Fender's Telecaster is one of the icons of the guitar world.
It's not just manufacturer's hype that this is the one of the most
famous guitars of all time-it was the first production solid-body
electric guitar, setting the style for everything that followed. To
say this guitar changed the world of music is no over-the-top
boast.
This is the first history and giftbook devoted to the
legendary Tele. It covers the development of the guitar and the
famous players who made it their own, from the first 1949 prototype
to the launch of the model in 1950 as the Esquire, through the
Broadcaster, infamous "Nocaster," the Telecaster-and its numerous
variations today.
"Without the Telecaster, there would be a whole lot less music
for the world to enjoy!"
-Redd Volkaert, from the afterword
Working-class hero. The ultimate blue-collar guitar. That is
the Fender Telecaster. It wasn't made to be elegant, pretty, or
sophisticated. Instead, the Telecaster was designed to be the
ultimate utilitarian musical instrument. And somewhere along the
way, it changed the world of music.
In the hands of players from James Burton to Muddy Waters,
Bruce Springsteen to Joe Strummer, the Telecaster has made the
music of working people-country, blues, punk, rock 'n' roll, even
jazz.
Here is the complete tale of an electric guitar that came to
work and continues to work hard more than half a century after its
birth, still resonating with the purity of the first slab of swamp
ash that was carved to that iconic single-cutaway design. Packed
with more than 400 photos and memorabilia, plus profiles of the
great Tele players, this book is a suitable tribute to the
Tele.
Dig in, and feel the music.
"I'm still on the road and so is my Tele. Every hotel room I
check into, the first thing I do is take the Telecaster out of its
case and lean it against the wall. It looks so good."
-Wilko Johnson, from the foreword
