Best Telecasters 2022: The Top Fender Telecaster electric guitars for all budgets and styles

Finding the perfect Telecaster for you will be a lot of fun, no matter what your needs are. Given that the Tele is one of the most recognisable electric guitars in the world, there is a wide variety available. Only a few other guitars can match the popularity of the Fender Telecaster, which was the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar.

Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Danny Gatton, and James Burton have all recorded with the Fender Tele, along with other pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll. Few other guitars have carved out such a significant place in music history. Even modern guitar masters like Slipknot and Radiohead are riding the Tele train. What this means is that you’ll be in good company if you decide to invest in one of the best Fender Telecasters in this guide.

Below are a few highly alluring Telecaster alternatives, whether you’re a newbie electric guitar player or a die-hard Fender lover.

If you’d like to read more in-depth buying advice, then click the ‘buying advice’ button above. If you’d prefer to jump right to the products, keep scrolling. To assist you select the best option for your budget, we’ve listed them in ascending order of price.

Best Telecasters: Oasis Guitar’s choice

Our top picks for the best Fender Telecaster guitar starts with the Fender American Professional II Telecaster, a seriously beautiful and versatile electric guitar that pays homage to the originals while bringing them right up to date.

The American Professional II’s are unquestionably worth a look if you’re looking for a top-tier American Telecaster right now. These guitars, in contrast to some of the other options available, pay homage to the original models with only a small number of modernizations and changes that are imperceptible to the naked eye.

The Fender Richie Kotzen Telecaster is also something we heartily endorse. The singer/guitarist is frequently credited with creating some of the best Fender tones in recent memory thanks to the Telecaster he holds in his hands.

A wonderful addition to our top Fender Telecasters round-up, these DiMarzio-equipped autographs were made accessible globally in 2013 (having only been marketed in Japan initially) (having only been sold in Japan initially). They provide top-notch tones without sacrificing playability.

Fender Telecasters: Best Product Guide

Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Specifications

Brand	Fender
Color	3-Color Sunburst/Rosewood
Top Material Type	Maple, Rose Wood, Alder
Body Material	Alder
Neck Material Type	Maple
Fretboard Material Type	Rosewood
Guitar Pickup Configuration	S-S
String Material Type	Brass
Hand Orientation	Right
Guitar Bridge System	3-Saddle Top-Load/String-Through Tele with Compensated Brass ‘Bullet’ Saddles

To fulfil the needs of today’s working musician, the American Professional II Fender Telecaster draws on more than 70 years of invention, creativity, and progress. For a remarkably comfortable feel and simple access to the higher register, their well-liked Deep “C” neck now features smooth rolled fingerboard edges, a “Super-Natural” satin finish, and a freshly shaped neck heel. New V-Mod II Fender Telecaster single-coil pickups give the twang, snap, and snarl that made the Tele renowned while being more articulate than ever.

The most comfortable and adaptable Tele bridge to date, the new top-load/string-through bridge with compensated “bullet” saddles maintains the classic brass-saddle tone while offering excellent intonation and adaptable setup options that let you customise the tension and tone of each string to your preferences. With significant upgrades that amount to nothing less than a new standard for professional guitars, the American Pro II Fender Telecaster offers instant familiarity and sonic diversity you’ll feel and hear right away.

Squier Affinity Series Telecaster

Specifications

Brand	Fender
Color	Butterscotch Blonde
Top Material Type	Maple
Body Material	Poplar
Back Material Type	Maple Wood
Neck Material Type	Maple
Fretboard Material Type	Maple
Guitar Pickup Configuration	S-S
String Material Type	Nickel Steel
Hand Orientation	Right

Fender’s response to the demand for distinctive designs and vintage tones in the market for entry-level electric guitars is the Squier Affinity series. These guitars are incredibly affordable for people just getting into the instrument, and even if they can’t provide the entire Fender experience for just about a sixth of the price of the cheapest American-made models, they are practically unmatched in the sub-$250 segment of the market.

