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Fender Telecaster

This Fender Telecaster is the key representative of the entire model family. You can review, list, or link it to artists. Remember to enrich your contributions with specifics like year, color, etc. in your notes.

4.5 (584)

77 Reviews

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Page last updated Jun 24, 2026

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Description

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Apr 2023)

Fender Telecaster

Manufacturer: Fender

Period: 1950–present

Construction: Body type Solid Neck joint Bolt-on Scale 25.5 inches (647.7 mm)

Woods Body: Alder, Ash, Poplar, Pine, Basswood Neck Maple Fretboard Maple, Rosewood, Pau ferro

Hardware Bridge: Proprietary "Ashtray" or modern style with string through or top load strings. Since 2017 the Professional Series Teles feature a clip- on partial bridge cover. Pickup(s) Traditionally two single-coils Other pickup configurations are available

Colors available 2 or 3-or maple color sunbursts Shades of blonde (translucent earth tones) sonic blue, red, surf green, yellow, wine red.

The Fender Telecaster ...colloquially known as the Tele /ˈtɛli/,[1] is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful[note 1] solid-body electric guitar. Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music.

Introduced for national distribution as the Broadcaster[2] in the autumn of 1950 as a two-pickup version of its sister model, the single-pickup Esquire, the pair were the first guitars of their kind manufactured on a substantial scale. A trademark conflict with a rival manufacturer (Gretsch Broadkaster) led to the guitar being renamed in 1951. Initially, the Broadcaster name was simply cut off of the labels placed on the guitars (leading to a limited run of nameless guitars known as "No-casters") and later in 1951, the final name of Telecaster was applied to the guitar to take advantage of the advent of television. The Telecaster quickly became a popular model, and has remained in continuous production since its first incarnation.

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Reviews

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Owner Insights

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

Build quality

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Higher-priced Fender models are noted to use better wood selections, which can impact weight and aesthetic appeal, such as the wood grain detail.
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The American Professional II Telecaster offers a sculpted neck joint for better access to higher frets, differentiating it from other models.
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Features and functionality

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The Player Telecaster's exclusive colors, like the lake placid blue, add unique aesthetic appeal distinct from standard finishes.
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The Player Plus Telecaster includes noiseless pickups, which are described as vertical humbuckers differing from traditional single coils, impacting tonal character.
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The Player Plus neck has a 12" radius, offering a flatter and potentially faster playing surface compared to the Player's 9.5" radius.
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Comparisons

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Older G&L Tribute models are seen as superior to post-2019 versions, offering better wood quality and build for slightly higher prices.
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The Performer is essentially an American-made version of the Player series with upgraded pickups and electronics, distinguishing it from the more premium Professional line.
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The Player Plus Nashville Telecaster includes a middle pickup, emulating a Stratocaster sound, providing versatility in tonal options.
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Value and pricing

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Dealer exclusive limited edition colors allow for significant discounts, often below standard Player pricing due to MAP exceptions.
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It's noted that the American Professional II's high price is due to Southern California labor costs and enhanced hardware quality.
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Mods and upgrades

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Owners frequently replace stock pickups due to thin and tinny sound, opting for more robust options from Squier Classic Vibe models.
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Owners recommend swapping the stock pickups on a Player Telecaster for BKP Flat '52s to enhance the middle position tone.
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Setup and maintenance

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Factory setups often require significant adjustments; truss rod tweaks and nut replacements are common for optimal playability.
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New guitars often require setup adjustments like neck relief, action height, and pickup height for optimal sound and playability.
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User experience

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Owners frequently mention the importance of trying different models in-store to experience the neck feel and fretwork, as these can significantly vary even within the same model line.
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One user shared that the Player Telecaster made them fall in love with the Tele sound, leading them to consider more premium models later on.
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Use cases and applications

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A user reported that the Player Telecaster, after modifications, effectively became a "forever guitar," emphasizing its potential for long-term use.
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4.5 out of 5

Based on 77 Reviews and 584 Ratings

5 star

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1 star

pudjik777

101

about 1 year ago

My telecaster is nicknamed Belyash. Мой телекастер по прозвищу Беляш

ENG: A very good guitar that fits any genre, even if it's metal or classic rock. The guitar is completely made of maple, the neck is lacquered. The guitar has standard single pickups. RUS: очень хорошая гитара которая подходит под любые жанры, играй хоть металл хоть классический рок. Гитара полностью сделана из клёна, гриф лакирован. У гитары стандартные сингловые звукосниматели.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

RUS: Просто выкручиваю Tone и Volume на максимум и играю в стандартном строе. ENG: I just turn the Tone and Volume up to the maximum and play in the standard mode.

