The Telecaster doesn’t get enough credit for its versatility – and in its 75 years of production, it’s found its way into every genre.
Tom Morello defined rap-metal with the brute-force, Sabbath-informed riffs he got out of his Telecaster, while John 5 – a walking Tele encyclopedia – uses any number of futuristic spins on the model to power Mötley Crüe. Then there’s Joe Strummer, who took punk worldwide with his heavily worn example.
In the blues realm, there’s The Iceman, “The Master of the Telecaster,” Albert Collins. Never using a pick, he unleashed piercing licks, with a singular tone unlike anyone else in the genre. And don’t even get us started on country: Brad Paisley, Danny Gatton, Waylon Jennings, James Burton…
My own favorite guitar player, Jonny Greenwood, is synonymous with his Honda sticker-adorned Telecaster Plus, which he used to redefine what a guitar is capable of sounding like (with a little help from a space station’s worth of effects and unorthodox techniques).
But who do you think is the most iconic Fender Telecaster player of all time? Who’s done the most with the instrument? Shown the greatest virtuosity? Taken guitar playing the farthest? Show your genre and taste bias! Don’t just say who you think you should name.
Let us know your pick in the comments below.
