When it was conceived it was a design of startling modernity. Today, it's as familiar as our own hands, as much a part of the landscape of guitar as weathered driftwood on a beach. More importantly still, the Telecaster was, and is, a guitar of the people - the workhorse of bar-rooms and clubs across America and then the world. Both country and blues music can claim the Tele as their own and its acerbic growl can be heard throughout rock. The Tele's neck pickup, meanwhile, gave it an elegant jazz voice, too, in the hands of players such as Ed Bickert and Julian Lage - something the Strat could never aspire to. Somehow the very simplicity and unassuming nature of the Tele means it has woven itself into the lives of ordinary (and extraordinary) musicians as few other guitars have, outside of the Martin Dreadnought. In the following pages we examine why the Telecaster's magic is still strong and explore some of the most unique examples of the Tele ever made.
TELECASTER TALES TALES
During a visit to Long Island's Well Strung Guitars, we discovered four rare examples of the Telecaster/Esquire family that prove not only how adaptable Leo's classic single-cut is but how deeply it is ingrained in the lives of musicians and their families down the generations
Ask a guitarist what electric they'd choose if they could only have one guitar to cover all gigs and there's a fair chance that they'll say 'Telecaster'. It's ironic that the simplest of Leo Fender's solid-body electrics has also proven to be the most adaptable. Though if we trace its evolution back a little further to the Broadcaster and Esquire that preceded it, we discover that it became simple by design - because in some ways the earliest prototype guitars were more complex than the classic Tele we know today.
Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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BASIC INSTINCTS
The sophisticated range of Swedish-designed guitars made by .strandberg* has lured thousands of players over to the headless side. But the company's new stripped-back Boden Essential model is its strongest play yet for the hearts and minds of mainstream players
Second String
As PRS's more affordable USA-made S2 line moves into its second decade, the series gets a revamp with - at last - USA-made pickups and electronics. What took so long?
PABLO VAN DE POEL
When a band from The Netherlands describes themselves as 'raw, psychedelic Southern rock', it may take a little cognitive processing to work out what that might mean. One listen to DeWolff, however, and you will be duly transported to the 60s for some fuzzed-out rock 'n' roll
THE BERNIE MARSDEN COLLECTION
With a fabulous collection of the late Bernie Marsden's guitars, amps and other highly collectable music gear going under the auctioneer's hammer on 11 June, we were thrilled to have the chance of a sneak preview
LENNY KRAVITZ
Some 35 years since the release of his debut LP, for his 12th record, Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz is back again with equal doses of vigour and vibes, using vintage guitars and the purest valve amps
GEORGE VJESTICA
You may not know him at first glance, but the work of Stoke-on-Trent native George Vjestica has probably impacted some of your favourite albums and movies
DICKEY BETTS
Emerging from the shadow of Duane to write signature hit Ramblin' Man, the Allman Brothers guitarist was a hard-living pioneer of Southern rock
NICK GUPPY
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our highly valued amplifier guru, who died suddenly in April
Lucky Break
Alex Bishop blends old wood with new in an attempt to fix a severely damaged guitar headstock
Tones Behind The Tracks
Cedric Burnside learnt at the knee of his fabled grandfather, but his latest album is a hill country blues masterclass on his own terms