As a random aside apropos of nothing, since this is Mastodon and it's good for that, I just want to mention that my Telecaster makes me happy every single time I pick it up. This is true even on those bad days where I'm even more inept than usual.

I'm not a guitarist and never will be. I picked it up twelve years ago to see if I could make it do anything, like especially blues-related since that's a fairly straightforward style. (My training is all in classical piano, which helped me not much at all.) I've deliberately avoided learning to read music on it because c'mon, six strings, same note in four or so places, that's crazy.

Despite any lack of actual proficiency, it delights me. It feels right. It melds to me. The frets are right where I want them to be without looking (though that took a while). It feels good even when I'm struggling. Why other types of guitars exist, I have no idea, since this will do anything I want it to.*

It's a 2011 contour-back model (I think it was the first year that was available) that I put locking tuners on but have otherwise left unmolested. Natural finish with maple neck, with black pickguard, the way Mithra and Thor both intended.

If you suffer from too much stress and unpleasantness and unsightly hair loss, I prescribe a Telecaster. Try it, you'll see I'm right, and you will thank me.

* I apologize for this exaggeration-- okay, lie-- I do know what humbuckers are good for, and hollowbodies, and Strats, but I really could live without all those if I had to.