If you were to ask a guitarist which electric guitar they would pick if they could only have one instrument to cover all of their performances, there is a good probability that they would respond “Telecaster.” It’s a bit surprising that Leo Fender’s solidbody electric guitar with the fewest features has turned out to be the most versatile model.
However, if we go even further back in its history, to the Broadcaster and Esquire models that came before it, we find that it became simplified on purpose. This is because, in some respects, the earliest prototype guitars were more complicated than the classic Telecaster model that we are familiar with today.
The Telecaster was initially an innovative form of guitar that was developed specifically for the working musician of the jet era. It was the kind of guitar that went places and got heard at rural fairs and city bars alike, a clear-voiced presence in the cultural memory of a generation. Yet, as the ’50s proceeded, it ingrained itself in the musical life of America, and the Telecaster became something more substantial.
As a result, Telecasters became the instrument of choice for professional musicians. And when those musicians passed away, their families would frequently keep their guitars. As time went on, those guitars and the tales behind them turned out to be more spectacular than anyone had anticipated.
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