I am currently learning guitar, I have done both GT fundamentals and now I am half way through Blues 1, it is really going well.
I have a Player Telecaster and an Epiphone ES335, here is my issue, I find the Telecaster much better for playing thumb over chords which there seems to be a lot of use of in the Blues lessons, the neck is a C profile, whereas I think the ES335 is a D profile. But the ES335 sounds so much better. I am using a Fender Micro Mustang Headphone amp, I have tried different settings on the Micro Mustang, but the Tele always seems thin and the ES335 sounds full and rich.
Is there a way of making the Tele sound as good as the ES335, I would love the neck of the Tele and the sound of the ES335, I am sure there are other guitars which would give me the combination, but I cant afford to change right now. Is there anything amp wise anyone can recommend, or will my hands handle the ES335 better as I improve.
If anyone has experienced this and got around it, I would love to know how you overcame this.
Also, is it just the Tele sound & I will come to like it? I have ben playing the ES335 for about 5 weeks and not the Tele.
Pretty difficult without knowing/hearing precisely the tone you are seeking to replicate.
Fender Player Tele and Epiphone ES-335 are fundamentally different in almost every way save both being guitars. I have both styles of guitar, but not those models in particular. Whilst my AS is perfect for Blues and Jazz, I'd happily use my Tele for Blues as well. Both sound great, just different tones.
I don't have the Fender Micro Mustang, but do have NUX's Mighty Plug which is kinda' like the Micro on steroids + expanded. Fairly sure I could dial a tone out of the Micro too for blues with the Tele, so with some experimenting and configuring of your Micro you should be able to.
Use the neck pickup on your Tele and roll off the tone knob until it's more muted. How much will depend upon the type of tone pot it has fitted (tapered or linear). It won't be as bright as the bridge, and you should be able to get muted tones from it which in conjunction with applied effects to your selected Micro voice should provide an acceptable tone. Won't be as 'muddy' for want of a more complimentary term as the 335's humbucker, but should still sound very bluesy cool.
Neck profiles are an individual preference thing, but with exposure you'll adapt to accomodate different necks
In summary. The Tele's SS SC neck PUP will always sound brighter than the HH of the 335, but config the Micro's voice, select the Tele's neck pickup, roll off the tone knob, compensate diminished volume with the volume knob on the amp. That should still work well for blues.
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