Very traditional, perhaps too much for some. 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The bridge is a point of interest, too while theres only three brass-barrel saddles, theyre intonation-compensated. @ Daniel - absolutely. Maple is excellent if you want a bright tone, whereas rosewood will give you extra warmth and resonance and ebony is ultra-smooth, for seamless chord changes and arpeggios. American made telecaster made in the USA. Suhrs Classic T has all the hallmarks youd expect from a T-style. Originally named the Broadcaster, Leo Fender released the worlds first Tele in 1951 with little idea his design would still be kicking butt 70 years later (he had to rename it due to copyright reasons when Fred Gretsch (of Gretsch drums) informed him he had a drum kit with the same name! If you don't mod, then this agathis body Tele will play and sound great! Most notable here is of course the semi-hollow construction with an F-hole on the bodys upper wing leading to a lighter feel across the board, and even chimier, resonant sound. Both under $500 and both play every bit as well and are as well made as my 1983 USA Tele. There are exciting new developments in terms of Telecaster guitars. These guitars are presently selling at under four hundred dollars. Our purpose with this article is to look at some of the very least expensive Telecaster guitars available. Armadillo claims Evan Rubinson was removed from his role as CEO and President, rather than stepped down, Tony Hawk surprises fans at a London pub by jumping on stage to sing with a Tony Hawks Pro Skater soundtrack cover band, Derek Trucks on David Gilmour: Hes created his own universe. Because the neck of a guitar is hugely important to the player, it is paramount a body buys a guitar their hand feels the most comfortable with. Electronics: Player Plus Noiseless Tele (bridge and neck) and Strat (middle) pickups, five-way blade selector switch, volume, tone (middle and neck), push/pull bridge tone (adds neck pickup to positions one and two) Price: $1,199.99 / 729 When it was possible again he went straight to work with G&L and Music Man. All the Telecaster guitars discussed on this page are traditional duel single-coil Teles, except for the ESP LTD TE model, which features a humbucker in the neck position.I am personally familiar with the quality of these brands and have seen these guitars at sale prices, brand new, at less than five hundred dollars. Thanks to these pups, the overall tone this instrument brings is aggressive and full when used with distortion, but capable of producing those classic twangy clean notes youd expect from a high-quality Tele. The axe derives its tone from two Suhr Classic T single-coils which boast alnico V Special magnets. So, Whats the Best Telecaster for the Money? In contrast to its sibling the Strat, the bridge pickup is wider and longer, which contributes to the Teles distinctive sound. Build: Basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 12-16 compound radius Indian laurel fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets and synthetic nut Modern build might not be for you. Price: $1,129.99 / 849 This isnt a cheap telecaster knockoff though. Traditional-leaning T-styles will often sport dual single-coil pickups, alongside a three-way blade switch and master volume/tone controls housed in a metal control plate. Theres also the interesting addition of a kill-button on the top horn for some interesting spluttery, glitchy effects, which, combined with the aggressive humbuckers, make this an easy road to distorted chaos. You have the classic string-through-body bridge of course to help with sustain, but here Fender have added block saddles to enhance the twang and bite. Our top pick is the Fender Modern Player, a made in mexico beast of a guitar that plays like a dream, with all the bite and twang you could hope for. Its still a standard two-point vibrato rather than something like a Floyd Rose, however, the shred-keen might have already noticed the 24 frets that the instrument comes equipped with, deepening the lower cutaway rather dramatically to allow for full fretboard access. G&Ls ASAT design was Leo Fenders own update to his Telecaster format. Compared to their S-type siblings, T-style guitars are also more likely to sport hardtailed bridges rather than vibratos, but there are always exceptions. As for the design, its a single-cutaway body with no contours (in other words, flat as a pancake). The modern-focused features continue with the graphite-reinforced maple neck, topped with a compound-radius 12-16-inch fretboard. I'm constantly finding out I don't know as much as I think I know. The November 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! This is clearly the best option from Squier's line of Teles, unless, of course, humbucking pickups are