt IIRC. It might have been a Deluxe, i.e. a tele-strat hybrid with humbuckers.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Regular teles never came with a three-bolt IIRC. It might have been a Deluxe, i.e. a tele-strat hybrid with humbuckers.

Regular Teles didn't come with belly-cuts, either, which is, I think, the point.

[Lobomov]

The post-2012 American Standard tele had a belly and arm contour. But I have to agree with Jeff that it’s a matter of getting used to it: when I started playing teles (coming from strats) I thought they were slightly uncomfortable. Now I don’t, and I thank heaven that I did not buy a “contoured” tele. Yes strats are more comfortable, but I like my teles as Leo intended and they are my favorite electric guitar, just as they are.

Sorry! My answer boils down to: it will pass

Or you can use a belt sander as per Jeff Beck’s picture…

The post 2012 am std had the belly cut, but no arm contour

[55bar]

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