14 Best Telecaster Guitars in 2024

Throughout the history of solid-body electric guitars, there are a few electric guitar designs that have become an icon of American music and culture as the Fender Telecaster. You might think of guitars like Stratocaster or a Les Paul, but the oldest and the original, iconic American solid-body guitar is the Telecaster.

Telecasters are the world’s first commercially successful electric guitars, and the very first Telecasters (known as Broadcasters at the time) were introduced to the world in 1950. Since then, the guitar hasn’t really changed much and it’s pretty much the same shape and specifications as the original Telecasters, except for some details.

Fender Telecaster Guitars Featured Image

It’s really been a staple in the music industry for over 70 years now, and the Telecasters are an extremely versatile guitar that has been used for many genres, including rock, pop, country, jazz, folk, blues, punk, metal, alternative, RnB, and reggae. The design and features are relatively simple, but the Telecasters are magical instruments that can blend into so many different styles of music. Over the years our team at Guitar Lobby has owned and tested dozens of them, and in the rest of this article, we’ll be sharing the best Telecaster guitars at each price point.

Name of ProductImage of ProductDescriptionPrice RangeFull Review
1. Fender American Professional II Telecaster (Best Value)Fender American Professional II TelecasterBody Style: Solid body electric guitar
Top: Alder
$1500Read Full Review Below
2. Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 70th Anniversary Broadcaster Relic (Best Overall)Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 70th Anniversary Broadcaster RelicBody Style: Solid body electric guitar
Top: 2-Piece Ash
$4150Read Full Review Below
3. Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster (Editor's Choice)Fender American Ultra Luxe TelecasterBody Style: Solid body electric guitar
Top:
Ash
$2400Read Full Review Below
4. Fender Player Telecaster (Best Under $1000)Fender Player TelecasterBody Style: Solid body electric guitar
Top: Alder
$800Read Full Review Below
5. Fender American Ultra TelecasterFender American Ultra TelecasterBody Style: Solid body electric body
Top: Alder
$2000Read Full Review Below
6. Fender American Performer TelecasterFender American Performer TelecasterBody Style: Single Cutaway
Top: Alder
$1300Read Full Review Below
7. Fender 75th Anniversary TelecasterFender 75th Anniversary TelecasterBody Style: Solid body electric guitar
Top: Alder
$900Read Full Review Below
8. Fender Jimmy Page TelecasterFender Jimmy Page TelecasterBody Style: Solid body electric guitar
Top: 2-piece Ash
$1550Read Full Review Below
9. Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s TelecasterSquier Classic Vibe ‘50s TelecasterBody Style: Solid Body Electric Guitar
Top: Pine
$450Read Full Review Below
10.  Fender Deluxe Telecaster ThinlineFender Deluxe Telecaster ThinlineBody Style: Semi-hollowbody Thinline
Top: Alder
$1100Read Full Review Below
11. Fender Noventa TelecasterFender Noventa Telecaster Vintage BlondeBody Style: Solid Body
Top: Adler
$1000Read Full Review Below
12. Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HHFender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HHBody Style: Solid body Telecaster
Top: Carved Flamed Maple
$800Read Full Review Below
13. Fender Deluxe Nashville TelecasterFender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster daphne blueBody Style: Solid Body
Top: Adler
$1000Read Full Review Below
14. Squier Affinity Series TelecasterSquier Affinity Series TelecasterBody Style: Solid body electric guitar
Top: Alder
$230Read Full Review Below

Here Are the Best Fender Telecaster Guitars

1. Fender American Professional II Telecaster (Best Value)

Fender American Professional II Telecaster

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Estimated Price $1700
Body Style Solid body electric guitar
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups V-Mod II Tele Single-coil

My Review: After the groundbreaking debut of the new Fender Professional series in 2017, Fender decided to upgrade the guitar once more, and came out with the all-new Fender American Professional II series. The Professional Series by Fender has had massive success in the guitar market, and they have been loved by both working musicians and guitar hobbyists.

Fender has been trying to upgrade their classic models every year, and the Fender Professional II Series has the latest improvements, upgrades, and developments from Fender. The process of releasing the Professional II Series has been tough because they had to launch this series right in the middle of the pandemic. But through the help of artists and influencers on the social media platform, they were able to get lots of people excited about the new line of Fender guitars.

The Telecaster is a historic instrument that goes back to the very beginning of the solid body guitars, and it’s always difficult to make a “modern” version of this classic guitar. But with the Fender American Professional II Telecaster, Fender has been able to find a perfect balance of groundbreaking, new technology, and classic, vintage features of the Telecaster. From the newest pickups designed by Tim Shaw to the new “deep” neck profile and body contour, the Fender Professional II Telecaster has a lot to be excited about.

Key Specs and Features: The American Professional II Telecaster has a bunch of new features like the newly-designed pickups and neck profile, but let’s first take a look at the classic Telecaster features of the Am Pro II Tele. The general shape of the Telecaster is pretty much the classic Telecaster shape: single cutaway solid body shape with narrow shoulders. But the new version has a contoured neck heel on the backside, and the contoured neck heel isn’t noticeable from the front side, but when you go up to the high frets, the contoured neck heel definitely makes playing a lot easier.

The Deep C neck profile is also another addition to the guitar, and the Deep C neck profile has more roundness to the back contour. The Deep C neck profile fits into your hand very with ease, and many owners of this guitar testify that the Deep C neck profile is certainly more comfortable than the previous Modern C neck profile. Fender also added in “Super-Natural” satin finish on the neck, and it’s also another factor that will make your playing experience so much more enjoyable with this guitar.

Fender also put in the effort to upgrade their bridge by putting in a “cut” 3-saddle top-load/string-through bridge. The 3-Saddle Top-load String-through body with Brass Bullet Saddles gives a throwback, classic Tele looks while enhancing the intonation and makes individual string tension session much more approachable.

Electronics: Fender American Professional II Telecaster comes with an upgraded version of the previous V-Mod single coil pickups – the V-Mod II Telecaster single coils. The new V-Mod II Telecaster is designed by the pickup guru, Tim Shaw, and it was designed to have vintage Tele characteristics while also having an enhanced clarity. The new V-Mod II pickups really help bring out the unique twang and clarity of a Telecaster, and they are perfect for so many different styles of music.