something you require. Classic T-style sounds a bit harder to conjure. Some players dislike the sound of noiseless single-coils, or just dont mind the hum, but for others, theyll make this Tele even more versatile than most. A Tune-O-Matic-style bridge isnt very common in T-types, but itll provide familiar ground for those used to palm-muted chugging on Gibson-styled instruments. It has a full-sized scale length too, which, like its sibling the Stratocaster, gives you plenty of neck length to work with as opposed to say the Les Paul which has a much shorter scale length. There isn't much excuse! For a start, it comes with a custom shop vintage-style single-coil pickups for a full, bright tone, like the original. What are the drawbacks to agathis as a guitar tonewood? Aesthetically, its the most out there on the list, with its baby blue lacquer and gleaming white, 3-ply pickguard, so its guaranteed to get you noticed on stage. The two knobs are master volume and tone. Price: $1,099 / 849 If youve encountered thinline T-style guitars before and think you know what to expect here, think again. The Fender Player Plus Nashville Telecaster takes a fairly modern take on a standard Telecaster and adds in a Stratocaster-style middle pickup. That said, some great guitars still come off the production line in Asia. This guitar is all about helping the beginner. This massively expands out its tonal palette especially with the addition of a push/pull tone control that adds in the neck pickup to positions one and two, meaning you can get full-sounding, Strat-like cleans. The pickguard is an ever-so-subtle color of mint green. On the other hand, cheaper Copies usually have pine or basswood bodies, which are easier to manipulate during the manufacturing process but tone-wise, dont produce the lows or highs quite as well. The fretboard itself is maple, so it should survive plenty of action and will sustain notes for a reasonable amount of time. The new Fender Player Series is available, but they have significant upgrades over the previous Fender Standard series, and so, they are now completely priced out of this article. Wesman Todd Shaw (author) from Kaufman, Texas on December 03, 2016: Very cool, Dave. Agathis is in the same family of woods as is alder, but is far cheaper for the Squier builders in Asia to attain. Guitar.com is the worlds leading authority and resource for all things guitar. The number of people raving about what an amazing value this guitar represents is large indeed. There is another very important thing to know, and that is when a guitar feels good in your hands, and you can play well with it, then you can change the sound considerably if you feel the need to. The series wiring makes this Tele sound fat like youre playing through a humbucking pickup even though its got single-coils. Yes, it looks white from here. Build: Swamp Ash body with 60s C Vintage Standard maple neck, 9-12 compound-radius maple fretboard Agathis is a soft wood. Most notably, theres a vibrato something fairly rare in the world of Tele-alikes. That is, a volume and tone for each pickup. This is quite a rare design, thats been thought up specifically for fast chord changes and extra comfortable playing. If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a commission. Every guitar would be a great place to start with the instrument, or a great guitar to take out into the clubs for live performance. Nowadays, there are plenty of alternative designs out there. The neck here is thin and nicely rounded, with mid-sized frets for comfort, Hum-free single-coil pickups give you the twang you need, 12 Fingerboard radius is great for bending notes, Characteristic twang from the bridge with three brass saddles, Superb selection of single-coil bridge pickups, Thick soft V shaped neck offers great playability. However, weve got a sneaking suspicion that if youre intrigued by a guitar with 50s in the model name, a speedy shred setup isnt what youre after. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. 2022 - Zing Instruments. Ebony fingerboard This feels like velvet and ensures youll be able to solo at high speeds. Clear rock and metal focus not for everyone. Asian versions are often slightly cheaper too, so would perhaps suit a beginner guitarist, looking to get a feel for whether they take to the Telecaster or not before spending a load on a more expensive, American or Mexican made model. One of the best ones they make is the ESP LTD TE-254. Ever since it launched in its original Esquire and Broadcaster incarnations, the Telecaster body style has inspired guitarists of all genres from country to punk to classic rock to avant-garde-noise-jazz, its hard to think of a style of guitar playing that doesnt feature any T-type players at all. Will the prices go up or down? + Incredibly responsive and articulate