This could very well be the greatest Fender Telecaster for you, whether you’re a novice or you’ve just always wanted to add a basic Tele to the collection. It comes in some classic finishes, including the Butterscotch Blonde Bruce Springsteen loved, as well as seductive racing colours.

Fender Squier Classic Vibe ’70s Telecaster Thinline

Specifications

Brand	Fender
Color	Natural
Top Material Type	SQ374070521
Body Material	Maple
Back Material Type	Maple
Neck Material Type	Maple
Fretboard Material Type	SQ374070521
Guitar Pickup Configuration	H
String Material Type	Nickel Steel
Hand Orientation	Right

Famously utilised by the likes of Bob Dylan, Thom Yorke and Jim Adkins, Thinline Telecasters were originally built as a lighter-bodied alternative, with routing cavities and a single f-hole that led to its more acoustic-sounding and warmer ‘woody’ resonance.

From build to playability, the lone Thinline in the Fender Squier line undoubtedly provides a lot for its low price. It has two Wide Range humbuckers, just like the Vintera ’70s models, to allow players access warmer and more overdriven sounds. This, together with the semi-hollow design, helps prevent some of the more strident tones for which classic Telecasters were renowned.

A wonderful alternative for those seeking to dial in rock tones or strike big-sounding chords on a budget.

Fender Player Telecaster

Specifications

Brand	Fender
Color	Black
Top Material Type	FE0145212506
Body Material	Alder
Back Material Type	FE0145212506
Neck Material Type	Maple
Fretboard Material Type	FE0145212506
Guitar Pickup Configuration	S
String Material Type	Steel
Hand Orientation	Right

The Player Series by Fender captures everything that makes Fender guitars so well-liked. The Player Telecaster lives up to the quality and simplicity that are at the core of this line of guitars.

The gloss-finished alder body and bolt-on maple neck is a classic combination, and gives bags of that iconic Tele ‘twang’. The Player series single-coils maintain that instantly recognisable tone while being slightly hotter wound to keep things current.

Performance and comfort are both factors in the design of the “Modern C” neck shape. You can be sure you’ll discover a style to suit you thanks to its silky satin finish, which helps you avoid the sticky circumstances that a gloss lacquer may produce. You also have the choice of either maple or pau ferro fingerboards.

Perhaps controversially so, the Player Series has 22 frets rather from the customary 21 – but the Player Telecaster isn’t meant to comply to the rules. It’s here for people that want an all-new experience on a classic, simple, workhorse guitar.

Fender Vintera ’70s Telecaster Deluxe

Specifications

Brand	Fender
Color	Vintage Blonde
Top Material Type	FE0149812307
Body Material	Alder
Back Material Type	FE0149812307
Neck Material Type	Maple
Fretboard Material Type	Maple
Guitar Pickup Configuration	Combination
String Material Type	Nickel Steel
Hand Orientation	Right

In order to modernise their original solid-body electric design in the 1960s, Fender employed Seth Love, a former Gibson pickup expert. This was in response to the rise of higher gain players during that decade. The Telecaster Deluxe, which made use of the brand-new Wide Range humbucker to dial in more overdriven tones, was the result of the collaboration and debuted in 1972.

The new Ensenada factory-made Vintera series offers a whole range of throwback Fender Telecasters from the big F’s ground-breaking first three decades, but the ’70s Deluxe – available in three wonderfully classic finishes – has definitely earned its place near the top of our best Telecasters list.

The humbuckers deliver little less of that renowned Tele twang in favour of grit and power and are wonderfully musical in both clean and distorted modes. Overall, the Fender Vintera ’70s Telecaster Deluxe pays homage to one of the more rock-focused models in Fender history while being more cost-effective and amazingly adaptable.