The V-Mod II Tele pickups have a volume mod circuit that will allow you to pull back on the gain knob while still retaining the top end, and this feature is very useful in live performing situations for so many reasons. Because the volume and gain knobs are so sensitive and intentionally designed to give many colors, you can really explore the full-gain, “open” tone, and more backed-off “analog” tone. Just by carefully using the tone and volume knobs, you can get a whole variety of tones with different levels of gain. Additionally, there’s also a push/push switch on the tone knob for a more diverse tone palette option, and when activated, you can voice both bridge and neck pickup in series.

Bottom Line: Fender American Professional II Telecaster is the 2020 upgrade of the popular Fender American Telecaster, and it has minor upgrades like contoured neck heel, updated V-Mod II pickups, and the new Deep C neck profile. Overall, it’s a do-it-all, modern Telecaster designed to be great in many different styles of music. We highly recommend the American Professional II Telecaster to young guitarists and working musicians.

2. Fender Custom Shop Telecaster Relic (Best Overall)

Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 70th Anniversary Broadcaster Relic

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Estimated Price $4500
Body Style Solid body electric guitar
Top 2-Piece Ash
Back and Sides 2-Piece Ash
Neck Maple
Fret Count 21, Medium Vintage
Pickups Custom Shop Hand-Wound ‘50-’51 Single coil

My Review: Looking at the history of electric guitars, the Fender Telecasters were one of the earliest solid body electric guitars to come out, and they are the true original solid body electric guitars. The very original batches of solid body electric guitars by Fender were called “Broadcasters”, and the first Broadcasters came out in 1950. Coincidentally, their rival Gretsch had already used the name “Broadkaster” for their line of drums, and the naming rights for “Broadcaster” were already taken by Gresch at the time.

So Fender had to give up the name Broadcaster and for a brief period of time in 1951, they released the Broadcasters with no name. These rare guitars that were released during this brief period became “Nocaster” guitars, and these are pretty hard to come by because they were produced for just less than a year from February 1951 to September 1951. In October of 1951, the Nocasters were now called “Telecasters”, and the rest is history.

Luckily, Fender decided to revive the legendary Nocasters, and the Fender Custom Shop has put in countless hours on perfecting this 70th Anniversary Nocaster. It’s got the gorgeous Aged Nocaster Blonde finish, and the guitar brings you straight back to 1950. They are the first official Broadcasters to be sold by Fender in 70 years, and they are selling them for a limited quantity for 2020 only.

It’s a rare opportunity to get a genuine revived version for a Fender Broadcaster, and this is surely something that will excite any serious Fender fan. Sure, the price is double the “standard” telecaster models put out by Fender, but for hardcore vintage guitar fans, this is a chance to experience a Nocaster in literally “new and fresh” conditions – straight out from the Fender Custom Shop.

Key Specs and Features: Fender Custom Shop Relic Telecasters have a design and a feel that brings you right back to the early 1950s when Broadcasters were the new, revolutionary guitar to change the course of history in the coming years. The 70th Anniversary Broadcaster has the vintage-style 3-saddle bridge with a baseball bat-like ‘50 Broadcaster U-shaped neck, knurled dome knobs, and a 1-ply black phenolic pickguard. And topped with the Nocaster Blonde finish, the 70th Anniversary Broadcaster remains a timeless masterpiece, and no longer a mythical creature in hiding.

The 70th Anniversary Broadcaster has a 2-piece select ash body with an off-center seam, and this is a great base for maximum resonance and allows the notes to really sing. Also, the Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish with relic’d body remains as a very thin finish on the body, and it doesn’t interfere with the resonance of the Telecaster. And when you take the guitar out of the vintage tweed hardshell case, you’ll notice the incredible lightweight of the Telecaster – always a great sign when determining a top-quality instrument.

One of the main determining factors of a vintage-style Telecaster and a modern Telecaster is the neck profile. Modern telecasters will often come with a Modern-C shape neck, but the vintage style Telecasters used to have a thicker U-shaped neck. And the 70th Anniversary Broadcaster has one of the fattest necks in the business. Sure, to modern guitar players who haven’t dealt with vintage-style necks, the super fat U neck might not be the most comfortable. But once the hands start to get used to the fat ‘50s-style neck, it’ll be hard not to have a fat neck all the time.

By playing a thicker neck, you get more sustain and a darker, fuller tone than the thinner necks. The fingerboard is a 7.25’’ to 9.5’’ compound-radius fingerboard, which is a spot-on recreation of the ‘50s Nocaster fingerboard. These features combined with a bone nut, 21 medium-vintage frets, and a tinted flash-coat lacquer finish, playing on this Nocaster neck is effortless and will be a pleasurable experience for all vintage lovers. And we also have to mention that the 70th Anniversary Broadcaster will come with a deluxe hardshell case that will ensure this treasure of a guitar will stay safe and undamaged.

Electronics: With such an expensive Telecaster, you would expect the pickups to be special – and they are. The 70th Anniversary Broadcaster comes with two hand-wound Custom Shop ‘50-’51 Blackguard single coil pickups, and these things make sure that you get that original Broadcaster sound straight from 1950. Some characteristics of the pickups include chiming top end and warm & snuggly lows, which are also some of the traits that made Telecasters so popular for such a long time.

The pickups have a ‘51 modded Nocaster wiring, with a blender pot and the neck position has a slightly brighter tone for playing rhythm guitar. But if you also want the modern versatile tone, there is also a Fat ‘50s control assembly included in the Telecaster. To compliment the amazing pickups, there is also a 10k ohm resistor and a 0.001uF capacitor onboard.

The tone from the neck position has a Strat-like character with a brighter rhythm tone and has a gorgeous, smooth attack. The bridge position is the real deal when it comes to Telecasters, and the 70th Anniversary Broadcaster’s bridge position delivers super clear and magnified bridge tones with plenty of highs and mids. It’s exactly the tone that you look for on a vintage-style Telecaster. The tone controls and volume controls are also very sensitive and work beautifully – as you turn them down, the highs might go a little bit, but you don’t lose any definition in the process.

Bottom Line: There have certainly been a little too many vintage-style Telecasters that have come out over the years by various brands including Fender, and you might think that the world has had enough clones of vintage-style Telecasters. But the 2020 edition of the vintage-style Telecaster – Fender 70th Anniversary Broadcaster proves that there is still room for a more vintage-style Telecaster that will get the Fender fans extremely excited.

These things have the looks, feel, and sound of a true Nocaster. And although the pricing is quite high for a Fender guitar, compared to a Gibson with similar specs, the pricing is worth the quality of this particular Broadcaster. For genuine Fender Telecasters looking for a modern version of Nocaster, the Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 70th Anniversary Broadcaster is for you!

3. Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster (Editor’s Choice)

Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster

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Estimated Price $2500
Body Style Solid body electric guitar
Top Ash
Back and Sides Ash
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele Single Coil

My Review: After a successful release of the Fender Ultra Telecaster in 2019, Fender decided to take their Ultra series to another level, and released the Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster in 2021. Since the Fender American Professional series, they have been constantly trying to upgrade and add new technology into their classic models like the Telecaster and the Stratocaster. Many of their new line of guitars focused on producing the best modern guitar for modern guitar players, and the American Ultra Luxe Telecaster takes that idea one step further. American Ultra Luxe Tele has the latest guitar technology like the S-1 switch, noiseless pickups, compound-radius fingerboard, and a tapered neck heel to make the playing experience even more pleasurable.

Key Specs and Features: Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster has a stylistic ash body that has striking colors and attractive chrome hardware with knurled flat-top control knobs. It also has a unique black headstock with an embossed Fender logo, and all of these unique, visual features give the Telecaster a very futuristic look.

The neck is also very unique; it’s a maple neck with an augmented “D” shape neck profile. The augmented “D” profile is designed to give you ample space to wrap your hands around the neck, and this neck is just an extremely comfortable neck to play any style of music on. Neck also has a super-slick Ultra Satin finish for effortless movement up and down the neck, and the compound radius with stainless steel medium-jumbo frets makes the playing experience even better. And finally, there’s also a tapered neck heel for easy access to upper frets, and it allows you to play wild bends on the highest frets as well.

Electronics: American Ultra Luxe Tele features Fender’s new Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele Single coil pickups. The default tones from these single coil pickups are pretty vintage and royal to the traditional Telecaster tones. But what’s amazing is the revolutionary Noiseless circuitry behind these pickups, and they help eliminate the signal noise and hum. This amazing technology works extremely well with any kind of amplifier you use – whether they are the old-school tube amps, digital modeling software, or even high-gain stacks.

What’s more, is that there is an S-1 switch on the volume knob, and when activated, you can get a humbucker sound from single coils. It’s another revolutionary technology that just takes the versatility aspect of this guitar to another level. With all these features, the sky’s the limit with the American Ultra Luxe Tele. From hardcore rock and metal to jazz ballads, this guitar can work for most styles of music.

Bottom Line: Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster is the newest upgrade of the new modern wave of Fender guitars, and although it might not be all that different from the Ultra Telecaster, there are still new features that have upgraded this guitar. Features like the S-1 switch, Ultra Noiseless Vintage single coil pickups, and Augmented “D” neck profile make this Telecaster a series contender for modern guitar players.

4. Fender Player Telecaster (Best Under $1000)

Fender Player Telecaster

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Estimated Price $850
Body Style Solid body electric guitar
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups Player Series Alnico 5 Tele Single-coil

My Review: With the Fender Player Series, Fender tried to go back to their original models and recreate more historically accurate body shapes and went back to the classic logo on the headstock – all while keeping the price way below $1000. They achieved the $800 price point by producing the Player Series in Mexico, but the quality and the details are just as good as the American-made counterparts.

Chris Schiebel playing Fender Player Series Telecaster

The finish options are simple but elegant, and don’t let its humble looks and price fool you into thinking that the Player Telecaster is a beginner guitar. From the electronics and the build material, Player Telecaster has similar qualities to a high-level, authentic Fender Telecaster. For people looking for mid-priced telecasters, the Fender Player Telecaster is definitely the best bang for your buck, and it has everything you want in a Telecaster.

Key Specs and Features: Fender Player Telecaster has many authentic qualities that are inspired by the vintage Fender Telecasters. Player Telecaster has the classic Alder body with a Maple neck and Maple fingerboard, which has been the secret ingredient of Fender since its beginning. This combination of Alder and Maple lays the groundwork for a snappy feel and clear tone, and it’s one of the key ingredients that give the guitar its signature Fender Telecaster sound.

There are some changes that upgraded the guitar; the Player Telecaster has an added 22nd fret, all-purpose fretboard radius, and a set of old-school bent-steel saddles. One more added fret might not sound like much, but having that extra high note makes a world of difference and it gives you so much more sonic choice at the top of the range. The set of old-school bent-steel saddles and the new fretboard radius provide a long-sustaining tone and helps with accurate intonation.

The neck profile is the modern C-shape, and it has been getting lots of positive feedback from the guitar players. It’s certainly a very comfortable neck to play on, and the modern C-shape neck profile seems to be the standard for young guitar players today, as opposed to the vintage V-shape neck profile. The neck also has a satin finish at the back and a gloss finish at the front side. The satin finish at the back makes moving around the neck much easier, and this neck is a joy to play on.

Electronics: The Player Telecaster has the Player Series Alnico 5 Tele single coils, and these are the perfect pickups for cutting through a thick mix of the band, and they have so much punch and output. Alnico V pickups have been the gold standard for many of the classic solid body electric guitars, and they are often the perfect pick when it comes to achieving that classic Fender Strat and Tele tone.

The Player Series Alnico 5 Telecaster single coil pickups are amazing pickups for getting a wild country tone, silky jazz tones, powerful rock tones, as well as tight funk guitar tones. Player Telecaster has the classic barrel switch for three positions – bridge, bridge and neck, and the neck pickup. And just like the classic Tele, the Player Telecaster comes with two simple knobs – tone and volume control knobs.

Bottom Line: The Fender Player Telecaster is such a great catch for any guitarist looking for a Telecaster – from complete beginner to professional guitarists. Player Telecaster has many of the classic looks, feel, and sound of the vintage Telecaster, while also having modern, attractive attributes as well. Most importantly, the price point of a Telecaster of this quality is just unbelievable, and if you’re not stubborn about getting an American-made guitar, the Player Telecaster is definitely the top choice for a mid-priced Telecaster. Overall I’d say this is the best Fender Telecaster guitar under $1000 right now.

5. Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Fender American Ultra Telecaster

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Estimated Price $2100
Body Style Solid body electric body
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele Single-coil

My Review: Fender’s senior product manager, Matt Davey said that Fender’s product categories are split into three: vintage-inspired, contemporary, and advanced. Many of the Telecasters like Professional and Performer Telecasters would be in the contemporary category. We haven’t looked at a Telecaster in the “advanced” category of the Fender product line, and the Fender American Ultra Telecaster would be a perfect example of a Telecaster in the advanced category.

