Austinist: Austinist Show Preview: The Pretenders at Stubb's

joshronsen

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:24:02 -0600

Wait: exactly what are you trying to say: Punk "almost killed" the guitar in general in the late '70s? How so? Do you perhaps mean Disco almost killed the guitar? That's been said before. But Punk? There aren't too many punk bands not firmly based on the guitar. I can't think of any off the top of my head that weren't. And despite my liking of those first Pretenders albums, you will have to provide some proof that they somehow revived the guitar or made it cool to play the guitar again.

joshuahuck

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:01:27 -0600

From one Josh to another: Perhaps if you re-read that passage you'll glean that I was referring to the guitar in general, not specifically Telecasters. Not to mention the angst many people felt at that time regarding the approaching 80s...I don't think it's any secret that the Tele is one of the coolest and most enduring instruments of all-time. Regardless, thanks for reading!

joshronsen

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:25:17 -0600

...the iconic image of Hynde with her Telecaster slung low almost serving as an advertisement for the instrument after Punk had given it a cardiac, almost killing it in the late 70s. How can you write this? Just picking the year 1980, Pete Townsend, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Page, Mick Jones (the Clash), Keith Richards and Brian May were some of the few rock people using Telecasters in that year (to say nothing of the country world). If Telecaster/Fender sales dropped in the late '70s, I would sooner blame CBS ownership than "Punk."