Thinking of getting a Ritchie Kotzen Telecaster. Thoughts?

romanianreaper

romanianreaper

Well-known member
I've never owned a Telecaster....in fact, I've never even played a Telecaster but have friends that swear by them. I really like Strats and my buddy said if I like Strats, I'd really dig one of them.

I know the Kotzen one has a thick neck and is heavy. Since I'm a Les Paul fan, I thought it probably will feel familiar. I'll also like the extra sustain, etc.

I also like the idea of something that can do hard rock and not just twang. Anyone own one or played one before? I'm really getting G.A.S. for this guitar and am curious if I'll dig it.
 
Just checked one out. DO IT!!!

Love that the belly and forearm contours are subtle.
I like a slab body best and one with large contours the least. This is a nice compromise.
Big necks on teles is a HUGE part of their tone. And weirdly enough they just fit the vibe.
Tele's make ya wanna grip and rip hard.

I've owed all 3 at once many times through the years and a fat sounding tele sits so
perfectly between an LP and Strat.

LP like beef from the big neck and fixed bridge and then the clarity and snap of a bolt on.

DO IT!!! :cheers:
 
My last one was solid pine reclaimed from a 300 year old barn.
Miss it sometimes but at least it sold to a good friend back east.

1.00" at the 1st fret which carried thru to the heel. Took all of 2
minutes to get use to it and absolutely love it.

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Great guitars! I had 2 of them. After about a year the fatter neck was bugging me, sold it, bought another, same thing. Coming from Les Pauls you'll like dig it.
 
Do it… Variety is a good thing…. A friend of mine has a Kotzen tele and it plays great. As a owner of 8 Les Paul’s I don’t think you would be disappointed.
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I played one unplugged years ago at GC and loved the feel of it . I had heard the neck was pretty chunky and it was but It really didn't take much to get used to . The forearm and tummy contours are a big plus . I'm not sure if the signature model has a Dimarzio Chopper or Tone Zone T in the bridge but I'm pretty sure the neck pickup is a Twang King . I put a Tone Zone T in the bridge of a MIM Tele years ago and that pickup rocked hard
 
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I had one and sold it. Regret surfaces from time to time, but I am ok with it. The neck is fatter than the LPs I have owned or played. The bridge saddles also sat very high, and I found that annoying. Perhaps they can be adjusted, but every one I ever played had saddles tilted up very high. I'd try one before you buy. Alternatively, i'd find a tele you dig (Fender or G&L?) and put the same (or hotter :) ) pickups in it.
 
Gitfiddler said:
I had one and sold it. Regret surfaces from time to time, but I am ok with it. The neck is fatter than the LPs I have owned or played. The bridge saddles also sat very high, and I found that annoying. Perhaps they can be adjusted, but every one I ever played had saddles tilted up very high. I'd try one before you buy. Alternatively, i'd find a tele you dig (Fender or G&L?) and put the same (or hotter :) ) pickups in it.
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I also had one and sold it. I regret it sometimes. The neck is a Louisville Slugger. Mine was sea foam green. The color was cool but the gold hardware bugged me. Chopper T in bridge.

I now have 2 Baja Teles and after swapping bridge pups in them I like them better.
 
the neck is too much for me on that model, but I love teles, have a few. Kotzen is such a monster!
 
Save some money and get a Baja Tele, still a fuller sized neck but with the traditional Tele Pickups and tone..
 
Thanks everyone for the input!! Really dig what I'm reading here. I had a custom SG that had a huge neck on it and think I would not mind that too much. Being a Les Paul guy, I think it would not be a huge jump for me but I'm sure it is leaning toward a 50s Les Paul neck. I think I would really like the pickup in the bridge and the versatility. The price is not ridiculous which helps.
 
I've had a few of them over the years, they are great guitars love the necks. You can put a 4 position switch in it to really make it versatile tone wise. It will still scream but it will really get the honky tonk type tones on with it!
 
Almost bought one of these a while ago but couldn't find one locally to try. I always hear them described as having a "huge" neck, which kind of scares me. I have pretty big hands but always tend to prefer thinner necks regardless, so I was afraid to pick it up without trying first. Ended up going with an American Performer with a Rosewood neck that's AMAZING so don't really regret not getting it... Though I'm still intrigued by them!
 
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