And this one odd puppy just showed up in my newsfeed... TeLesWhatThe???

 
http://www.themusiczoo.co...ric-Guitar-Honeyburst/
 

yorolpal
Hey Rain...have you taken a look at the new Chapman Guitar line. Very good at down to earth prices...and purty too:-)
It's either www.chapmanguitars.co.uk or www.chapmanguitars.com

I hadn't. Thanks Ol Pal! Intersting twist on the Tele - and quite a bunch of lovely guitars. :)

Rain
And this one odd puppy just showed up in my newsfeed... TeLesWhatThe??? http://www.themusiczoo.co...ric-Guitar-Honeyburst/ 

That's my kind of Tele!

Leadfoot - Only $7000. A bargain. ;)
 
Ol Pal, you were so right! This has got to be one of the nicest Tele I've ever seen - and the first w/ a headstock that actually work/doesn't look unbalanced. A different bridge (strat type or, better, tune-o-matic) a full size humbucker and that's pretty much the ultimate tele for my taste.
 
Black-er, obviously...
 

Rain
Posted by Seymour Duncan on FB this am... Based on a custom "Tele-Gib" built for Jeff Beck.
 
 
I'm not much of a fan of the traditional tele bridge - tune-o-matic all the way as far as I'm concerned. I'm not sure I like it on a strat but on a Tele, for me, it works. Love the colour/finish on this one too. I think I'd like it even better if they went a few steps further and stripped it to the essential... But it's already pretty good.
 
 

Your choice of bridges, I assume, are based on looks rather than function?
 
If we didn't have choices of the Tele style bridge I could agree with a functional issue.
That rail can sure get in the way for finger pickers and the ones that don't have mounting
screws on the front corners I don't care for either.
 
Looks? To each their own. I do like like a tinted/colored clear coat.
 
I'm kinda surprised that Jeff didn't have the controls reversed. (putting the volume first and switch to end)
 
Price? Ridiculous IMO.

Ergonomics. My picking hand seems to be more comfortable w/ the tune-o-matic - I don't know exactly why, it just seems easier to find a comfortable and efficient angle for my wrist. 
 
Looks also matters a bit obviously - otherwise, I wouldn't care much about a strat or tele type of bridge. 
 
 

The cool thing is that a friend chimed in and offered to build a custom one for me. This won't happen soon, but I'm having a blast trying to come up with THE ultimate Tele. And it does indeed look quite a lot like the Chapman above...

Rain
Ergonomics. My picking hand seems to be more comfortable w/ the tune-o-matic - I don't know exactly why, it just seems easier to find a comfortable and efficient angle for my wrist. 
 

The reason could be string height. ( I'd bet that is what you're noticing)
When the tune-o-matic type bridge is used and not recessed into the body then the neck is
either set in a pocket that isn't "normally" as deep for the Strat or Tele style OR the neck is mounted
at an angle to align with the taller bridge.
 
Not something that's ever mattered to me. I know it's part of the feel preference for many though.
 
 

I don't know exactly why TBH. It's possible and, actually, the carved top also helps. I don't know if it makes any sense but I'm a tall fellow with long limbs and it often seems a bit complex to find a posture that feels relaxed and natural but allows fluidity in my movements. 
 
The thickness of the LP coupled with the height of the bridge and the angle it gives my wrist just work for me. Also true with my Les Paul Junior, which is a flat top with wraparound bridge, though it doesn't quite lock in as my other regular LPs. So I guess that yes, string height it is... I need them to be not so close to the body of the guitar.

Rain
I don't know exactly why TBH. It's possible and, actually, the carved top also helps. I don't know if it makes any sense but I'm a tall fellow with long limbs and it often seems a bit complex to find a posture that feels relaxed and natural but allows fluidity in my movements.  The thickness of the LP coupled with the height of the bridge and the angle it gives my wrist just work for me. Also true with my Les Paul Junior, which is a flat top with wraparound bridge, though it doesn't quite lock in as my other regular LPs. So I guess that yes, string height it is... I need them to be not so close to the body of the guitar.

Rain, I too am tall and long limbed. I played Les Paul's for years. When I started acquiring Fender Strats and lately, a Telecaster, it took a short period of adjustment. Especially the Tele. I mentioned to Bapu when we met for lunch in LA last year that it was the first guitar I'd played in years that I really had to focus to play well. It's gotten easier, but its not anything like a LP in the ease of play. I've got to really dig in and play the Tele. Otherwise, it just jumps up and exposes any sloppiness instantly. Maybe it's because I played my LP for so long, and the setup is so different, that its more challenging. Love them all for their different characteristics and colors of sound.
I tried a setup with my Tele closer to my favorite LP , and it just sounded like crap. I think to get that unique Tele "spank" the action has to be much higher than my LP .

Randy