Fender Player Plus Nashville Telecaster

Specifications

Brand	Fender
Color	Blue
Top Material Type	Maple
Body Material	Alder
Back Material Type	Maple Wood
Neck Material Type	Maple
Fretboard Material Type	Maple
Guitar Pickup Configuration	S
String Material Type	Steel
Hand Orientation	Right

What do you get when you cross two of the most iconic electric guitars ever made? What is it? Sweet, sweet music. With new finishes, pickup configurations, and other improvements, Fender Telecaster’s Player Plus series of guitars takes the already excellent Player Series and kicks it up a notch. They’ve also blessed us with a new version of one of their ultimate swiss-army-knife guitars – the Nashville Fender Telecaster.

The Nashville Tele combines the adaptability of a Strat with that signature Tele “twang” to produce a guitar that is much more versatile than you might imagine. This is made possible by its set of three noiseless Player Plus pickups, which give precise, clean, and crisp tones. In order to provide a warmer mid-range that transforms the Fender Telecaster from an aggressive, spiky axe into a smooth operator with improved capabilities, the middle pickup on the Nashville is actually borrowed from a Stratocaster.

The Player Plus Nashville Fender Telecaster’s body and neck have both undergone improvements, and a Strat-like tummy cutaway on the back of the body helps the otherwise awkward Tele slab body. A Modern “C” shaped neck profile, paired with the flatter 12” radius fingerboard offers choke-free bends and near-endless comfort, with rolled edges the frosting on the cake. The Nashville is your guitar if you want the distinctive Tele grit with a slightly more upscale touch.

Fender Richie Kotzen Telecaster

Specifications

Brand	Fender
Color	Brown sunburst
Top Material Type	Maple
Body Material	Wood
Back Material Type	Ash
Neck Material Type	Maple
Fretboard Material Type	Maple
Guitar Pickup Configuration	S
Hand Orientation	Right
Guitar Bridge System	Fixed

The American Vintage ’52 Telecaster serves as the inspiration for Kotzen’s trademark Fender Telecaster. It has a Seymour Duncan SH HB-1 humbucker in the bridge position and a custom-wound P90 pickup in the neck position. Other features include a bespoke Richie Kotzen neck plate, a three-ply white pickguard, knurled chrome control knobs, vintage-style saddles, and tuners.

The guitar has a fantastic sound and a wide range of tones. The HB-1 gives rich, warm humbucker tones, while the P90 offers vintage Tele twang. The guitar’s quick action and compact profile neck make playing it very comfortable as well.

The Richie Kotzen Fender Telecaster is a magnificent instrument that excels in every way. The Richie Kotzen Tele is unquestionably worth a look if you’re searching for an electric guitar that’s cosy, adaptable, and has classic styling in addition to superb sound.

How to make a choice for best Fender Telecaster?

It’s important to keep in mind that there are no hard and fast rules about which instruments are best, although solid-body guitars tend to be the go-to for players seeking volume, depth, and sustain. Some guitarists who play mostly chords prefer semi-hollow guitars for their greater transparency and brightness.

You’re in luck, because Telecasters may be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. It’s helpful to have a mental picture of the various models’ tonal qualities and the performers commonly associated with those tones before making a purchase. The solid-body versions of the Tele usually deliver more of the legendary vintage ‘twang.’ As a rule, they are bold and a little more “in your face,” making them ideal for situations where you need to stand out from the crowd. If you’re a rhythm musician or you just like a fatter tone, you can’t do better than the semi-hollow Thinline models, which give more natural acoustic resonance and show off more low-end rumble.

Which pickups should I get?

It’s important to consider whether you’d prefer single-coils or humbuckers when settling on the ideal Telecaster for you. Even though there are more electric guitar pickups than ever before, it’s still smart to invest in a Fender Telecaster that can accommodate your preferred tones out of the box.

When it comes to funk, R&B, and country, higher-gain performers may be better suited to higher-output pickups like humbuckers, but Fender’s normally noiseless and lower-output single-coils work brilliantly. Take a look at the guitars of the guitarists you aspire to emulate in order to get a feel for how much juice they use.