In the words of Noel Gallagher, there’s always an anniversary in the music business. Some, it must be said, mean more than others, and when it comes to the 75th anniversary of what can fairly be described as the quintessential electric guitar, it seems inarguable that some milestones are worth celebrating.
The 75th Anniversary American Professional Custom Telecaster is exactly that – a celebration. A celebration of an icon, an eternal mainstay, the platonic ideal of what a guitar should and can be. Simultaneously paying tribute to its original iteration as well as attempting to perfect it for the current moment, this offering from Fender brings about a simple but powerful question. Where the hell would we be without the Telecaster? I shudder at the very notion.
Catch up on all the latest reviews here.
At first glance, it is undeniable that this guitar is a thing of beauty. Featuring a pitch perfect Two-Colour Sunburst finish and luscious, gleaming gold hardware, it’s clear before even picking it up that this is a top shelf instrument. The finish is simply stunning, black around the edges where it meets a creamy, thick body binding, it morphs into a beautiful fiery yellow/orange colour that is transparent enough to reveal the stunning flame maple top beneath. A subtle mint green pickguard throws back to Fender’s most revered era without being too prominent, and the all gold hardware looks delicate and beautiful against the Sunburst Finish, stopping just short of undue ostentatiousness.
Crafted with a resonant alder body topped with a stunning flame maple top, the 75th Anniversary Tele features an off-white double binding that exudes elegance. A classic maple neck and fretboard completes the look, and looks are just the beginning. Pleasantly heavy without being a burden, this model has a weight to it that lets you know it’s a sturdy, high-quality instrument. The maple neck is an ultra-comfortable Deep-C shape with a very smooth matte finish that feels barely there, along with rolled fretboard edges that take playability to the next level of luxury.
A 9.5″ radius fingerboard and medium jumbo frets provide the smooth, fast playability that today’s guitarists demand, whilst an old school Spaghetti style goes on the headstock once again references the Telecaster’s humble yet gracefully elegant beginnings. This Anniversary model perfectly straddles the old and the new, providing vintage aesthetics with modern playability and sonic versatility.
This model features its very own set of custom 75th Anniversary V-Mod pickups that expertly deliver authentic vintage tone with modern clarity and output. As well as providing the classic Tele twang you know and love, the tone control on the Professional Custom features a push/pull pot that engages a wiring option that puts both pickups in series for enhanced output and a more humbucker-like tone, making it extremely versatile.
In the bridge position, the Professional Custom sounds bright and crystalline with a high fidelity sheen. When set clean, it has that unmistakable twang that has defined the sound of country music since the ’50s, and when overdriven, it’s perfect for rowdy rock and roll rhythm tones and seriously searing leads. From spanky Nashville licks to hard-driving riffage, there’s really nothing this guitar can’t do, and that’s exactly why, after 75 years, it’s as beloved as ever.
The neck pickup provides a smoother, more mellow tone with jazzier inclinations, but can be pushed into a nice warm growl with a bit of dirt. The middle position is, of course, a lovely middle ground, exhibiting the nice, rounded off smoothness of the neck pickup but with a bit of the heat and bite of the bridge coming through as well. This position provides a nice, even tone that I find to be particularly well-suited for slide playing.
When the push/pull pot is engaged, the pickups are rewired into series, meaning the middle position now combines the two pickups into what is essentially a humbucker. This means a meaner, fatter and more compressed sound better suited for hard rock tones with a big increase in sustain. The addition of this added circuitry makes this a much more versatile guitar than your average Tele, which is a very welcome feature, particularly given the high price tag. Overall, I can honestly say this is the best sounding Tele I’ve ever played. It sounds like a classic vintage model, but with more clarity in the top end, and the option to fatten up with series mode is really handy.
The Professional Custom is also exceptionally comfortable to play. The Deep C profile is slim at the nut and fills out gradually as it approaches the neck joint to create a natural feel that’s perfect for chording and single note playing alike. Additionally, the combination of hand-rolled fingerboard edges and the Super-Natural satin finish makes for a silky smooth playing experience that is truly addictive.
Other notable features include a new top-load/string-through bridge with compensated brass bullet saddles, gold locking tuners, a commemorative 75th anniversary neck plate and a treble bleed circuit that maintains high end clarity when the volume pot is turned down. It even comes with a deluxe moulded hard case. What more could you want?
Overall, this is a very special Telecaster. Right out of the gate, the flame maple top, gorgeous sunburst finish, double cream binding and gold hardware put it a cut well above any other new Tele on the market, not to mention the incredible feel and sound. It’s clear a tremendous amount of effort went into making this the perfect Telecaster, an instrument worthy of the 75th Anniversary title and the healthy price tag that comes with it.
This is an absolute top of the line Fender that both perfectly encapsulates what made the legacy brand’s past so glorious and reaffirms that they are still capable of true greatness. If you are in the market for a new Telecaster and you’ve got some money to splurge, you will not find one finer than this. There may always be an anniversary in the music business, but this one has been done right.
Check out the Fender 75th Anniversary American Professional Custom Telecaster here.
