What is the difference between a Telecaster and a Stratocaster?

[FuzzFace]

What is the difference between a Telecaster and a Stratocaster?

I mean, technically speaking.

[Gu Djin]

Huh!

[Bluesberry]

body shape, body weight, pickups, one has a whammy bar, the other is locked down at the bridge.  They sound similar but yet different, they feel similar but yet different, they both can be used for blues, rock, country, folk-rock, heavy metal, punk, etc.  The necks are pretty much similar in feel and shape.  I like them both equally, but in different ways.

[Gu Djin]

I was unsure what you were looking in your question, but BB has given you a complete answer, and I would only add there are different incarnations of each.

Classically: telecasters have two pickups, with the bridge pickup embedded in the ashtray contraption and the strings are not individually intoned - and have the three barrel "saddle/nut".  Whereas the strat has the three pickups - individually intoned strings and a whammy bar, something only seldom seen on telecasters.

Of course these days the differences are blurred so much that apart from the shape the differences are less obvious.

The strats I've played have had a smaller radius to the neck, but I believe that depends on the model.

Leigh

[Burtog]

I think the main difference is the pick-up configuration.

Tele = 2 pick-ups and 3 selection options
(some Teles do have three pick-ups tho, I think they call them Nasville Tele?)

Strat = 3 pick-ups and 5 selections (on most strats)
This gives 2 additional selections which give a kind of out of phase (quacky) sound, think 'Sultans of Swing'

Not sure if out-of phase is the correct technical term tho.

Best try both, depends all about playing style and preference I suppose!!

[Gu Djin]

A Tele with really skinny strings and decent amp is heaven for those looking for all those notes in between, on the other hand it does that twang, which you can emulate with strat and other guitars, but it only feels right on a Tele.

I love Strats as well - I just don't have one at the minute, but I'm looking.

Leigh

[SdC]

One of the little details that really clinched the deal for me towards the Strat is the output jack on the top instead of the side of the body!  Whenever playing Tele's or LP's, especially when sitting down, I keep breaking cables and jacks.

[Greeny]

I've played both, and they're both wonderful guitars. I think it comes down to personal preference and which one suits your style of play best.

It's pretty bizarre that two of the very first guitar designs are still around now, and still set the benchmark for design and tone (OK... with a bit of competition from Les Pauls and ES-335's). Leo Fender sure knew what he was doing.

As already pointed out, the Strat does theoretically have more tone versatility because of the 5-way selector options for the pick-ups, but the three tone options of the Tele are so good that I (personally) don't need anything else. I also don't like whammy bars, so prefer the fixed bridge on a Tele. The other thing I like about a Tele is how solid they feel... almost indestructable.

You can't really go wrong with either. But I think the user names of Strats vs Teles is quite telling. There are exceptions of course, but in the Strat camp you have people like Knopfler, Gilmour, Clapton, and Jeff Beck. All amazing guitarists (in fact, Gilmour is my favourite...). But I kinda prefer the Tele gang of Keef Richards, Syd Barrett, Joe Strummer, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. I think Teles are a little more 'punk' than Strats, and not quite so refined. Just like the players listed!

[peterp]

As you said, most strats have the 5-way switch, mine has the S-1 switching which gives 10 positions.
One of which splits the humbucker in the bridge position into a single coil, my model is a HSS configuration  

There were also the Fender broadcaster (which became the telecaster) and Fender nocaster around 1951ish, but those are not easy to come by these days !

[The Gobi Desert Canoe Club]

I've got a 1972 Strat which still has the original hardware and was shipped with a 3 way selector switch. To get the out of phase sound you had to wedge a matchstick between the positions. Never owned a Tele, a bit too crisp for me.  Willie