voice Well, I can at least remain a student. Another great thing about this model is its well-made ash body and maple neck. For the money, its hard to beat. These guitars are truly a professional's instrument. Hardware: Aged nickel Maybach three-saddle bridge, Gotoh SDS-510 machineheads Electronics: 2x Amber Twangtone single coils, 3-way blade switch, master volume, master tone 7.25-radius fretboard not for everyone. Hardware: three-brass-barrel saddle hardtail, Vintage-style tuning machines The neck is also bolt-on, so if damaged you can replace it easily, and there are some well-made brass saddles which allow you to refine the instruments intonation to meet your taste. The September 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! Electronics: Two G&L MFD single coils, three-position pickup selector, volume and tone controls It mostly attracted me because my brother is a guitar aficionado. This is achieved thanks to the guitar having a classic humbucker in the neck position, a G&L Alnico humbucker in the bridge and a high-quality, solid swamp ash body. Price: $1,749.99 / 1,629 It is truly hard to imagine there ever being a lower-priced Telecaster than this. It has weighty, chunky adjustable saddles especially on vintage telecasters where theyre made of brass which gives you a distinctive sound with a load of bite and output. Another Chapman-specific twist here comes in the form of a judiciously-carved top, a good ergonomic touch for the more enthusiastic player. Electronics come in the form of two Fishman Fluence Open Core PRF-COC humbuckers these have Fishmans proprietary voice-switching tech, meaning you can toggle between PAF-style vintage clarity and pummelling high output instantly. Decidedly vintage in spec, the T54 has a string-through sugar pine body, maple neck, a 7.25-inch-radius maple fretboard, and a single-ply pickguard. Hardware: Suhr locking tuners, Wilkinson 3-saddle bridge Electronics: 2x Classic T single coils, master volume, master tone, 3-way switch, Suhr Silent Single Coil System II Price: $1,099.99 / 899 For the price, you wont be disappointed with this Tele clone. + Noiseless pickup circuitry Note however, that this premium guitar may cause your bank account to break out in a cold sweat. Framed in a classic boxed-steel bridge, the G&L-designed alnico pickups deliver a crisp attack with complex harmonics while individual brass saddles offer modern levels of intonation refinement. These guitars are extremely good right out of the box, and need no upgrades to be used for any situation. The thin U shape neck is comfortable, and the extra jumbo frets make string bending easy and pleasing. The Player Plus standard range of features might be a bit divisive, however these are guitars designed for the modern-minded player. Theres a lot of sustain, too, and no shortage of range from the Arcane pickups. The classic Telecaster is a workhorse of a machine, and everything about it is simplicity and power. Electronics consist of a pair of V-Mod II DoubleTap humbuckers, which take after wide range humbuckers but arent as, well, wide. You can get in the guitar playing door with this one, and if you decide to stick with it, you've got something which you can play forever. Hardware: Six-saddle string-through hardtail, locking tuners Zing Instruments is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program. Theres a single piece alder body for tonal warmth within a convenient, lightweight package. The slim, C-shaped maple neck is easy to handle, The 6-saddle hardtail through body bridge means restringing (or fine intonation adjustment) is fairly straight-forward. Scale Length: 25.5/648mm, + No-surprises vintage approach Stratocaster or Telecaster: Understanding the Basic Differences. The single-coil pups ensure that your tone is sparkling bright for solos, but also warm and rich enough to play blues, classic rock, and jazz styles. All instruments listed were chosen from getting consistent rave reviews by persons who've owned and played them. And absolutely, Fender made in Japan is going to be as good (or better) than US production, and almost always at a lower price. ESP LTD TE-254 Distressed 3 Tone Burst features: Squier's Classic Vibe series is a step up from the Affinity and Standard series but still priced below five hundred dollars. + Authentic vintage appointments The Tele is typically fitted with two single-coil pickups: a bridge pickup and a neck pickup, which give it that famous bright twang. Product Round-up & Reviews Best Telecaster, G&L Limited Edition Tribute ASAT Classic Bluesboy. There are a few interesting ergonomic touches, too most notably the forearm carve on the top of the body, alongside a slight carve in the neck heel to help upper-fret playing. Electronics: Seymour Duncan Sentient humbucker, Seymour Duncan Pegasus humbucker, master