The first Telecaster guitar rolled off the assembly line in 1951, and since then has been an indispensable tool for guitarists in all genr...
The first Telecaster guitar rolled off the assembly line in 1951, and since then has been an indispensable tool for guitarists in all genres of music. Country, rock and roll, punk, blues, funk, and every other creative genre all owe a debt to the sound of the “Tele”. For 2011, the 60th Anniversary of the Telecaster, Fender is releasing 12 different USA-made Telecasters that span the spectrum of Telecaster styles over the years, from classic designs like the Rosewood Telecaster, made famous by George Harrison in the ’60s, to modern classics like the Cabronita Telecaster. Some of these models were previously available only as Custom Shop models, so the appearance of a USA version is very exciting. Around every month starting in March a new Telecaster will be released, and all of these will be available through The Music Zoo. Follow the jump for the run down, month by month.
March – Modern Thinline Telecaster, Olympic White – Similar to the ’90s Tele Thinline, this is a thinline with modern hardware and appointments. $1,799.99
March – Flame Top Telecaster, Antique Burst – An American Standard Tele in Antique Burst with gold hardware and a flame maple top – classy! $1,799.99
April – Brown’s Canyon Telecaster, Natural – A lacquer Telecaster with a Redwood body made out of wood from an 1890s Northern California Trestle Railway bridge. Comes with photos and history of the bridge. Can you say “old wood”? $1,799.99
May – Empress Telecaster in Vintage White and Honeyburst (pictured) - Empress is a superlightweight wood with great springy tonal qualities, most of these will weigh under 7 lbs. Seriously, everyone who picked this up almost threw it through the ceiling. $1,399.99.
June – ’62 Telecaster Custom, Olympic White - Double-bound with black body binding, a black/white/black pickguard, and pearl block inlays on a Rosewood fretboard. An elegant two-tone aesthetic! $1,999.99.
June – ’75 Telecaster, Natural – This is a Telecaster with a iconic ’75 Jazz Bass cosmetic; Maple neck with with black block inlays, black/white/black pickguard, natural Ash body, Jazz Bass knobs, and an arm contour. Interesting mix of Fender design cues. $1,799.99.
July – Cabronita Telecaster, 2-Tone Sunburst (pictured) and Black – We are big fans of the Custom Shop Cabronita at The Music Zoo, so we are excited for this USA edition. TV Jones pickups meet a slab body for big, true tone. $1,799.99.
August – Lamboo Telecaster, Natural – Made entirely of laminated Bamboo, i.e. “Lamboo”, this Telecaster hits all the right marks on the green/sustainability front. We think it hits the mark on the visual front too, with the shell pickguard and matching binding contrasting beautifully with the natural color of the Bamboo. $1,399.99.
September – Indiana Barn ’52 Telecaster, Whitewash – This ’52 is made from over 100 year old pine that was salvaged from a barn in Indiana. Another cool use of old wood, we love that kind of stuff. $1,799.99.
October – Lite Rosewood Telecaster, Natural – Based on the famous 1960s solid Rosewood Tele. The body is a rosewood top and back with a core of dark stained spruce in the middle. Get the look of the iconic Rosewood Telecaster without the big cost of a solid Rosewood body. $1,899.99.
November – Vintage Hot Rod ’52 Telecaster, Butterscotch Blonde – A Vintage Hot Rod Telecaster with a full humbucker in the neck and a new brass bar bridge design that is 100% intonatable.
December – Mahogany Telecaster, Natural – A contoured natural oil finished humbucking Mahogany Telecaster with a ‘carmelized’ maple neck for increased stability. We like this straight forward no-paint design, and also that pickguard is really cool. $1,499.99.