Chris Schiebel reviewing the Fender American Ultra Telecaster

The American Ultra Telecaster is the pinnacle of the modern Fender Telecaster, and it has a beautiful, classy modern build with all the latest technology and newest finish options. And because of all the latest technology and all the Fender’s finest specs in the Ultra Telecaster, the guitar is offered at a high-end price point of $2000.

Key Specs and Features: Fender Ultra Telecaster features its unique bound alder body that showcases a balanced blend of lows, mids, and highs. Fender put a lot of effort into making sure that the playing experience is the best that it can be, and the Ultra Telecaster comes with belly and arm contours for maximum playing comfort, especially for prolonged playing time sitting down with the guitar.

The neck and fretboard have also been upgraded, and the maple neck features a comfortable 10’’-14’’ compound radius with 22 medium-jumbo frets. The details on the fingerboard are amazing, and it features rolled fingerboard edges for playing comfort. But the real highlight is the Modern D profile, which was an upgrade from the classic D neck profile on the vintage Telecasters. The difference between this neck profile and the previous version is that the Modern D Profile has relatively shallow shoulders instead of the old flat-back with square shoulders.

Each player will prefer different neck profiles, but the Modern D neck profile will be more suitable for guitar players that are transitioning from C-shaped neck profiles. Also, the slick Ultra Satin finish will allow you to slide up and down the neck without any drag and you’ll be able to go from the open string position to the 22nd fret in an instant. The final upgrade on the neck is the taper neck heel, and the taper neck heel will be a huge help in the higher register on the guitar.

When you pick up the guitar, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to play on the high position with that extra tapered neck heel. Also, we can’t forget to mention the gorgeous embossed Fender headstock logo, which adds a whole another layer of luxury to this instrument.

Fender Ultra Telecaster’s hardware is focused on being modern, and it has six chromed brass block saddles for great sustain through and through. The guitar also comes with Schaller S-Lock strap buttons and locking elements. This allows you to strap in and never have to worry about the strap getting loose and dangling, or possibly even dropping the guitar. The side-placed Electrosocket jack mount also adds an elegant touch to this Telecaster.

Electronics: The Fender American Ultra Telecaster features the Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele single coil pickups. The Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele single coil pickups are vintage-inspired, but it has state-of-the-art modern specs that make this a next-level pickup for modern guitarists. Onboard the pickup, Fender added the revolutionary Noiseless circuitry to eliminate any possible signal noise and hum that usually comes with many other single coil pickups.

Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele single coils work beautifully with anything from old-school tube combos, digital modeling software, high-gain stacks, and it’s like a chameleon in terms of its ability to blend into so many different kinds of amp types.

But there’s more to this pickup than just the versatility and wide range of gorgeous Tele tones with minimal noise and hum. Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele single coils also have an S-1 switch placed in the volume knob, and when activated you can experience humbucker tones from a single coil pickup. The knobs are pretty classic with a master volume knob(with S-1 switch), a master tone knob, and a 3-way blade pickup switch to go from neck – neck and bridge – bridge positions.

Bottom Line: The bottom line is that when Fender puts a relatively high price for their new Telecaster, there’s a good reason for it. Fender American Ultra Telecaster is an amazing successor to the Fender American Elite Telecaster, and it’s the ultimate dream Telecaster for any modern guitarist. From their contoured body made of bounder alder, super comfortable neck, and revolutionary Noiseless single coil pickups, the Fender American Ultra Telecaster is every bit worth the $2000 price tag.

6. Fender American Performer Telecaster

Fender American Performer Telecaster

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Estimated Price $1400
Body Style Single Cutaway
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder and Ash
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups Yosemite Single-Coil Telecaster Pickups

My Review: Next Telecaster that we are going to talk about is the Fender American Performer Telecaster. Although there are many great high-end options for the Telecaster, we are going to look at one of the most commercial options for the Telecaster. In 2017, Fender released their American Professional Series that featured their all-new modern, revised versions of their classics like Stratocasters and Telecasters.

Then in 2019, Fender released another new line of Fender American Performer Series, which replaced the previous ‘gateway’ American Specials. The Fender Performer series are sold at a slightly cheaper price point than the Professional series, and the Fender Performer series have been getting a great review and praise from the public and the media since their release.

Many people might be more familiar with Fender Stratocasters than Fender Telecasters, but the two guitars are two distant cousins with different characteristics. Although they are both extremely versatile axes that can be used for many styles of music, Telecasters tend to have a more punchy, and twangy characteristic in their sound. Fender American Performer Telecaster is a modern, and complete Telecaster designed for modern guitarists.

Key Specs and Features: Fender Performer Telecaster’s choices of finishes are very unique; finish options range from Penny, Vintage White, Satin Sonic Blue, and Honey Burst. The new finish options give a refreshing look to the classic electric guitar and breathes new life to the massively popular guitar. Fender Performer Telecaster has the classic Alder body with a bolt-on maple neck with a 9.5’’ radius maple fingerboard, and there are a total of 22 jumbo-sized frets, finished with a synthetic bone nut.

The neck profile of the Performer Telecaster is a slim ‘Modern C’ profile; a slightly thinner version of the C-shaped neck. Thinner necks are more suitable for modern genres like modern rock and pop, and the slim ‘Modern C’ allows for very up and down movement on the neck and it’s great for playing fast lines all over the neck.

Additionally, the Truss-rod adjustment is at the headstock for easy accessibility, and Fender’s new ClassicGear machine heads have an 18:1 gear ratio for smoother and more precise tuning. The higher-ratio tuners are a great asset for guitar players that want to record with this guitar – especially when recording against precise electronic instruments or recording with a large ensemble. The bridge is composed of a 3x brass saddle string-through-body bridge for a very solid base.

Electronics: The new feature that really put the Fender Professional Series and Performer Series on the map was their all-new V-Mod pickup system designed by legendary pickup designer Tim Shaw.

The Professional Series was the first V-Mod pickup system released by Fender in 2017, and the American Series was followed by their uniquely designed pickup systems. The Performer Telecaster comes with a set of pickups called the Yosemite Single Coils, named after the famous American national park. The Yosemite Single Coils has a middle pickup with reverse-wound and reverse polarity, while a push/pull tone pot adds the neck pickup in parallel.

