A Telecaster for the purists and the aficionados, for the lovers of twang and the seasoned string wizards, the Fender American Professional Classic Telecaster is here and it means business.
About as good as a new Tele that money can buy without a trip to the custom shop, this American-made, vintage-inspired model is as classy on the outside as it is mean under the hood.
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Featuring a gorgeous faded Dakota Red finish, a subtle mint green pickguard and a rosewood fretboard, this thing looks like it’s straight out of the ’60s, without the need for artificial relicing. The fading of the finish really gives it a smooth, vintage look but keeps things classy, a more subtle approach to the premade wear and tear of a reliced model. Also immediately noticeable to the eye is a beautiful set of vintage Kluson-style tuners and the old school spaghetti style Fender logo, making this model a 60s tribute through and through.
To the touch, this Tele feels exceptionally well-crafted and is pleasantly lightweight. A modern C-shaped neck will feel like home for any Fender fan, and a satin finish ensures a silky smooth playing experience. There are no sharp edges on this thing; it’s clearly been lovingly crafted and held to high-quality standards as one would expect from a USA model, and the factory setup is spot on.
A 9.5” radius is one of the modern enhancements that makes this guitar more than a throwback, again making it feel very familiar. A 9.5” radius as compared to the original vintage 7.25” is superior for bending due to the fretboard being flatter and is generally preferred these days for that reason. Paired with medium jumbo frets, this neck is extremely playable and suitable for lightning-fast fretting.
The Professional Classic Tele features an Alder body, Fender’s go-to tonewood, which is known for its resonance, punch, clarity, balanced, lively tone, beefy mids and a robust low-end. Paired with a maple neck, it’s as classic as it gets. A 3-Saddle vintage-style bridge with slotted brass barrel saddles completes the look and provides maximum stability. Every component of this Tele is of the highest quality.
Under the hood, we have the exceptional Fender Coastline ’63 Pickups, a classic pair of single coils with a twist. Based on Fender’s Pure Vintage designs, Coastline ’63 Telecaster® pickups are slightly overwound to deliver enhanced Fender warmth, chime and punch. The slight overwind means a bit more output and edge than a standard pair of Tele pickups without sacrificing dynamics, making this Tele just as appropriate for rock and roll as we all know it is for country.
Another modern addition to this guitar that really kicks it up a notch is a Fender Greasebucket Tone System. The uniquely engineered Greasebucket Tone System tames treble frequencies without sacrificing gain or adding unwanted bass, preserving carefully crafted sound. Unlike traditional tone controls, this sophisticated circuit maintains clarity and definition even when rolled back, similar to a treble-bleed circuit.
In the bridge position, the Coastline 63’ pickup sounds rock solid, with a tight low end, lively mids and that classic Tele twang. When set clean with a bit of reverb, you get shimmering, crystalline sounds worthy of Roy Buchanan, and when cranked, it can get very hairy indeed. The extra winds definitely come through in this position; it still has that classic Tele sound, but it definitely pushes your amp a little harder in the best way possible.
The middle position is the goldilocks zone, not too hot, not too cold. With a nice vocal midrange, a soft, warm timbre and just enough treble coming through for leads, there’s a plethora of sounds available in this position, particularly in conjunction with manipulating the Greasebucket tone circuit.
The neck position provides those beautiful, warm, jazzy tones you’d expect with an extra bit of clarity and bite, thanks to the top-notch quality of the Coastline pickups. Set clean, it’s perfect for chunky rhythm sounds with a substantial low end, and with a bit of distortion, it sounds great for smooth, sustaining solos that have a lovely liquid texture. Overall, the Coastline pickups sound phenomenal, and those extra winds are super handy for harder rocking tunes.
This is definitely a Telecaster for true Telecaster lovers. It has all the classic appointments of Fender’s golden age, but with updated specs for unprecedented ergonomics. The tuners may look vintage, for instance, but are in fact Staggered Classic tuners that feature precise modern engineering. It looks and sounds like a ’60s Tele, but the model’s traditional problems have been eliminated, and it packs enough of a wallop for more modern sounds.
With exceptional build quality and attention to detail, this guitar won’t disappoint even the most discerning players and would make a fine addition to any professional arsenal. This is certainly a studio-grade instrument and, like all Fenders, is also indestructible enough for the road. From its beautiful, faded finish to its premium pickups, no expense has been spared for this American-made workhorse. Definitely the sort of Tele that could be a touring musician’s number one guitar, it’s built well, looks gorgeous and sounds fantastic.
The ’60s may have been Fender’s most iconic era, but the way they continue to innovate their classic models without compromising the integrity of the design is truly impressive. It may look like it could have been sitting in a guitar shop sixty years ago, but this is definitely a guitar for right now. Overwound pickups, a Greasebucket tone circuit and a modern radius make this a perfect hybrid between the old and the new, something that Fender has really been excelling at lately.
Versatile enough to cover any genre, pretty enough to be on the cover of a magazine and as playable as it gets, the Professional Classic Telecaster is a home run. A big step up from the standard model and yet still affordable enough for the people who are actually going to use it, this is definitely one for the studio cats and the road dogs alike.
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