Cork

Referring to 'cork' in the guitar community is short hand for a "cork sniffer." A poser rather than a player.
The schizophrenia is deep among musicians.
No, I am not kidding.

To a person, if asked in pulic they will eschew cork.
"What matters is your tone!"

Then why are most NGD (new guitar day) threads nothing but pictures?
"Look at the flame!" "Dude! Awesome LOOKING guitar!"
And the irony misses them...completely.

So I post a NGD thread in which I included clips but no pictures. A couple of the thoughtful community people respond. The kids are absent.
So I asked, do you wear or play your guitar? Is it jewelry to you?
And I was met with replies such as , "You can't tell me you never stood in front of the mirror and thought,'Damn that looks good!'"
And truthfully I replied, when I was 16 maybe I did, once. But my aim has always been the music.
Close your eyes and listen.

I do understand theatrics...I am a ham. But the best shows in my mind were the ones with the great music and not the lights or smoke to add to the experience.
I watched John McLaughlin's fingers, I couldn't care less what guitar he was using. I knew his sound came from within, not from the tool he used.

Telecasters, my new, current consuming guitar love are ugly guitars. There are a few specimens that are nice to look at. Fender has tried to dress them up - there is a tuxedo...a black guitar with white binding and a white pickguard. Or the one made from redwood - although Fender tried to make it more historic than visually enticing by tying it to a railway trestle that was over one hundred years old.
It's their function that drew me.
It has that singular Fender single coil sound and with a touch of OD can out creamy any humbucker.
Wait...you are saying it can sound like either?
It could be a Ford or a GM?
French or Italian?
It is God's gift...but it is wrapped in an ugly, ugly shape.
In the 1950s the routing done for the bridge pickup was a tad too large. A very slight bit of uncovered routing is referred to as 'buttcrack' and now is held as a sign of lineage.

Look at that?! There is no flattened edge radius. There is no "belly cut." No binding. Not much chrome. When they were first made, it was from pine. They are the cheapest in the Fender line.
But what a beautiful palette.
The swiss army knife of guitars. But it's cork quotient is very low.
Posing hair bands need not apply.
But if you close you eyes to enjoy you favorite music, then tele players are for you.