Pickups have a simple three-way wiring, and the pickups also come with a Fender Greasebucket tone circuit, which is a system that gives way to more clear high-end. The general tone palette of the guitar is on the brighter side, and it’s voiced clear and has enough power at the bridge position for some hard rock-n-roll. The middle positions provide a satisfying range of twang and silkiness that is great for funk and blues. Overall, the new Performer Telecaster seems to have a very wide range of tones available while retaining the classic Telecaster tone.

Bottom Line: Following the successful American Professional series, Fender continues to deliver an all-new high-quality line of Telecasters with all-new features that makes it stand out from the rest. The American Performer Telecaster is the perfect guitar for modern guitarists that are into rock, blues, country, pop, and even surf. If the Fender Professional Series were too pricey for your budget, the new Fender Performer Telecaster is an amazing alternative.

7. Fender 75th Anniversary Telecaster

Fender 75th Anniversary Telecaster

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Estimated Price $900
Body Style Solid body electric guitar
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups Vintage-style ‘50s Tele Single Coil

My Review: The Fender 75th Anniversary Telecaster is a guitar designed to celebrate 75 years since Clarence Leonidas Fender launched the legendary guitar company. The 75th Anniversary Telecaster is such a unique opportunity to experience a limited edition Tele at an incredibly affordable price of just under $900. It’s a Mexican-made Fender Tele, and we know from all our previous experience that Mexican-made Fender guitars are just as good as their American counterparts.

You might expect the 75th Anniversary Teles to have completely vintage specs to celebrate the original Telecasters, but Fender has decided to celebrate their 75th by producing a modern and evolved version of the Telecaster with the unique Diamond metallic finish with matching headstock.

Key Specs and Features: Fender 75th Anniversary Telecaster has the classic Telecaster body and neck – an alder body with a maple neck. The standard alder body serves as the blueprint for most of the Telecasters today due to its ability to produce a balanced-sounding blend of lows, mids, and highs. The neck on this guitar is also top-quality: classic maple neck with a maple fingerboard.

The neck profile is designed for the modern players as opposed to the old vintage style neck, and the neck profile is a Player Series-derived Modern “C” shaped maple neck and 9.5-inch-radius fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets. The backside of the neck is finished with a smooth satin urethane, providing a comfortable and speedy feel. Grabbing the neck and cranking on the maple neck feels amazing, and Fender really focused on helping the guitar player and not getting in the way of the playing.

75th Anniversary Tele has a solid bridge plate with six block steel saddles, providing a stable tuning and stays in tune even after wild bends and vibratos. On top of that, the 75th Anniversary Tele has enclosed Schaller tuners, hex-key-adjustable truss rod socket, and visible neck pickup adjustment screws for easy adjustments on the pickup height.

Electronics: 7th Anniversary Tele comes with Vintera ‘50s single-coil Telecaster pickups, which are designed by the master pickup designer Tim Shaw. Vintera ‘50s single coil pickups come with Alnico II and III magnets, Formvar-coated wire, and stagger beveled pole pieces. All of these components make a fabulous vintage pickup that does a great job of delivering that snarling tone of the original Telecasters.

The tone of Vintera ‘50s Telecaster pickups can be described as “warm and twangy” and the Mexican Telecaster is on the brighter side in terms of tone, which is exactly what most people look for in a Telecaster anyway. When you add some gain into the guitar, the Telecaster starts to get raspy but the general feedback is the Mexican version seems to be on the more “polite” side compared to the American-made counterpart.

The bridge pickup, though, seems to be an incredibly versatile pickup position, and it can work beautifully with a variety of genres from modern country, rock, hot blues, and funk. The neck pickup of the 75th Anniversary Telecaster has an SRV-like quality, and it’s a very musical and expressive pickup position.

Bottom Line: Fender’s 75th Anniversary Telecaster seems to be a massive success, and Fender has again pulled off an amazing feat of producing an affordable priced Telecaster that has features and sounds of vintage Telecaster(with modernized specs). The Mexican-made Limited Edition Telecaster is a great tribute to the old while getting a modern upgrade to get the maximum versatility.

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8. Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster

Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster

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Estimated Price $1600
Body Style Solid body electric guitar
Top 2-piece Ash
Back and Sides 2-piece Ash
Neck Maple
Fret Count 21
Pickups Jimmy Page Custom ‘59 Single Coil

My Review: The legendary guitarist Jimmy Page has a long history with Telecaster, and the Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster is a really exciting signature guitar for all the Jimmy Page admirers and fans. Jimmy Page played the Telecaster during the earlier part of the career, and Jimmy Page got his first Telecaster during his time with the Yardbirds, a Telecaster that originally belonged to Jeff Beck.

Jimmy Page used that Telecaster to play the parts that Jeff Beck used to play in the Yardbirds, and soon after Jimmy redesigned and made alterations to the legendary Telecaster. Jimmy ended up first putting up mirrors on the guitar for aesthetics but later painted over the Telecaster at the start of his Led Zeppelin years. And that guitar became the famous “Dragon Telecaster”.

The “Mirror Telecaster” is mostly associated with the final years of Jimmy Page with the Yardbirds, and the “Dragon Telecaster” marks the beginning of Jimmy Page’s career with the legendary Led Zeppelin.

The “Dragon Telecaster” was part of so many legendary performances and recordings until 1970, like the New York Fillmore East show, where Led Zeppelin first appeared on the American music scene. And most famously, the “Dragon Telecaster” is known for recording one of the most iconic guitar solos in history – the guitar solo in Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”.

The Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster is such a special Telecaster, mainly due to the fact that Jimmy Page was personally involved in every step of the process of “cloning” this Telecaster to its perfection. Working with the master builders like Paul Waller at the Fender Custom Shop, the Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster is a masterful signature guitar that the legend himself approves, and for those of you that can’t afford the American-made version, there is even a Mexican-built Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster available at an affordable price.

Key Specs and Features: Jimmy Page Telecaster has the 2-piece ash body and nitrocellulose lacquer finish, which is exactly what Jimmy Page had with his original Telecaster at the time. The Nitro finish is a lot thinner than today’s common polyurethane finishes, and what this does is the thin Nitro finish lets the guitar breathe, and as time passes, it will age a lot nicer.

The body has a milk off-white semi-translucent finish combined with a grain of the ash and offset seam of the two pieces on the bass side of the body. The combination of a 2-piece ash body with a Nitro finish looks beautiful visually, but these specs improve the tone of the guitar as well.