volume/tone knob and 5-way blade switch The best aspect here has to be the warm, rich tone that the Bluesboy kicks out. Note: Clicking the above links will take you to further information, current prices and customer reviews on Amazon. People with smaller builds will most likely find a smaller radius more comfortable to play with; if size isnt an issue (pardon the pun), youll be fine with a larger radius. The fretting hand is where the guitars classic approach will be felt more than heard. There's no way to predict whether those prices will be up or down tomorrow. Alder has always been Fenders wood of choice thanks to the bright, balanced, and resonant tone it emits which helps with the upper midrange and provides excellent sustain. Suprised Vintage Icon, and Vintage tele's didn't show up on here. The December 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! Not for those looking for classic T-type tones, The Manson x Cort collaboration that is the MBM-1 sports a very stripped-down design, with a minimalist, pickguard-less front, loaded with two fairly aggressive humbuckers. Price: $589.99 / 349 He loves nothing more than to pick one up and pluck some strings. There are 22 extra-jumbo frets, specially designed to allow for fast arpeggios and licks. Scale Length: 25.5 / 648mm, + Best of both worlds for Telecaster Deluxe and Les Paul fans It features a 60s C Vintage Standard neck profile and is available in four retrolicious finishes: Two-Tone Tobacco Burst, Trans Butterscotch, Trans White and Vintage Natural. I have two Fender FSR Mexican Teles that are my stage guitars, a limited edition Copperburst made exclusively for Guitar Center, and a Black Paisley. + Fishman pickups are hugely versatile For all the world this guitar looks just like the original Fender Telecaster guitars from the early 1950s. The Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster Custom is an Alder body guitar rather than ash or agathis. Its also affordably-priced, costing a reasonable 569. Decent enough electronics and tonewood for the money. Doesnt bring anything massively new to the table. If you know already you are going to heavily modify your Telecaster, then the Affinity would probably be preferable. Aurelio Locsin from Orange County, CA on June 12, 2019: I don't know much about guitars so this is a nice introduction. Scale Length: 25.5 / 648mm, + Warmly voiced pickups What you'll find out, however, is the low prices don't get you a cheap guitar, they get you a guitar which is a huge value for the money, as the cost of labor in Indonesia is far less than it is in the USA. Stevie said that most of anyone's sound comes from their hands. The January 2022 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! The neck itself starts off as a modern C shape at the headstock and becomes a broader D shape towards the neck heel. Scale Length: 25.5/648mm, + Innovative design Build: Basswood body with roasted maple neck, 13.5 fretboard radius and 24 jumbo stainless steel frets The Tele bridge is one of the things that make it undeniably a Tele. The fingerboard is made from ebony, for a seamless, gliding touch and beautiful chiming highs. Price: $2,799/2,449 The single-coil pickups, though, bear some modern influence: theyre Amber Twangtones designed to prevent the assertive tone typical of traditional Teles from being too harsh on the ears. No other guitar has a pickup combined with a bridge like this. So it was a hit from the day it was born and remains one today. What is most interesting to me about the Squier Standard Telecaster is its body wood is of agathis wood instead of the traditional alder or ash wood. Theres a pair of vintage-voiced Tele pickups to that end, and a three-brass-saddle hardtail bridge. When Leo Fender sold his namesake company to CBS he had to wait ten years before he could openly be involved with another guitar manufacturer. Still waiting to take up the guitar? Construction materials are also a left-turn: theres a mahogany body, and a block-inlaid ebony fretboard. Price: $6,046/ 4,550 This telecaster copy is selling for a similar price for the Squier too (see above), so its very affordable considering the technology you get. In this article, were going to walk you through the key things you need to think about before you part any cash. The Squier Affinity Series Telecaster combines vintage-style specs with a few modern appointments, features include an alder body and outfitted with tried and true Telecaster single-coil pickups. Whats different? The Vintera range is a great midway point if youve got a little more than Squier money in your guitar budget, but still want to keep things under control, the Vintera 50s Telecaster is a great option. You just can't go wrong with a Tele. There are a few types of telecasters out there, but they all share the basic design