It’s been 75 years since the Telecaster made its debut, and Fender is celebrating that three-quarters of a century in style with a brand-new range of special-edition Tele models.
Paying homage to the world’s first mass-produced, solidbody electric guitar, the 75th Anniversary Telecaster Collection comprises five instruments, spanning a range of price points across Fender’s Vintera, Player II, American Professional and American Ultra lines.
The Fender Telecaster started life in late 1950 as the Fender Broadcaster, a two-pickup version of the Esquire, which hit the market months earlier in April 1950.
Due to a trademark conflict with Gretsch over its Broadkaster drum kit, the Broadcaster guitar was renamed the ‘Telecaster’ in 1951. Taking direct feedback from players, Leo Fender sought to create a guitar which unlocked a “new level of expression”. Since then, the Telecaster has become one of the most iconic and recognisable guitar designs of all time.
Let’s take a closer look at the five new 75th Anniversary Telecasters on offer:
75th Anniversary American Professional Classic Cabronita Telecaster – £1,799
Perhaps the most noteworthy of the five is a new Cabronita Tele, the first time the concept has appeared in the standard Telecaster line in the classic double Filter’Tron pickup configuration since the model’s debut for Fender’s 60th Anniversary in 2011.
Pairing “vintage charm with modern performance”, this guitar features TV Jones pickups, along with a modern “C” neck and pearloid button tuners.
75th Anniversary Vintera Road Worn 1951 Telecaster – £1,599
This one features authentic ‘50s specs with a swamp ash body, plus an early ‘50s “U” shape neck, Road Worn nitrocellulose finish and Pure Vintage 1951 pickups for “crystal-clear chime and raw, steely twang”.
75th Anniversary American Ultra II Telecaster – £2,899
Arriving as the most high-end offering of the new collection, the 75th Anniversary American Ultra II Telecaster features a Liquid Gold finish, ebony compound radius fingerboard, and advanced pickup system – with a 75th Anniversary Noiseless Single-Coil and Fastlane humbucker – with dual S-1 switches.
75th Anniversary American Professional Custom Telecaster – £2,499
The second entry to the American Professional line offers a flame maple top with a double binding and two-tone sunburst finish, plus 75th Anniversary V-Mod pickups and push/push pot for series wiring, along with gold hardware.
75th Anniversary Player II Telecaster – £949
Outfitted with a Diamond Dust Sparkle finish and a selection of contemporary visual appointments, the 75th Anniversary Player II Telecaster is loaded with Thunderbolt pickups for “rich, powerful tones with enhanced clarity and punch”.
Learn more about the 75th Anniversary Telecaster Collection at Fender.
Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of Guitar World, Total Guitar, Metal Hammer and MusicRadar.