Steve Sladkowski

In 2004, I bought a vintage cherry sunburst Fender American Deluxe Telecaster, with a maple neck, which is still the primary guitar I use. I later had a Bigsby installed and replaced the bridge by inverting a bridge from a Fender Jaguar. I use graphite saddles and have switched out the Samarium-Colbalt noiseless pickup in the bridge for a hotter, 50s-style Broadcaster pickup; the neck pickup is still the original noiseless but if I had more money, I’d be swapping that out for the Seymour Duncan Charlie Christian humbucker pickup. The sounds you’re hearing from me, both on record and in a live setting, are all made from this guitar. I honestly think Telecasters are one of the greatest guitars ever, and I keep learning new things about them in the ten-plus years I’ve been playing one.

Sladkowski uses a Fender American Elite Telecaster Thinline during a live session with cbc music, and used one on the "The Nightmare Begins" tour.

steve can be seen here, using his red fender (american or made in mexico?) jazzmaster in their tiny desk video

Sladkowski uses a Fender Modern Player Starcaster during a live session with q on cbc, and used one on the "The Dream is Over" tour.

In this video we see Steve play his Fender Parallel Universe Jazz Tele

Last year in Philadelphia, on a whim, I bought a DiPinto Belvedere. I’ve been using it mostly as a backup guitar but increasingly I’m using it on new songs that are using drop-D and other alternate tunings. It’s a little bit darker and warmer — thanks to the combination of a mahogany fretboard and rosewood semi-hollow body — so it’s a nice counterpoint to the twang of the Tele.

Steve Sladkowski uses a Fender American Professional Jazzmaster, as shown in his Instagram post where he thanks Fender for supporting his musical journey.

Used on Pup's 2022 album, "THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND", namely on the song "Waiting" (according to the November 2022 Guitar World interview).

At times, Sladkowski would play through the same pedal chain as the studio’s Moog synth, or make loops in his bedroom, then pipe them into the live room. Other times, he’d double electric parts with a hollowbody, as on the massive “Waiting,” which includes a ’62 Gibson ES-125 shadowing his normal Jazzmaster, lending the verses additional rhythmic punch, room sound and color as the tension climbs.

Steve Sladkowski confirms his use of the Rarities Flame Maple Top Chambered Telecaster in a Substack post, mentioning at [2:32] that he plays a "2019 limited edition series fender... it is a chambered telecaster," with on-screen text stating "Fender Telecaster Rarities Series Chambered." Additionally, Steve is seen playing this guitar throughout the video linked: https://youtu.be/Gh9pCl1cL8A?si=hGDTZf8cH2qG-TnS

In a Substack post titled "Steve's Guitar Collection," Steve Sladkowski mentions using the Fender American Professional II Telecaster Deluxe, stating he was looking for a "Tele Deluxe with humbuckers just to add a little sort of heavy beef to the live shows." The guitar can also be seen in live performances of songs like "Paranoid" or any other Drop D/C song by the band. Ex: https://youtu.be/bElWoPg13-0?si=PaX47HLG_uRa2397