features. Theres an LH-150 in the neck position and an LTS-120 in the bridge, both of which provide sonic versatility with a higher than average output. Guitar pickups and electrical components play a huge part in the sound of a solid body electric guitar. The neck has a 50s U-shaped profile, and the fretboard has a vintage-correct 7.25-inch radius. The second-best aspect here is the choice of tonewood used in the body and fingerboard. Chapmans ML3 Pro Modern aims for ultra-high performance at a reasonable price-tag. The choice of tonewood used in the body and fingerboard is superb too. This US made classic has been reimagined for modern players, with a ton of innovation thrown in (e.g. The best aspect of here has to be the specially designed pickups by ESP. Build: Alder boy with bolt-on maple neck and fretboard, 7.25-inch fretboard radius with 21 frets With that in mind, the neck itself is a lovely, thin U shape build, so even petite guitarists shouldnt struggle to finger chords comfortably. What is not traditional about it? Price: $699 / 649 Everyone from Keith Richards to Jeff Beck, all the way to Blurs Graham Coxon and Radioheads Jonny Greenwood have played and raved about them. As with most Teles, the neck remains bolt-on, so if you break or damage it while on tour, you can rest assured therell be no problem getting it fixed. Through a blackface-style clean amp, youll get a gorgeous mixture of Tele-like clarity and old hollowbody depth, but plug into an overdriving Vox or tweed and youll immediately appreciate how gloriously alive this guitar feels at stage volume, its almost like grasping with a giant pickup as every physical noise is amplified. Modern versions often use alternative woods such as pine. Non-locking Gotoh SDS-510 tuners are the only piece of modern hardware on this otherwise proudly old-school take on the T-style electric. Hardware: Three-saddle hardtail bridge with intonated brass barrel saddles, standard Fender staggered tuners The design is supremely functional and simple. Not a hard-to-solve problem. Some players might prefer a more traditional feel. For the low price tag, it does a respectable job at playing and sounding like the real thing. + Killswitch is interesting if you like it, discrete if you dont While the classic take on the Telecaster itself is notoriously versatile, its design has inspired many guitar makers to give the formula a twist of their own, each geared towards a specific type of player. Build: Alder body with bolt-on maple neck, 9.5-inch radius rosewood fretboard with 22 frets hum-free single coil pickups). + Affordable given the featureset and build quality Pricey. There is no need to merely take my word for gold regarding these guitars, I'm in at least 30 guitar groups on Facebook, and I read online guitar forums daily. The bridge pickup is still the great twang master style pup folks generally want a Telecaster for to begin with. 2021 Guitar.com is part of NME Networks. Overall, for the price, there is a lot of quality on offer here and chances are you wont be disappointed. ESP LTD TE Series TE-254 Electric Guitar, Distressed 3 Tone Burst. The October 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! If you hadnt clicked already, the Bluesboy is going to be the best for blues artists, looking for warm, rich tones thanks to its meaty, warm humbuckers. So any G&L guitar is just as much a Fender as guitars that say Fender on them. Build: Basswood body, set-through neck with 13.77-inch radius roasted maple fretboard, 22 jumbo stainless-steel frets At just three hundred and ninety nine dollars, this guitar is as affordable as you could possibly want, and you wouldn't feel bad, should you so desire, modifying it later on. It comes with a pair of Player Series single-coil pickups for that crisp, articulate sound. + Excellent bridge design There is little to find confusing with a Telecaster, but there is ever so much to utilize and love. Price At a similar price to the Squier we mentioned above, you get some fantastic technology here. Theres a single piece alder body for tonal warmth within a convenient, lightweight package. Stevie Ray Vaughan once stated the truth of it all when he said something about how you shouldn't fixate on gear so much. Did Mike McCready just smash a $15,000 Custom Shop Strat on stage? The Tribute Series ASAT Classic is dripping with Leo mojo at a price attainable for every working musician. Wesman Todd Shaw (author) from Kaufman, Texas on June 07, 2018: @Ronzhd - I've simply never seen those to have a go at them myself. So on the Telecaster-Les Paul spectrum, the PT fastback leans a little closer to the Les Paul end, but still puts its own spin on the format with its choice of pickups. And a huge lot of people buy those, and when they can afford to, they upgrade things like the tuners, and the pickups and nut.