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| 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 was 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. Many prominent rock musicians have been associated with the Telecaster for use in studio recording and live performances, most notably Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Luis Alberto Spinetta and Keith Richards.
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 unofficially as Nocasters) 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.
Like the three-pickup Stratocaster which followed it in 1954, the Telecaster is a versatile guitar and has been used in many genres, including country, reggae, rock, pop, folk, soul, blues, jazz, punk, metal, alternative, indie rock, and R&B. The base model has always been available, and other than a change to the pickup selector switch configuration, a thinning of the neck, and a few variations on the bridge design, it has remained mostly unchanged from the 1950s. Several variant models have been produced over the years including those with different pickup configurations and electronics, semi-hollow body designs, and even a twelve string model.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Bacon91p68was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Rogers, Dave; Braithwaite, Laun; Mullally, Tim (September 20, 2011). "1950 Fender Broadcaster". Premier Guitar. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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