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Average Price: $533

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$400

$1001+

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Description

Unleash the spirit of the '70s with the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe, a faithful tribute to a legendary instrument. This electric guitar combines a comfortable C-shape maple neck with 21 medium jumbo maple frets, ensuring playability that matches the iconic sound it produces. Equipped with a pair of alnico-powered humbuckers, the Telecaster Deluxe delivers a fat, gritty tone with a distinctive Fender edge, perfect for musicians seeking a vintage sound. The 6-saddle string-thru bridge and skirted control knobs add to the guitar's vintage authenticity. Crafted with an alder body, it's lighter than its predecessors, providing a comfortable playing experience without compromising on the classic tone.

Key Features:

  • Comfortable C-shape maple neck
  • 21 medium jumbo maple frets
  • Pair of alnico-powered humbuckers for fat, gritty tone
  • 6-saddle string-thru bridge
  • Skirted control knobs for vintage authenticity
  • Light alder body for comfortable playability

Product specs

Brand Fender
Model Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe
Finish 3-Color Sunburst, Black, Walnut Stain
Year 2004 - 2019
Made In Mexico
Categories Solid Body Electric Guitars
Body Material Alder
Body Shape T-Style
Body Type Solid Body
Bridge/Tailpiece Type String-Through
Color Family Black, Brown
Finish Pattern Sunburst
Finish Style Gloss
Fretboard Material Maple
Fretboard Radius 12"
Model Family Fender Telecaster
Model Sub-Family Fender Telecaster Deluxe
Neck Construction Bolt-On
Neck Material Maple
Number of Frets 21
Number of Strings 6-String
Nut Width 1.65"
Offset Body Non-Offset Body
Pickup Configuration HH
Right / Left Handed Right Handed
Scale Length 25.5"
Series Fender Classic Series

FAQs

What type of pickups does the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe have?

The Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe features dual Wide Range humbucking pickups, which are designed to deliver a thick, full sound suitable for rock, blues, and other genres requiring powerful tones.

How does the neck profile of the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe feel?

The neck of the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe has a '70s C shape profile, providing a comfortable grip for players who prefer a slightly thicker neck, ideal for both rhythm and lead playing.

Is the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe suitable for beginners?

While the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe is a versatile guitar, its features and price point may be better suited for intermediate to advanced players who can fully appreciate its tonal capabilities and unique design.

What is the primary difference between the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe and the standard Telecaster?

The primary difference lies in the pickup configuration; the '72 Telecaster Deluxe uses humbuckers for a fuller sound, whereas the standard Telecaster typically features single-coil pickups known for their bright and twangy tone.

Does the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe have a bolt-on neck?

Yes, the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe features a bolt-on neck construction, which is a classic design choice for Fender guitars, offering easy neck adjustments and a distinct tonal character.

Reverb

Reverb

Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe | Reverb Demo

Video thumbnail for Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe | Reverb Demo by Reverb

Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe | Reverb Demo

Reverb

Reverb

Video thumbnail for Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe by Music City CZ

Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Music City CZ

Music City CZ

Video thumbnail for Fender CLASSIC SERIES '72 TELECASTER DELUXE - Demo and Review by Landon Bailey

Fender CLASSIC SERIES '72 TELECASTER DELUXE - Demo and Review

Landon Bailey

Landon Bailey

Video thumbnail for Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar by chatreeo

Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar

chatreeo

chatreeo

Video thumbnail for Fender Classic Series 72’ Telecaster Deluxe by Alex Radsby

Fender Classic Series 72’ Telecaster Deluxe

Alex Radsby

Alex Radsby

Video thumbnail for Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar Sound Check & DEMO by The Guitarman 28

Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar Sound Check & DEMO

The Guitarman 28

The Guitarman 28

Reviews

PROS

  • 12" fingerboard radius offers a unique feel, rare for Fender

  • Dual humbuckers provide versatile tones with no hum

  • Larger headstock adds visual appeal and functionality

  • Excellent craftsmanship and build quality

  • Comfortable flat-radiused neck enhances playability

  • Offers a blend of Les Paul and Strat sound

  • Solid intonation and construction over time

  • Mocha color option praised by users

  • Great value for the price

CONS

  • Reissue pickups aren't true to the original Wide Range Humbuckers

  • Stock pickups may lack brightness for some users

  • Toggle switch considered a weak component

  • Some find the guitar heavy

  • Shape may not suit all playing styles, causing discomfort

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe.

