Introduction
Fender needs absolutely no introduction. Known as the
company behind the ultra-popular Stratocaster, as well the company who built
the first solidbody electric guitar ever, the undisputed king of electric G’s -
the Telecaster! If you’re a guitarist, or just a musician, there is no way you
wouldn’t know about Fender Music Instruments Corporation, and the guitars that
they make!
The Fender Telecaster is one of the most iconic, legendary
and well-known pieces of musical equipment out there. It is generally known to
be the first ever production solid-body guitar, and hence it is the granddaddy
of all modern electric guitars today!
The Telecaster was first introduced in 1952 and has since
then become one of the most popular and widely used guitars in the world, along
the likes of Gibson’s Les Paul, and Fender’s Stratocaster. It is used by
millions all across the glob – from beginners to celebrities.
It is also one of the few guitars in the world which has a
playing style associated with it. Telling someone that you are a Telecaster
player, and it will most likely mean that you play either country, blues, jazz,
rock n’ roll or a mixture of those genres.
History
Some of the first Telecaster ever produced – some of which
that are still in existence now fetch millions of dollars! – had a yellow
color, commonly referred to as ‘butterscotch blonde’. They also featured ‘blackguards’
or black pick-guards on their bodies. Their unique color, along with the
pickguard, made them some of the most instantly recognizable guitars in the
world.
The design was extremely simple, and remains so to this day.
The design does a good job of demonstrating the genius that was Leo Fender, and
it is one of the main reasons that the Telecaster has sold, and remained in
production over the past six decades now!
Another important point that is a big part of the
Telecaster’s history is how easy it was to produce and service. Most of the guitars
during the time with hand-crafted, in a n artist-like manner, and the
production of electric guitars back then was quite labor-intensive – with the
use of different wood types used to make different parts of the guitar, glued-in
necks and hollow bodies. The Telecasters on the other hand, had necks
constructed from a single piece of maple wood, swamp-ash or alder wood was used
to construct the bodies of these guitars, and maple was used to construct the
Telecaster’s neck which was then bolted on to its body. All of this meant that
the guitar was not only extremely simple and straightforward to use, it was
also easy to use and service.
Furthermore, the Telecasters features a single-coil pickup
setup, which produced an extremely unique and almost instantly-recognizable,
trebly sound, which also had a lot of sustain to it – two features which have
been the symbol of all Telecasters ever since their inception.
Throughout the years, the Telecasters underwent many changes
and design modifications. At one point in the 50s, the Telecaster features a
white-transparent-blonde body, with a white pickguard.
It is important to note that at one point, the Telecaster
decided to abandon its trademark design of anchoring the strings through the
guitar body (a design feature which has been responsible for Fender’s sound),
and instead opted to go with a top-mounted bridge, but Fender soon decided to
revert back to the original design and has stuck with it since!
The 50s also saw Fender upgrade the Telecaster’s neck rosewood
fingerboard. This two-piece neck design is something which gave the guitar a
much more ‘darker’ tone.
Fender also introduced the Telecaster Custom, which was a
more expensive, custom-built version of the vanilla model. This custom model
featured rosewood fingerboard (similar to traditional models), however it had a
beautiful sunburnt-orange-yellow finish. Along with its top and back edges,
this made for an attractive-looking guitar. Telecasters with maple fingerboards
(with the fingerboard being a separate piece of wood this time) were also
introduced in the 60s.
Another model, the Telecaster Thinline was introduced in the
60s, and featured a mahogany semi-hollow body (which understandably gave it a
warmer tone), with an F-hole – design changes aimed at making the guitar
lighter than its predecessor.
The 70s saw the second iteration of the Custom see the light
of the day, a guitar which featured a humbucking pickup in the neck. Another
new model, the Teelcaster Deluxe, featured dual humbuckers and a four-knob
layout. And finally, the Telecaster Thinline with two humbuckers was also introduced.
All three guitars were monumentally popular upon release, and have remained so
to date.
In the 80s, after a change in ownership and there being a
demand for old ‘retro’ styled guitars, Fender started producing them once again,
as vintage reissue guitars – the first among them being the ’52 Telecaster. Now,
anyone looking for a retro-styled Telecaster can easily get one, and many
‘reissue’ guitars (including Strats) are available out there. The reissue
Telecasters include Squier models, cheaper instruments which are made in Mexico
to high-end stuff like the models from the Custom Shop!
Reasons behind the Telecaster’s Popularity
The Telecaster remains one of the most highest-selling
guitars of the modern era, and easily Fender’s best-selling guitar alongside Fender’s
‘Stratocaster’ line of guitars.
The Telecaster is one of the main reasons why the word
‘Fender’ is so widely-known and highly respected in the music industry.
The reasons why the Telecaster has been so popular ever
since it first saw the light of day in the 50, till date, is mainly because of
the simplicity of the guitar, and of course, its tone.
But perhaps the reason why the Telecaster has become an
iconic piece of musical instrument, is the fact that like other great guitars
of its time (the Stratocaster and the Les Paul, most notably), it was able to
change and adapt according to the music that was popular at each point of time
in history.
This is the reason why Telecasters have been used to play
all genres ranging from Rock, Metal, Pop, Jazz, Country, Blues, Reggae and
Funk, to name just a few. And used by names such as Jimmy Page, Chet Atkins,
Bruce Springsteen, Deryck Whibley, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Eddie
Vedder!
Truly, an evergreen piece of instrument in the world of music!
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