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Fender Player Telecaster Review

Well, ambiguous instruments always cause a storm of controversy, and fans of this or that brand come up with unsound nicknames for competitors. For example, such as “the one-armed pony,” which was awarded to the Telecaster. In this Fender Player Telecaster review, I will tell you what I think of this guitar. After all, there’s a reason it’s used by such popular musicians today as Brad Paisley and Vince Gill. Isn’t it interesting? Let’s find out.

Body

Fender Player Telecaster

The guitar comes in 6 colors: 3-Color Sunburst, Black, Tidepool, Polar White, Butterscotch Blonde, and Capri Orange. Its single-cut body was an innovation when it was created in 1950, but now it is a classic. The one-piece body of their Gloss Polyester Finish Alder creates a nice bright resonance.

The build quality is excellent. The guitar is very comfortable to use, and you will feel it confidently in your hands. Also, there is a Pickguard on the body made of 3-ply parchment and a 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Tele with block steel saddles. You should know your attitude towards bent steel ahead of time because not all players like it. Regarding Hardware, I can’t point out anything special: the standard cast/sealed tuning machines are simple and comfortable to play with. But they are made of what is called synthetic bone, which is plastic, even though it’s chrome-plated.

Pickup system

As for the electronics, there are two passive pickups in the SS configuration Player Series Alnico 5 Tele Single-Coil and bridge pickup 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Tele. They provide clean, detailed sound, perhaps with some low frequencies. You can switch and play in 3 positions: bridge pickup, bridge and neck pickups, and Neck Pickup. This will allow you to play songs in different genres without much effort. All in all, I would say that for its price this guitar has decent electronics that will give you a clean powerful sound.

Neck, fingerboard, headstock

Fender fingerboards are an art form in their own right. Made of solid maple with Satin Urethane Finish on the Back, Gloss Urethane Finish on the Front, it has a Modern C-shape with a 9.6″ radius. The Maple fingerboard overlay provides a bright, bouncy sound with rounded tones. The scale length is 25.5 inches, and 22 Medium Jumbo frets. This, too, is a specificity that takes some getting used to, as previous models had 21-fret lengths. The fingerboard fits my hand like a fixture, and thanks to the finish, my hand glided smoothly, allowing for quick playability.

Sound quality

Fender Player Telecaster photo

Is the Fender Player Telecaster a good guitar? My answer is unequivocal yes. The combination of quality and price is impressive because it’s the entry-level of the line, but it is a brand! The Fender Player Telecaster sounds great and clean but not vintage if that’s what you expect. However, the pickup system offers a spectrum of sound for many performance styles: the bridge pickup will give you plenty of twangs, and the more jazzy and mellow sounds will come from the neck pickup. Put it together, experiment, and you’ll have a great stage-worthy guitar.

Key specs

  • Scale, in/cm: 25.5/64.7.
  • Frets: 22.
  • Fretboard radius, in/cm: 9.5/24.1.
  • Type: electric.
  • Body material: alder.
  • Neck material: maple.
  • Neck joint: bolt-on.
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About M. Lacey
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