Mods and upgrades

  • Curtis Novak and Lollar pickups are favored by owners seeking improved tone over stock WRHBs, with Lollars particularly noted for quality despite limited availability in the UK.

    Source
  • Owners suggest switching to 500K pots as an initial mod to potentially improve the stock pickups' tonal depth.

    Source
  • Telenator offers a service to rework stock pickups for $85 each, improving tone while retaining compatibility with stock 250k pots.

    Source
  • Kluson tuners are a direct swap for the stock tuners, enhancing stability without requiring additional drilling.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • The three-bolt neck joint is criticized for making it difficult to maintain a consistently low action, highlighting a preference for the four-bolt design.

    Source

Build quality

  • Some reissues include a belly curve which significantly affects comfort and playability compared to the original flat body design.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • While the pickups are not true to the original Wide-Range Humbuckers, adding 500k pots is recommended to enhance the guitar's tonal warmth.

    Source
  • The guitar lacks a coil-splitting feature, limiting tonal versatility compared to models with this capability.

    Source

User experience

  • The guitar's weight is substantial, making it less comfortable for longer sessions, though original models are noted to be even heavier.

    Source
  • Owners appreciate the neck's smoothness, describing it as "like butter," enhancing playability.

    Source
  • Some owners report audience feedback about the stock pickups sounding muddy and getting lost in the mix during performances.

    Source

Comparisons

  • Owners liken the '72 Telecaster Deluxe to Fender's take on a Les Paul, offering a unique tonal character not found in other Telecaster models.

    Source
  • Despite the humbuckers, some users note that the guitar maintains a bright tone, similar to the AO 60's Telecaster.

    Source
  • The Black Dove Telecaster, with P90s, offers a similar build but with reportedly better stock pickups than the reissued Deluxe model.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Owners targeting alternative rock find the guitar suits their style, though mods may be necessary for optimal sound.

    Source
Add

4.5 out of 5

Based on 12 Reviews and 89 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
moogbadger

Main workhorse

The amazing thing about this Mexican reissue is that the intonation has stayed spot-on for ten whole years, and it's left the house plenty of times. I just feel this that is a well-constructed guitar which has served me very well indeed. It feels really easy to play and rarely gives me any headaches. The fretboard is lovely, and you can get a wide range of tones out of it due to the humbuckers. I think of the sound as being a cross between a Les Paul and a Strat; due to the PUPs, we're not really in classic shrill Telecaster territory here. The toggle switch is probably the weakest part of the whole ensemble.

owain

Great Playing Guitar with a few flaws.

The guitar is constructed beautifully. Its exactly what you expect for the price. But my main problem with this guitar is that for a reissue it is massively electronically different to its original counter-part. The pots are 250k as standard and the "Wide-Range Humbuckers" aren't wide range humbuckers at all. I wasn't expecting exact Seth Lover replicar PuPs but at least a true wide range humbucker instead you get a normal humbucker incased in extra wax to make it wider. If you want to make this guitar sound infinitely better on a budget replace the 250k pots with 500k CTS pots makes a huge difference for roughly $20, less muddy and sounds more like a Tele. If you want to go the whole-hog I had Jaime at the Creamery replace the old PuPs with his own Wide Range Humbucker upgrades (keeping the original Fender covers). This guitar now sounds the shit!

skylinerr

eh

i like it but its not amazing feel a bit iffy for my style i hit my hand on the top of the body because of the shape so I added duct tape to soften when my arm brushes against it it has a seymour duncan JB in the bridge position

Genres:
danshapiro

Stupid good!

Picked one up a few years back and have thoroughly enjoyed it!!!!!!!!!

daniel_franco

Nice reissue

A lot of people tell me the pickups of this guitar aren't that good and that's a scam from Fender. I particulary like the sound, feel and features of the guitar. Kind of heavy but comfty. The fretboard is great.

jimmarchi1

what they mean is that the pickups aren't actually authentic. They are fine if you want a PAF-style humbucker with a bar magnet charging 6 steel screws. A real Fender wide-range humbucker from the 70s has adjustable magnetic polepieces made of an alloy nicknamed 'cunife' and is more of a split singlecoil like a p-bass split-pickup only way more refined. Its a really unique humbucker tone for those reasons and because the coils are really big, sensing the string with a very large magnetic window. Also, having polepiece magnets these pickups have the strong string pull associated with, say, a tele pickup that literally influences the way the string vibrates.

