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1981
- As with its humbucking-equipped predecessor, the Telecaster Thinline, and the subsequent dual-humbucking Telecaster Deluxe of 1973, the Telecaster Custom enjoyed modest sales and was kept in the Fender line until 1981, when it was discontinued along with the Deluxe (the Thinline having been discontinued in 1979).
www.fender.com/articles/behind-the-scenes/a-classic-evolved-the-telecaster-custom-story
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Sep 3, 2021 · The Fender Telecaster was first released in 1951, and it popularized the new idea of solidbody electric guitars. Fender has continued to produce the Telecaster in various forms through eight decades, and today you can buy brand new or classic used Teles in many different forms.
- The Archtop Era
- Enter Leo Fender
- The Esquire
- The Broadcaster
- Tele Tweaks
- The Player's Perspective
- The Tele Legacy
As twilight fell on the Big Band era toward the end of World War II, small combos playing boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues, western swing, and honky-tonk formed throughout the United States. Many of these outfits embraced the electric guitarbecause it could give a few players the power of an entire horn section. Pickup-equipped archtops had reigned ...
Fender recognized the vast potential for an electric guitar that was easy to hold, easy to tune, and easy to play. He also recognized that players needed guitars that would not feed back at dance hall volumes like the typical archtop. (Many guitarists had to stuff rags into their elegantly crafted guitars to stop the howling.) In addition, Fender s...
Don Randall, who managed Fender's distributor, the Radio & Television Equipment Company, recognized the commercial possibilities of the new design and made plans to introduce the instrument as the Esquire Model. (Although Randall – the company's de facto namesmith – gave the Esquire its moniker, Fender supported the name, saying that it "sounded re...
The factory finally went into full production in late October or early November 1950, and the name Randall chose for the dual-pickup guitar was "Broadcaster." Musical Merchandisemagazine carried the first announcement for the Broadcaster in February 1951 with a full-page insert that described it in detail. The guitar had what Randall called a "Mode...
In 1952, Fender replaced the Telecaster's blend control circuit with a conventional tone control. Now the switch's rear position selected the lead pickup, the middle position selected the rhythm pickup, and the front position delivered the "deep rhythm" sound. Teles were equipped this way until the mid-'60s, when the modern switch setup was introdu...
In the early 1950s, a broad spectrum of Tele players established themselves in combos – even young blues guitarlegend-to-be B.B. King spanked the plank. With its versatile sound, ease of playing, and reasonable cost, what better guitar to yellow with perspiration and cigarette smoke? Most serious students could afford the $189.50 price, ensuring a ...
By the late '60s, it was clear the Telecaster had shaken the foundations of the music industry. The Tele – and the host of solidbody models introduced as a result of its success – changed the way the world heard, played, and composed music. Ironically, Leo Fender, who worked incessantly after '51 developing new models such as the Strat, Jazzmaster,...
Back at Fender headquarters, Telecaster experimentation continued apace by institutionalizing the most popular mod players had been making for a few years already—replacing the single-coil neck pickup with a fatter-sounding humbucking pickup.
- Jeff Owens
Jun 21, 2023 · Time for the Telecaster. By mid-1951, the Telecaster finally emerged. The guitar hit the market for $189.50, and players started buying and using Telecasters. They had a brief stint of huge popularity and got used by some big names, but the Stratocaster took over when it was introduced in 1954.
Oct 15, 2024 · We can divide up the Telecaster's evolution into three periods: Fender under Leo Fender's ownership (1946–1965), Fender under the ownership of CBS (1965–1984), and post-CBS (1984–today). Let's take a quick look at the changes during these three periods.
Jun 11, 2021 · Fender had been experimenting with weight-relieved Teles, developing a rare hollowbody ‘Smuggler’s Tele’ before launching the semi-hollow Thinline Telecaster in 1968 to compete with likes of Rickenbacker and Gretsch.
From 1959-72, the Fender Custom Telecaster lived as a standard Tele with a bound body. The new Telecaster Custom that was available until 1981 boasted a Seth Lover-designed humbucker in the neck position to pair with the traditional and beloved Telecaster single-coil bridge pickup.