Model

Fender Telecaster

Type of guitar

Launched in 1950 and renamed the Telecaster in 1951, it was the first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar. Its single-cutaway slab body, bolt-on maple neck, and two single-coil pickups produce a bright, cutting twang that became foundational to country, rock, blues, and pop.

Technical line drawing of Fender Telecaster
Technical line drawing of Fender Telecaster

Sources

Category

Made by

  • Fender

    Fender is an American maker of electric guitars, basses, and amplifiers, founded in California in 1946. Its Telecaster, Stratocaster, and Precision Bass are among the most influential solid-body electric instruments ever built.

Family models

  • Fender American Vintage '52 Telecaster

    Electric guitar · United States

    A faithful reissue recreating the specifications of the 1952 Telecaster, with an ash body, one-piece maple neck, and a pair of vintage-voiced single-coil pickups through a traditional three-way circuit. It is built for players who want the bright, twangy character and feel of an early-fifties Tele.

  • Jim Root Telecaster

    Electric guitar

    A signature Telecaster for Slipknot guitarist Jim Root, built for heavy music and minimalism. It uses active humbucking pickups, a single volume control with no tone knob, and is typically finished in flat black or white with an ebony fingerboard.

  • Technical line drawing of Fender Telecaster Thinline

    Fender Telecaster Thinline

    Electric guitar

    A semi-hollow Telecaster introduced in 1968 with a routed body and a single f-hole that reduce weight and add airiness. The original kept two single-coils, while the 1972 Thinline adopted a pair of Fender Wide Range humbuckers for a thicker tone.

  • Fender J5 Telecaster

    Electric guitar

    A signature Telecaster for guitarist John 5, stripped down for hard rock and metal use. It pairs a bridge humbucker with a single-coil neck pickup and is usually finished in stark black-and-chrome or similarly bold cosmetic schemes.

  • Fender Telecaster Custom

    Electric guitar

    A dressed-up Telecaster variant. The original 1959 Custom added body binding to the standard Tele, while the better-known 1972 version paired a Fender Wide Range humbucker in the neck position with a single-coil bridge pickup and a four-knob control layout, broadening the Tele's tonal range.

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