Fender American Standard Telecaster Guitar Review

The Fender Telecaster is one of the hallmarks of the American instrument industry. It has become a classic because of its premium quality, unique looks, and original sound. Musicians and fans alike have fallen in love with these unique qualities. Every year, Fender does all it can to improve upon the classic design to make it a better overall instrument. This is certainly evident with the new American Standard Telecaster. Let's take a closer look to see just how much the new series has improved.

Features: The body of the new American Standard Telecaster has a rare option among other guitars. You can choose whether the body is made of select alder or ash wood. This is definitely a selection opportunity to take advantage of, as the alder and ash have a few weight and tone differences. There are also several finishes available. They range from natural ash to sunburst and even candy apple red. And the pickguard, depending on which finish you select is either three ply white or black. Together, they combine to provide a classic look reminiscent of the original '52 Telecaster line. The neck of the new Standard Telecaster has its own special design as well. Its made of maple, and has a classic smooth satin finish on the back and a high gloss finish on the front. Also, it has hand rolled edges to guarantee premium neck quality. The fretboard can either be made of maple or rosewood depending on your choice, and has twenty two medium jumbo frets with either black or pearloid dot inlays. The locking tuners on the headstock of the Standard Tele are die cast chrome, and have extra effort put into them to ensure that the strings stay in tune. The bridge is a blend between the classic Fender style and modern specifications. Most everything on it stayed the same, except that the saddles were thinned to keep the strings a little closer together and improve tonal capabilities. Electronically, the Standard Telecaster has two Alnico V single coil pickups and one volume and one tone control knobs. As an additional premium quality feature, a Delta-Tone circuit is added. The easiest way to explain it is a surge protector in your guitar to prevent overloads.

Playability: The hand rolled edges on the neck of the new Standard Telecaster make it very comfortable to play. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the new versions have a slightly thinner profile thanks to the redesigned bridge. Also, the satin finish on the back makes it nice and smooth, while the glossed finish on the front provides a polished look.

Sound: The Alnico V pickups are use commonly for Fender's guitars. They have the ability to play just about anything with the right pedals and equipment. Also, they maintain the original sound that gave the Telecaster its fame in the first place. Simply put, it's hard to find a better sounding guitar in the same price range.

Overall: If you have the cash to put down for the Fender Standard Telecaster, you should certainly at least consider it as an option. The obvious care taken by its makers alone proves that it is of extremely high quality. You can find the Standard Telecaster in music stores for around $1,000.