Rik Emmett is a master of many guitar styles and other artistic endeavors. As co-lead vocalist/guitarist in the hard-rock trio Triumph from 1975 to ’88, he experienced life as a rock star, then released a string of solo albums, a book of poetry, and an autobiography.
His latest project, Ten Telecaster Tales, is a book that takes a deep, reflective look at the nature of musical creativity – his specifically and in general – and chronicles the making of an electric guitar to his specifications along with analysis of 10 solo intrumentals he recorded with it. The hardcover version includes a CD of the music, which can also be purchased for streaming/download on Emmett’s page at bandcamp.com.
This book begins with an appreciation of the Telecaster – the simple, no-frills, workhorse electric guitar.
In certain ways, it’s beautiful. Here’s the thing though, if you’ve been at it for 60-odd years the way I have, you’ve probably gone through every permutation of guitar aesthetic. The Tele was the first really good one I had – a professional guitar – but there were things about it that I didn’t like. I didn’t like that it had the ashtray edges around the bridge, and I didn’t like the shared bridge saddles – especially once I had a taste of Gibsons, Les Pauls and 335s in particular. There was an ergonomic thing to Gibsons. They had the old fiddle thing like an arched top and an arched bridge and the body set at an angle to the neck so that there was a real comfort factor that the Teles didn’t quite have.
Telecasters aren’t common in hard rock. Did you ever use them in Triumph?
On Triumph records, yes, I would use a Tele sometimes, but not on the first couple of albums because we didn’t have time for me to experiment. You plugged into the amp, turned it up, and went for it, and then it was like, “Okay, let’s double it,” and we doubled it, and that was it. The rhythm part was done – two heavy parts you could throw into a stereo mix – and then leads were the last 20 minutes of the session at four in the morning. We were doing it in a hurry. By the time we got to the third album (1979’s Just a Game), I was starting to use 12-string acoustics and six-string acoustics as beds, then layering guitars on top. But then also maybe when the bridge came and I really wanted a clean sound, I would use mostly Teles.
These new songs are guitar instrumentals. Did you have to envision them that way to compensate for the lack of other instruments and vocals?
Yes and no. You’re onto something, but let me preface all of this by saying, I’ve been writing books of poetry, I wrote a memoir, and now I’ve written this book. When you write prose, poetry, a song, or a guitar piece, they’re all different things, but in a sense, they’re all the same thing. Really, what you’re doing is storytelling. That’s the thing that you’re trying to figure out: “How do I tell the story?”
The book talks a lot about a guitar you named Babs, custom-built by Loucin Guitars with a Telecaster shape, body sculpting like a Strat, and Les Paul scale, bridge height, and neck angle. How long did it take?
It was a two-year process. Yes, I am a stickler and a details guy. I got the neck in my hands first. I said, “Yeah, this shape is like my ’60s Les Paul. Good. But I wish it was a bit more like the shallow D of my Esquire, which is a [Japan-made ’60s reissue]. And I want the headstock to look more like a Tele and less like your own, please.” So yeah, there were things. I’d check the bout and go, “I need a little more elbow room,” That kind of stuff. I was absolutely dictatorial about where I wanted the Volume and Tone pots to go.
I’m pretty big on ergonomics. I am getting older, so I didn’t want the guitar to be heavy on my thigh when I’m sitting down. I wanted a guitar that would be under seven pounds, and that’s not easy. You need a lot of chambering and you’re trying to pick the right wood so it won’t be too dense. It’s made of swamp ash.
Is Babs finished? No. Will I continue to tweak it? Absolutely, yes. – Bret Adams
This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
