The Fender Telecaster was originally introduced as the single pickup Broadcaster in 1950 before becoming the twin pickup Telecaster. An extensive range is available from Fender ranging from the budget Squier for around £100 to custom versions costing many thousands.

The unsculpted body offers a single cutaway for ease of access to the upper registers. Two single coil pickups have a three position switch allowing the selection of the individual pickups, or a combination of both. The single passive tone knob has a wide range of possibilities . The bridge has individual saddles for string height and intonation and necks are available with rosewood or maple fingerboards. The headstock ensures that strings run in a straight line from bridge to machineheads.

The neck is a comfortable profile with a satin finish. Fender advertise a more comfortable ‘rolled edge’ on guitars further up the range. The frets are well fitted and finished and action is set comfortably low as shipped from the factory. The controls are simple and workmanlike. As with all passive single coil guitars it's prone to radio frequency interference.

 

 

This guitar is quite simply a classic. The treble response from the bridge pickup has ensured this guitar's place as a staple for Nashville country guitarists for decades, but it offers so much more. The neck pickup has a delicacy that is almost acoustic guitar-like in nature. It's worth remembering that this was Jimmy Page's choice for recording Led Zeppelin 1. If you want to hear fine exponents of the Telecaster, seek out recordings by Albert Lee or Roy Buchanan.

 

*For a care and setup guide please visit our Hints and Tips page

Fender Standard Telecaster