The Fender Jimmy Page Tele has a historically accurate Classic Thin D neck with a vintage fingerboard radius. Classic Thin D was a standard neck profile back in the late 1950s, and the neck is thin with a little more meat to them. The neck is an incredibly comfortable one – allowing for massive vibratos and bends, and effortless movement all around the neck. Jimmy Page Telecaster has a rosewood fingerboard with a vintage-spec 7.24’’ radius, and 21 vintage frets with dot inlays.

Hardware is also just as it was with Jimmy’s original Telecaster, and the bridge is a 3-saddle Vintage-style String-through bridge. And tuners are Vintage single line Fender Deluxe tuners. To really be historically accurate, you will get eight round mirrors inside the vintage tweed case. This was a tribute to Jimmy Page’s first prototype that was short-lived, but still an important moment in electric guitar history.

Electronics: The pickups on the Jimmy Page Telecaster are the Jimmy Page Custom ‘59 Single coil pickups, and these will deliver a massive punch! They were designed to Jimmy’s exact specifications on his original Tele, and it will have all the Tele bite and satisfying crunch that we’ve all heard on early Zeppelin records.

As expected, the bridge pickup position packs the most punch and attack, and combined with some amp gain and overdrive, you’ll be able to experience that Zeppelin guitar tone – cutting through all the heavy rhythm section with sizzling-hot chords and wailing guitar solos.

But that’s not all. By pulling back on the volume and slight tweaks on the tone knobs, you can also achieve a vintage-y Fender Tele clean tone. As you pull the volume back, the highs will be cut and the tone can get pretty dark as you lower the volume knob. The neck pickup has a slightly more gentle and expressive tone. It’s definitely more suitable for expressive blues playing but still has hints of that classic Tele sparkle.

The Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster is certainly one of the best vintage-style brand-new Teles out there, simply because with just the guitar and a decent amp, you can get so many varieties of quality Tele tones. From studio uses to live shows, the Fender Jimmy Page Telecaster is definitely worth every bit of the $2500, and this is a sort of guitar that you can continue to discover new tones even after years of playing it.

Bottom Line: From being historically accurate to being a beautiful guitar with a wide variety of gorgeous Tele tones, the Jimmy Page Tele is certainly a dream guitar for both Led Zeppelin fans and Telecaster fans. The legendary Jimmy Page was involved in all the steps of creating this perfect recreation of the legendary Telecaster, and Mr. Page made sure he got all the details of the Telecaster perfect. A great vintage Telecaster at an amazing price.

9. Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Telecaster

Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Telecaster

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Estimated Price $460
Body Style Solid Body Electric Guitar
Top Pine
Back and Sides Pine
Neck Maple
Fret Count 21 Frets
Pickups Fender Designed Alnico Single Coil

My Review: Now that we have looked at some mid to high-priced Telecasters, we are going to look at cheap Telecasters that are great for the value. Squier is the subsidiary company of Fender that specializes in producing cheap and affordable versions of Fender guitars. Obviously, the quality might not be at the same level as Fender Telecasters, but Squier guitars are amazing tools for beginners to learn the craft of the guitar.

Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s is a celebration of the original 1950s Fender “black guard” Telecasters, and it’s a chance to experience the original Telecaster at a bargain price. You can even get the Butterscotch Blonde finish, which was the original 1950s Telecaster finish color. To anyone looking to get into playing the guitar with a Telecaster, the Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Telecaster might be a great place to start your guitar journey.

Key Specs and Features: The general look and the aesthetics of the Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Tele are very luxurious and does not feel like a cheap guitar at all. Especially with the added Butterscotch Blonde Finish, the guitar looks similar to the actual Fender vintage Telecaster. Now looking closely at the guitar body, the body is a four-piece pine body – which is very different from the usual alder body.

In terms of the tone, you certainly won’t get the same tone as the Alder body, but you will definitely get a lot of midrange and treble on your tone. And it so happens that the very original 1949 Telecaster prototype by Leo Fender was made using pine wood, and the first single-pickup Esquire models in 1950 had pine bodies as well. Fender Telecasters changed to using solid ash in the late 1950s, and since then, the Fender Telecasters have been made out of solid ash. One of the main reasons why Squier picked pine instead of ash is because of the cheaper price, but you will still be able to get a decent Telecaster sound from a pine body Telecaster.

The Classic Vibe ‘50s Tele has both vintage features and modern features. Vintage features include the early 50s Blackguard: an iconic part of the Telecaster history. Other vintage features include 3-saddle bridge and vintage tuning keys that give the guitar a classic look. On the other hand, a lot of features related to playability and playing feel, are modernistic. The wide 9.5’’ fingerboard radius and the modern maple, C-shaped neck makes the Classic Vibe Tele very easy to play, and it makes the guitar very approachable for beginner and intermediate guitar players. The perfect mix of the old and the new features make this guitar a strong candidate for the best cheap Telecaster.

Electronics: Instead of finishing the guitar off with some cheap Squier pickups, the Squier actually took the time to have decent-quality single coil pickups for this guitar. Squier Classic Vibe features Fender-designed Alnico Single Coil pickups and a 3-way pickup selector with master volume and tone controls. The Fender-designed alnico single coil Tele pickups were made to mimic the vintage 50s Telecaster, and the pickups surprisingly sound good considering the cheap price point of the guitar.

The pickups are relatively hot and combined with the pine body, a guitar is a versatile machine that can cover anything from jazz, blues, country, pop to classic rock. Many folks pick up this guitar thinking that this is another cheap Squier, but you’ll be surprised how much clarity and bite this guitar has, and the versatility of this simple Telecaster is mind-blowing.

Bottom Line: The Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Telecaster is a pine-wood body Telecaster that has a great combination of both vintage and modern features. The tone and sound are reminiscent of the early Fender Telecaster, but the playability and the feel of the instrument are modern and very comfortable. Equipped with Fender-designed Alnico single coils, the Squier Classic Vibe is certainly one of the best Telecasters that you can buy in this price range.

10. Fender Deluxe Telecaster Thinline

Fender Deluxe Telecaster Thinline

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Estimated Price $1100
Body Style Semi-hollow body Thinline
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups Fender Vintage Noiseless Single coil

My Review: Last not least, we have a Telecaster that has a similar general shape, but is very different in terms of body composition and sound. The Fender Telecaster Thinline is a semi-hollow body version of the Telecaster, and they were designed by a German luthier by the name of Roger Rossmeisl in 1968, and it was introduced to the public in 1968, and they were upgraded with Fender Wide Range humbucking pickups, bullet truss-rod and 3-bolt neck in 1972.

