Fender Standard Telecaster MN Black

When Leo FENDER® introduced the world to the original Telecaster® in 1950, nobody could have possibly imagined just how this $169 "plank" body electric guitar would change the world of contemporary music. Even more surprising is the fact that after more than a half century, the "Tele" still looks as modern - maybe even radical - as it did when it was first introduced. Considering the fact that Leo Fender wasn't even a guitar player, you have to wonder just how this "magic" happened. Were the planets aligned just right? Was the design beamed into Leo's head by weird space aliens? No matter. The Tele® is simply an inspired design. Since its introduction, guitarists in all musical genres have relied on the Fender Telecaster for its powerful tone and smooth playability. Today's Standard Tele features the best of the old and the new: A fast-action maple neck and fingerboard, new pickups with hotter voicing for better overdrive sounds, and shielded body cavities for quieter operation.

Fender Standard Series Telecaster Features at a Glance:

Solid alder body with three-ply white pickguard
Newly designed bridge block with adjustable saddles
Two new Standard Tele single-coil pickups
Maple neck and fingerboard with modern "C" shape and a satin polyester finish on the back and a gloss finish on the fretboard and headstock

Solid alder body with three-ply white pickguard and shielded body cavities
In the beginning, there was the Telecaster and the single pickup Esquire. You could get one in the blond finish and that was it. Over the decades, Fender has made concessions to the changing musical styles and the needs of both novice and pro guitarists, which has led to an astonishing array of Telecasters with new colors, special finishes and upgraded electronics. But with the Standard Series Telecaster®, Fender is taking the instrument back to its roots - with a few refinements (sorry, but they couldn't help themselves). That means a solid alder body with a three-ply white pickguard. It doesn't show, but Fender also added special shielding in the body cavities for quieter operation and reduced hum.

Newly designed bridge block with adjustable saddles
For the Standard Series Telecaster, Fender designed a new bridge block that's the best of the vintage and modern designs, along with six adjustable saddles. The original Teles had a large, silly "ashtray" bridge cover that every guitar player hated, so they removed it and it promptly got lost for all time.

Two new Standard Tele single-coil pickups
The original Tele pickups had more twang than any two "normal" guitars, thanks to the single coil pickups in the bridge and neck positions. Today's Standard Tele has pickups that pretty much look the same, but are voiced hotter, so it's much easier to drive most amps into various levels of distortion, from mild to manic.

Maple neck and fingerboard with modern "C" shape and satin polyester finish
Leo Fender wasn't a guitar player. In fact, he got his start repairing radios. So he had no idea that guitars weren't supposed to have maple necks. In time, those blond maple necks and fingerboards became a Fender trademark, though the company eventually offered rosewood fingerboards on most of its models. Again, for the Standard Tele®, it's back to the basics with a maple neck and fingerboard with a modern "C" shape and a satin polyester finish on the back and a gloss finish on the fretboard and headstock.

Fender Standard Series Telecaster Features:

Color: Brown Sunburst
Body Type: Solidbody
Finish: Polyester
Neck Wood: Maple
Neck Shape: Modern "C" shape
Top Wood: Alder
Back Wood: N/A
Side Wood: N/A
Machine Heads: Fender/Ping standard cast/sealed tuners
Scale Length: 25 1/2"
Fingerboard: Maple
No. of Frets: 21
Position Markers: Dot
Pickups: Two hotter voiced single-coil pickups in neck and bridge positions
Controls: Master volume, master tone
Pickup Switching: Three-position blade
Bridge/Tailpiece: Newly designed bridge block
Hardware: Chrome

It's back to basics with today's Standard Telecaster®.
Specification Detail
Body Type Telecaster
Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
Body Material Alder
Top Material Not Applicable
Body Finish Polyester, Satin finish on back of neck
Color Brown Sunburst
Neck Material Maple
Neck Shape C
Scale Length 25.5"
Fingerboard Material Maple
Fingerboard Inlay Black dots
Number of Frets 21
Nut Width 1.650"
Bridge/Tailpiece Vintage-style bridge
Tuners Fender/Ping standard cast sealed tuners
Number of Pickups 2
Neck Pickup Standard Tele single-coil
Middle Pickup No Middle Pickup
Bridge Pickup Standard Tele single-coil
Controls Master Volume, Master Tone, 3-way pickup selector

Model 0145102506