Roles:

Guitarist Drummer Keyboardist

Genres:

Rock Jazz Hardcore punk

From Gear Setup

elbandito

117

over 1 year ago

“Amos” HH TIDEPOOL Telecaster

My first electric guitar. As a country musician at a low level of skill, I originally looked at a tele with single coils but decided on this one as it works well for most anything due to versatility of the humbuckers. Lovely paint job and one of my favourite guitars for rhythm due to the thinner neck.

Roles:

Singer Guitarist

Genres:

Rock Folk, World, & Country Blues

From Gear Setup

protomoderns

1778

over 2 years ago

Iconic and versatile

I had a MIM tele for about a year, and used it primarily to play in a jazz band. Kind of an unconventional use for one perhaps, but I think that says a lot about this instrument's versatility. I missed the double cutaways and body contours of a strat, and found the pickups a bit too twangy at times, but that's personal preference. Every guitarist should try one out at some point.

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Alternative rock Indie rock Psychedelic rock

peasinafookinpod420

2423

over 6 years ago

wonderful

My first guitar was a Telecaster. I have done many mods to it, but even when it was not modified, I loved it beyond human thought. The mods I have done are a Harmonica Bridge, Bigsby b5, "Free Rider" Firebird Neck Pickup, Texas Special Telecaster Bridge Pickup, in/out of phase switching, killswitch, and coil split on the neck pickup. It has been worn away by years of use and travel, so there is small splotches of the 3 Tone Sunburst it had before. It is used on most of the 1st half of the 1st&2nd album.

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist Drummer

Genres:

Grunge Noise rock Sleaze rock

roybon

282

over 2 years ago

Sturdy and with very few downsides

I have one from the Newen brand (Argentina). Solid wood, Paradinamic microphones, and sturdy pots and switches. The body is made of two-piece Patagonian lenga wood. A marvel.

This review has been translated automatically into English. See original

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist Keyboardist

Genres:

Rock Stage & Screen Alternative rock

From Gear Setup

gnarlingtontx

309

over 10 years ago

An American Classic

What can I say except this guitar is an American classic. A bare-bones guitar with just two pick-ups and minimal parameter settings, the bright and rich sound works for almost any rock genre. Personally prefer it over the fender strat.

davidcrickett

250

almost 9 years ago

Fender Telecaster MIM 2009

I love this guitar. The missing star is because of an extra spin on the coil--which gives the tele a brighter sounding high, but also tends to be a little shrill. This is nitpicking, because you can adjust it by turning the volume a tad down, when you don't want this extra high fidelity, or just turn the tone knob a little down. I don't know, a bug or a feature? Discontinued anyhow, and has a special group/thread on tdpri.com. Hm, maybe I should just put '10 strings on it?

Roles:

Guitarist Composer Music Producer

Genres:

Rock Pop Folk, World, & Country

brizee77

107

over 10 years ago

If you have only one guitar in your life, this is it

You'll hear a lot about vintage guitars and how great they are. The impression given is that a guitar is great because its old. This is not true. I've had many old guitars and many were not great at all. You'll hear that a telecaster should be light or that it should be heavy. You'll often hear about wood and pickups and their originality. But none of that really matters once you own it. All that counts is whether or not its great. and My guitar is not the lightest, it s about 7 pounds which is pretty average for an old tele. Its a body only refinish. Everything else is original. So its not the MOST collectable but still nice to own. But that really counts is that this guitar is one i can't set down. I just love playing it. Its an inspiring guitar that makes me play things I don't play on other guitars. If you've only one guitar in the world. Make it your mission to find a guitar that makes you feel like that and don't ever part with it!!!

jimmarchi1

41029

10 years ago over 10 years ago

for some reason vintage guitars are not treated like vontage wine.... there are good years and bad years for certain brands just like wine, good models and bad models.... and with guitars, not ever specimen of a certain model from a good year is up to snuff.... maybe it was great from the factory and fell into disrepair or maybe its a badone that just barely avoided getting labeled a factory second. The 'vintage' guitar market has gone nuts because its full of amatures and speculators who don't know good from bad and don't play enough (if they play at all) to have strong personal preferences. I have played great vintage guitars that were not my cup of tea, so their value to me was $0, right?! Because I am a player. If I don't make great music with it and feel inspired then its just a collectible hunk of wood.

bruce_kirby

210

about 5 years ago

I love my Tele

Made in China with humbucker and single coil pickups, extra kick but with a smooth single coil sound.

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Folk, World, & Country Blues

t_franklin_price

143

almost 5 years ago

Country Standard

It’s all Fender original equipment. Standard tuning. Used primarily as my rhythm electric, and as my lead guitar for Country (pre ‘80’s because Nashville pop country sucks!!!), Americana, Ameripolitan, or anything else that calls for twang.

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Folk, World, & Country Blues