Again, there is nothing wrong with the humbuckers in your guitar, they are just not accurate reproductions of the vintage originals so people get down on them. Chris Shifflet of the Foo-Fighters likes regular humbuckers in a tele deluxe so much that his custom model ahs regular Gibson-type PAFs in it. Viable sound, nothing wrong with it. If you are ever curious abut what a real wide-range humbucker sounds like contact Curtis Novak and have him make you a set of authentic ones and drop them in your tele. It will eat sustain but open the sound up dynamically and widen your frequency bandwidth, restoring its tele twang.

hugo_sarabia

the best first guitar

well, this was the first guitar i ever bought, i don't like the pickups, but the design it's awesome. it's very comfortable to play. the toggle switch its crap. but all of this stuffs make a really special guitar. my favorite guitar ever.

J

Versatile Telecaster re-issue delivers clean tones and powerful overdrive

My first proper guitar, I got this on the proviso that I wanted a Telecaster with humbuckers, the 'Sentytoo' - as I call it - was perfect. It is a 2007 model re-issue and serves me well playing nice, clean tones but also can make some serious noise when the overdrive is cranked up

djdumusic

I love my Tele and use it on must all of my tracks

natthan_torci

Excelent!

Excelent guitar, powerfull clean tones and Drives with definition. Nice shape.

egastiantp

Don't know how to explain

fucking awesome! the one of the masterpieces ever made. That classic look and beatiful sound it had makes my soul flyin' high

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Skrillex uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Skrillex

Music Producer

From First to Last

...
Verified via Photo

This has been Skrillex' main guitar for most of his career. Fender gifted him a replacement for the stolen one he used on Bangarang, and he's since used it on the Recess tour, and in 2023 during a photo shoot for QFF/DGTC.

"Shout out to Fender for hooking it up..the last one I recorded Bangarang with got stolen" https://www.instagram.com/p/cApOTAyaOz/

See how Billie Joe Armstrong uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Billie Joe Armstrong

Singer, Guitarist

Green Day

...
Verified via YouTube

At 2:02 in this Green Day video, we can see Billie playing a Fender Telecaster '72 Telecaster

See how Jonny Greenwood uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Jonny Greenwood

Guitarist

Radiohead

...
Verified via Photo
Color/Finish: Black

Jonny used Thom’s heavily-modified Telecaster Standard for a performance with the London Contemporary Orchestra in Budapest on October 17, 2015. It may be the same guitar as the “Black Telecaster” listed above.

See how Thom Yorke uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Thom Yorke

Singer, Guitarist

Radiohead

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo, recent Thom Yorke can be seen playing a Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe.

See how Noel Gallagher uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Noel Gallagher

Singer, Guitarist

Oasis

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo, Noel Gallagher can be seen playing a Fender Telecaster Deluxe.

See how The Edge uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

The Edge

Guitarist

U2

...
Verified via YouTube

In this video The Edge explains his love of telecasters using his Telecaster Deluxe.

See how Frank Iero uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Frank Iero

Singer, Guitarist

My Chemical Romance

...
Verified via Photo

en la foto se puede ver como frank luce una fender classics series 72's telecaster deluxe color madera

See how Jonny Buckland uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Jonny Buckland

Guitarist

Coldplay

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo, Jonny Buckland can be seen playing a Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe. This guitar, because of it's likeness to Jonny's favourite (Fender '72 Telecaster Thinline), has been used many times by Jonny.

See how Luke Hemmings uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Luke Hemmings

Singer, Guitarist

5 Seconds Of Summer

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo, Luke can be seen playing a Fender Telecaster Deluxe 1972 reissue.

See how Graham Coxon uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Graham Coxon

Guitarist

Blur

...
Verified via Photo

Graham Coxon can be seen playing a '72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe in this photo.

See how Chris Shiflett uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Chris Shiflett

Guitarist

Foo Fighters

...
Verified via YouTube

Chris Shiflett uses a Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe in his side project "Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants." You can see him use this Telecaster throughout the source video, with a better view of it at around 02:25.

See how Michael Clifford uses Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe

Michael Clifford

Singer, Guitarist

5 Seconds Of Summer

...
Verified via Photo

In this instagram picture, we can see Michael playing Alex's Fender Telecaster Deluxe Classic Series 1972

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Deluxe, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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Community setups

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Gear IQ 131

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