They were originally designed to reduce the overall weight of the solid-body Telecaster, and therefore, it has the f-hole with reshaped pickguard.

The Thinline guitar we are going to look at is the Fender Deluxe Telecaster Thinline, and this guitar is one of the latest versions of the Telecaster Thinline. Deluxe Telecaster Thinline can be described as an upgraded version of the classic Tele Thinline, and upgrades include acoustic resonance and more modern electronics.

Key Specs and Features: Fender Deluxe Telecaster Thinline has the classic Alder body with Gloss Polyurethane finish, and most importantly, it has a semi-hollow body design to maximize acoustic resonance with a solid tone block in the center of the body. This body shape imparts air and acoustic harmonics, while the block helps deal with the feedback and ensures each note is heard loud and clear. And because a huge part of the solid body is carved out, the guitar is much lighter than the standard Telecaster solid body.

Some upgrades on this guitar include a modern 6-saddle bridge with block saddles, which increases tuning stability. Moreover, there are also upgraded locking tuning machines and increased break angle at the nut, which also factors into increased tuning stability. Other modern upgrades are a contoured neck heel for better high fret access and a quite flat 12’’ fretboard radius for comfortable lead guitar playing.

Electronics: Deluxe Telecaster Thinline has Fender Vintage Noiseless Single coil pickups, and you can think of these puppies as modern versions of classic Telecaster single coils, with less hum. The Vintage Noiseless single coil pickups have Alnico 2 magnets, and it gives you the traditional ‘50s Telecaster tone, but without the interference and ground hum.

It’s a great modern pickup and there is even a 4-way pickup switch option – neck, neck & bridge, neck and bridge in series, and bridge position. With one added pickup position, there are more tone options to play around with.

Bottom Line: Fender Deluxe Telecaster Thinline is a great example of a semi-hollowbody telecaster, and it boasts some of the latest technology developed by Fender. It’s a lightweight, versatile, and modern version of the classic Telecaster Thinline. This guitar is recommended to guitar players that are interested in Telecaster Thinline.

11. Fender Noventa Telecaster

Fender Noventa Telecaster Vintage Blonde

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Estimated Price $1000
Body Style Solid body Telecaster
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 21
Pickups Fender MP-90 Single-coil (Bridge pickup)

My Review: Next up, we have a Telecaster that is just completely different from the rest. This Telecaster is called the Fender Noventa Telecaster, and Fender markets this guitar as a “stripped-down rock machine”. It’s the perfect description of this guitar, and this guitar is one of the simplest electric guitars you can find, out of the many Fender guitars out there. Fender Noventa Telecaster has a striking design and comes with just three finishes – Vintage Blonde, 2-color Sunburst, and Fiesta Red. For guitarists who are attracted to simplicity, the Fender Noventa Tele is the perfect fit for you.

Key Specs and Features: Noventa Telecaster has a simple Alder Telecaster body with a maple neck – providing a solid base for a great sustain and full guitar tone. The unique stripped-down body features a stylish half pickguard, and the half pickguard does a great job of showcasing the beautiful Alder body. The bridge part is also quite unique, and it’s a 3-Saddle Custom “Cut-off” Vintage-style Tele bridge with Brass Saddles that are completely unique to this guitar. Another unusual feature is the vintage-style tuners. Overall, Noventa Telecaster has a mixed vibe of both modern and vintage. The design is certainly modern and different from any other preexisting Telecasters, but there are hints of vintage with the features like the vintage-style tuners and cut-off bridge.

The neck of the Noventa Tele is a classic ‘60s “C” profile neck with a 9.5-inch radius maple fingerboard. Again, even the neck is a mix of vintage and modern, and these small details make this guitar stand out among the rest. The maple neck provides a snappy and bright tone that is crucial for any good Telecaster, and the classic ‘60s C profile is certainly a comfortable neck for rocking out on your favorite songs.

Electronics: The most unusual thing about the Noventa Telecaster is probably the pickup – there’s only the bridge pickup and no neck pickup. For a modern-day Telecaster made by Fender, it’s a pretty strange feature, but their goal with this Telecaster seems to be creating the simplest Telecaster with minimal features.

The pickup is a Fender MP-90 pickup, which is a type of P90 pickup. Fender MP-90 delivers a pretty impressive array of tones, and it definitely delivers that clean Telecaster chimney and clean tone through one single bridge pickup. When you push the MP-90 pickup to its limit, you’ll get a barking, thick, and aggressive rock tone. The P90 qualities of this pickup really bring out the mids and wailing highs, and it’s the perfect sound for a hardcore rhythm guitar playing or a ripping rock solo. To accompany the lone bridge pickup, Noventa Tele comes with just two knobs – a volume knob and tone knob without the classic three-way pickup selector.

Bottom Line: Fender Noventa Telecaster will definitely get mixed reactions from the guitar community, and this Telecaster is probably not for everyone. These days, many modern guitarists look for that do-it-all versatility with one single electric guitar, and the Noventa Tele is definitely not that kind of guitar. But the main selling point of this guitar is that it’s extremely simple, and does its job of getting that primal rock and blues tone with the bridge pickup. It also has a striking design with an interesting mix of modern and vintage. Fender Noventa Telecaster is a simple but innovative Telecaster that will certainly bring up many conversations among guitar players.

12. Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH

Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH

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Estimated Price $800
Body Style Solid body Telecaster
Top Carved Flamed Maple
Back and Sides Mahogany
Neck Mahogany
Fret Count 22
Pickups Seymour Duncan ‘59 SH-1N RP Humbucker, Seymour Duncan SHPGP-1B Pearly Gates Plus Humbucker

My Review: Since the beginning of Telecaster’s history, they have been associated with rock music and were an integral part of rock music history for many years. From Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck to Bruce Springsteen, you can’t talk about rock music without talking about Telecasters. But with modern rock and metal, you probably won’t find the traditional Telecasters as much. Luckily, Fender released the Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH for the modern rock stars. It’s a beautiful, affordable, and modern Telecaster that comes with a bunch of modern features and solid humbuckers to rock out on. Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH is just an overall amazing instrument offered at a very affordable price,

Key Specs and Features: First off, the main difference between this Telecaster and the rest of the Telecasters in this list, is the body composition. Most of the other standard Telecasters had an Alder body, but this Telecaster has a mahogany body – a type of wood you would usually associate with Gibson or even Music Man guitars. The mahogany body delivers a great base for warm and deep rock tones with plenty of sustain to spare. It also features a gorgeous flame maple top with stylish cream binding, and the guitar definitely looks more like a PRS or Gibson than a Fender guitar.

