Tele guitars with the ashtray bridges?

[MacDaddy]

Are they uncomfortable, does the edge of the bridge plate dig in to your picking hand, and does the ridge affect picking if you want to pick over the pup?

I'm guessing it's a case of adjusting technique to suit, but I'd be interested to hear from those who play them.

ta

[SebCarr]

In my experience it doesn't get in the way of picking, but does dig into your hand a little. But picking that far back brightens up and already bright sounding guitar anyway, so it doesn't bother me as I usually pick further forward. Compared to the most obvious comparator, they're probably no less comfortable to play than a Strat , just uncomfortable in a different way (but better in other ways - I find the strat volume control is in the way a lot). They are very odd guitars though. It's very clear that the Strat evolved from the Tele. Try one and see what you think - it may be a case of "original and best" or "inferior and underevolved" compared to many other electrics.

[Low End Bee]

I had a thinline a few years ago when I was thrashing away on punky rhythm duties and it never got in the way as far as I can recall.
Sam from the Jetsonics used one for years with no problem either until he got his Gordon Smith a couple of months ago.

[simon1964]

I've got one on my tele, and find it perfectly comfortable. Mind you, I've had it for about 20 years and never really played anything else, so it may be me that's missing something!

[Big_Stu]

Being picky, the bridge itself isn't the ashtray, that's the optional cover which goes over the bridge to stop any knarled hands & such, AFAIK it's only some of the CS guitars that come with them fitted now, though you can pick one up generally easily on Ebay or a Fender dealer. Only downside is that you won't then be able to pick over the pickup.
I've found that the only time it can get painful is if you do a lot of right hand muting, palm muting, then a saddle screw on the E can get a bit sore into the heel of your hand; I could of course remove it & file it a bit shorter; but I've never got a round tuit.

[casapete]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1324473628' post='1474641']
Being picky, the bridge itself isn't the ashtray, that's the optional cover which goes over the bridge to stop any knarled hands & such, AFAIK it's only some of the CS guitars that come with them fitted now, though you can pick one up generally easily on Ebay or a Fender dealer. Only downside is that you won't then be able to pick over the pickup.
I've found that the only time it can get painful is if you do a lot of right hand muting, palm muting, then a saddle screw on the E can get a bit sore into the heel of your hand; I could of course remove it & file it a bit shorter; but I've never got a round tuit.
[/quote]

This.

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1324473628' post='1474641']
Being picky, the bridge itself isn't the ashtray, that's the optional cover which goes over the bridge to stop any knarled hands & such, AFAIK it's only some of the CS guitars that come with them fitted now, though you can pick one up generally easily on Ebay or a Fender dealer. Only downside is that you won't then be able to pick over the pickup.
I've found that the only time it can get painful is if you do a lot of right hand muting, palm muting, then a saddle screw on the E can get a bit sore into the heel of your hand; I could of course remove it & file it a bit shorter; but I've never got a round tuit.
[/quote]

x2. If you had an actual ashtray fitted you wouldn't be having this conversion (but by the same token you wouldn't be able to play close to the bridge either...)

[MacDaddy]

cheers for the replies! As always Basschat comes up trumps

[guildbass]

Yeah, I bought a pretty cheap Tele from Ebay...It was a Shine... It came with the chrome bridge cover that people refer to as the 'Ashtray'... and it was horrible... I rest my hand on or near the bridge and the ashtray held your hand up in the air. You certainly couldn't damp strings or 'chug'.