Fender Squier Deryck Whibley Telecaster Guitar Review

Sum 41, for the better part of a decade, has been a big part of the music industry: especially for the younger generation. Though they have kind of fallen off the map in the past couple of years, many people my age (that is 21 and under) remember fondly the days when Sum 41's punk style ruled the radio along with bands like Blink 182. In remembrance of this, the Fender Squier Deryck Whibley Telecaster is now offered. It is a special edition copy of the guitar made famous by Sum 41 lead singer Deryck Whibley. Let's take a closer look at it to see what it has to offer the average musician.

Features: The body of the Deryck Whibley Telecaster is made of Agathis wood, and lacks the belly cut of other Telecasters. There are two available finishes, one being solid black with a black pickguard and the other being solid white with a black pickguard. Both have the trademark red "x" made famous by being on the tail and upper body of Deryck Whibley's guitars. Also, in an extra effort to make the finish as authentic as possible, the headstock of the guitar is the vintage '60s large design. (Included is a Deryck Whibley signature next to the squier logo on the headstock, of course.) The neck of the Derych Whibley Telecaster is bolted on the body, and made of maple wood. The fretboard is made of maple as well, giving the"blonde look" Fender has become famous for. There are twenty two medium jumbo frets, and black dot inlays as position markers. All of the hardware, including the tuning heads, pickup cover, and six screw bridge, is chrome. Electronically, the guitar features one Duncan Designed pickup in the bridge position, and one volume and one tone control knob. It's a Telecaster by shape, but something very different by electronics and design.

Playability: There are a few common observations made by many players that have or have used the Fender Squier Deryck Whibley Telecaster. First, the body is a bit heavy, and can become uncomfortable to play. This is especially true if you will be standing up for long periods of time for, say, something like band practice. Also, the neck is big and chunky as well. If you like your guitar to sit low, good luck on being able to wrap your hands all the way around the neck to form chord shapes. But, again, if you like the design enough regardless, these aren't obstacles that can't be overcome.

Sound: The Deryck Whibley Telecaster was designed to play one thing: pop-punk. The humbucking pickup at the bridge position is good for crunchy power chords and lots of sharp distortion. But anything else (clean tones, softer rhythms, high solos, etc.) is simply out of the Deryck Whibley Telecaster's reach.

Overall: If you or your band is looking to become the next Sum 41 or Blink 182, then by all means go for the Fender Squier Deryck Whibley Telecaster. But if you're looking for a jack of all trades instrument that you can use for several genres, I'd skip out on this one. You can find the D. W. Telecaster in music stores for about $280.