The Fender Telecaster is the original mass produced guitar to really break through to the public. Originally launched in 1950 this guitar has gone through hundreds of different designs throughout the years but none quite like this. The American Elite line replaces the American Deluxe models as the most modern and innovative version of the Telecaster.
The Body
Not too much has changed with the body. While yes the carves are deeper for a more comfortable sitting position it still has the same look as vintage models. The classic singlecut shape with a flat top has been a staple of the electric guitar world for over 65 years now. It still looks just as good as it did all those years ago.
The Neck
Fender have made a lot of changes here. The most visible one is that they have moved the truss rod adjustment to the bottom of the neck. Previously it was at the headstock and was a real pain to adjust once strung. With this new position at the body however you can easily set up the neck absolutely anywhere.
It does not end there however is they have also constructed a new compound shape neck to match the compound radius fingerboard. Now the neck carves from their Modern ‘C’ shape to a very modern ‘D’ carve so you get great control over both ends of the neck. This matches up perfectly with their compound radius fretboard that goes between a vintage 9.5” radius and the low end to a shredtastic 14” at the high end.
The idea here is that these changes will make it easier to play solid rhythms and insane leads on the same guitar. There’s not much you can’t do with this guitar out of the box.
Noiseless Pickups
The telecaster is best known for having a pair of low to mid powered single coil pickups. These are what made it perfect for country, blues and pop styles where you want a bright and tight tone with a nice smooth midrange.
These pickups do have their issues though, the main one being the amount of hum they produce. That is what led Fender to create their Noiseless pickups with the goal of making a true single coil with no background noise.
Fitted with the 4th generation of these noiseless pickups you get the clearest and most authentic Fender have offered out of their Noiseless range.