Custom Telecaster FMT HH has a set mahogany neck, and the maple neck combined with the mahogany gives a nice balance of warm and tight guitar tone. Other than that, the neck profile is a pretty standard Modern “C” shape, and it’s a good neck to shred and play hardcore rock on.

Electronics: For the first time in this list, we have a guitar with humbuckers for both the neck and the bridge. Fender installed two Seymour Duncan humbuckers – Seymour Ducan ‘59 SH-1N RP and a Seymour Duncan SHPGP-1B Pearly Gates Plus humbucker. Both of these pickups are powerhouses and they pack a lot of power, The neck pickup is based on a ‘59 vintage-style PAF humbucker, but the modifications include slightly scooped mids and is vacuum wax potted for the cleanest performance. The bridge pickup is a Pearly Gates-style pickup, and it delivers a tight and rude bridge pickup tone, and it delivers massive tones with tons of harmonics and sustain. With these two powerful pickups, you can crank out on your amp and your pedalboard, and get plenty of distortion and overdrive for rock and metal playing. In terms of controls, Custom Tele FMT HH has a standard 3-way pickup switch with a push/pull coil tap feature to access single coil tones.

Bottom Line: Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH is a powerful Telecaster with amazing rock tones, offered at a very affordable price. For guitar players that are interested in both Telecasters and modern rock, this is a great guitar for you.

13. Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster

Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster daphne blue

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Estimated Price $1000
Body Style Solid body Telecaster
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 22
Pickups Vintage Noiseless Tele Single Coil, Vintage Noiseless Strat Single Coil

My Review: Fender Deluxe Nashville Tele is a modern Telecaster that packs a crazy amount of versatility in one guitar – with three different single coil pickups in just one Telecaster. Many of the features in this guitar are pretty classic but has hints of modern Telecaster features like the Vintage Noiseless single coil pickups. The price is also quite affordable at just around $1000, so it’s a great deal for anyone looking for a do-it-all Telecaster with a classic look.

Key Specs and Features: Fender Deluxe Nashville Tele has a standard Alder body with a High Gloss Polyurethane finish. But the interesting feature is the String-through body design, where all the strings are anchored through the guitar’s body, rather than being connected to the bridge. Although this is very different from the standard Telecaster bridge, the String-through body offers way more sustain due to the fact the design allows for fewer points of contact for the string energy to be transmitted. This results in way more sustain and resonance, and also gives you more stable intonation. Overall, the Deluxe Nashville Tele has the perfect balance of classic Telecaster body with innovative upgrades.

Electronics: Deluxe Nashville has three single coil pickups – Vintage Noiseless Tele Single-coil for neck and bridge, and Vintage Noiseless Strat Single-coil for the middle position. This means the player gets way more versatility with the addition of the middle position – you get access to the classic Stratocaster middle position tones, rich and snappy tones for funk and RnB style playing. And like a Strat, Deluxe Nashville Telecaster also offers a five-way blade pickup switch, and with this, you can get so many different combinations of Telecaster sounds. The three single coil pickups definitely deliver the maximum bang for your buck.

Bottom Line: Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster offers so much sound in just one Telecaster with its three pickups, including a Vintage Noiseless Strat single coil pickup for the middle position. If you like to have the classic Telecaster tones AND a Stratocaster sound, do yourself a favor and get a Fender Deluxe Nashville Tele!

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14. Squier Affinity Series Telecaster

Squier Affinity Series Telecaster

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Estimated Price $260
Body Style Solid body electric guitar
Top Alder
Back and Sides Alder
Neck Maple
Fret Count 21
Pickups Vintage-style Tele Single Coil

My Review: If you’re looking for the ultimate cheap Telecaster, nothing will beat the quality and the price of this monstrous Squier Telecaster! The Squier Affinity Series Telecaster has a true Tele, feel tone with great specs and electronics – for under $250. Compared to the Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Tele, the Affinity Series Telecaster has a resonant alder body rather than a pine body. Many guitar players want a Telecaster in their collection, but the $1000+ price point of Fender Telecasters can be too daunting for your first Telecaster. That’s what Squier Telecasters are here for, and the Squier Affinity Series Telecaster is the perfect introduction to the world of Telecasters and a great value for the super affordable price!

Key Specs and Features: As we mentioned briefly above, the key difference between the Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Telecaster and Squier Affinity Series Telecaster is the body wood. The Squier Classic Vibe Tele has a pine body while the Squier Affinity Series Tele has an alder body. This is because Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s was designed to mimic the earliest Telecasters made in the 1950s, which had pinewood for their bodies. After the late 1950s, Fender stuck to the alder body and has been producing mostly alder body Telecasters since then. Both have their characteristics, but the combination of the alder body with a maple neck is probably a more familiar Telecaster tone in our ears.

The Affinity Series Tele has a comfortable C-shape maple neck and a maple fingerboard with 21 Medium Jumbo frets, and it’s a very comfortable neck for both beginners and intermediate players. Anything from bends, fast runs, fingerpicking to flat-picking will all be comfortable on this fingerboard with 21 jumbo frets. Other than that, hardware includes a 6-saddle Top-load Tele bridge and Standard Die-cast tuners.

Electronics: Affinity Series Telecaster has vintage-inspired pickups called Vintage-style Tele single coil pickups with classic 3-way blade pickup switch, one volume control, and one tone control. The Vintage-style Tele single coil pickups deliver bold and bright tones with tons of Telecaster twang. The clean tones of this Tele are suitable for tight funk guitar playing or Nashville-style country guitar. Bridge pickup of Affinity Series Telecaster has plenty of punch and attitude and combined with some overdrive, you can get a nasty blues and rock tone to satisfy your rock’n’roll cravings! Other than these tones, you can cover a huge range of genres like country, blues, folk, indie, alternative, and jazz.

Bottom Line: The Squier Affinity Series Telecaster has proved itself as the best Telecaster under $300 by far, and some of the specs and electronics on this Telecaster are insane for its price. The tones are very similar to the Fender Telecaster as well, and you definitely won’t regret getting this Telecaster if you have a low budget. A killer Telecaster for a killer price!

3 thoughts on “14 Best Telecaster Guitars in 2024”

  1. Are any of these models made in Japan? My dream is to own a made in USA butterscotch tele but I have heard that made in Japan Fenders are just as good.

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