The first Fender telecaster was developed in the 1940’s and was originally produced in the 1950’s as the Fender Esquire. After having some manufacturing problems with the neck on the Esquires, they made a few changes and released the Telecaster as the Broadcaster. Gretsch Guitars had a problem with that name, saying it copied their Broadkaster line of drums, and so the name Telecaster was born.

Fender Telecasters are typically solid body, 21 fret neck, and feature two single coil pickups, though it is also a popular guitar for customizing so it is entirely possible to find a Telecaster with something else. The pick ups are controlled by a three way selector switch and the guitar has knobs for both volume and tone.

The Telecaster Thinline was introduced in 1968-1969 and is basically the same as a Telecaster, except is is a semi-hollow guitar, making it lighter and hence the name “Thinline”.

The Fender Telecaster Deluxe was produced from 1972-1981 and then later reissued in 2004. Rock and roll dictated the need for a guitar with two wide range humbuck pickups, which is the key difference between the Deluxe and other Telecaster models. The first few years of production, purchasers could optionally request a vibrato bridge similiar to the ones found on Fender Stratocasters, so finding a Telecaster with one is a rare find indeed.

But enough talking, let’s listen to one already!

Below are the most recent listings for vintage Telecasters. You can see they range in price from $1000-$4000 and even just the pick ups and parts alone go for over $200.

Have a vintage Fender Telecaster? Go ahead, brag about it in the comments below!