Why Does Fender Hold Making New Telecasters Every 12 months? – Guitars For Idiots GuitarContact
Sooner or later it appears futile, however then you definitely decide up a brand new Tele and it’s simpler to know.

I’ve reviewed and shot demos for lots of guitars prior to now 7 years, 141 to be actual, so I feel I do know a factor or two about how a guitar ought to play and really feel. A LOT of these opinions have been Fenders, as they have a tendency to launch a variety of guitars and are variety sufficient to work with me. The truth is, Fender is my most-reviewed guitar model, with a whopping 15 fashions and an extra 12 of their Squier fashions, listed on my proverbial evaluation resume. Now I guess you possibly can guess what my most frequently reviewed body-style is subsequent? That’s proper, it’s a Telecaster! I’ve reviewed 21 Tele-style guitars, together with some by non-Fender/Squier manufacturers as nicely.
I like Telecasters, and I’ve ever since I used to be launched to The Conflict and noticed Joe Strummer enjoying one as teenager. I’m at all times on the hunt for the subsequent nice T-style guitar and infrequently really feel proper at house enjoying them. Through the years I’ve typically questioned if there are too many Teles, particularly within the Fender and Squier lineups. Each few years they appear to have a brand new kind of Tele to promote. The Participant Collection, the Participant II Collection, the Participant II Modified Collection, and so on…you get the purpose. Is it an excessive amount of? Is there any cause they should preserve rehashing the Tele? In latest months I’ve been marinating on this query as I performed the brand new Participant II Modified Tele for increasingly more of my pedal demos.
I had reviewed the guitar earlier this yr for Final Guitar, the place it earned excessive reward. The reality is, as a lot as I wished to be aggravated that Fender put out one other Tele, I couldn’t assist however adore it. Certain, it’s a contact annoying that the costs preserve going up, however they’re including some cool options to their new guitars. Particularly, the flexibility to decide on between parallel and sequence wiring actually enhanced the Tele tone. Oh, and the rounded edges on the fretboard actually do make this buttery clean. So yeah, they preserve taking the Tele and tweaking a couple of issues right here and there.
However that’s not why I’m okay with them rehashing Teles to promote for an additional couple of bucks annually. I’m okay with it as a result of each time I decide up a Fender Tele I’m simply delighted with the guitar. I’ve owned so many Teles in my life, but I preserve simply feeling impressed. The frontman in my band performs a Fender Participant Collection II Telecaster that I purchased, and it’s good. The Participant II Modified Tele is much more good, and retains bringing extra accessible Tele choices to new waves of guitarists getting into the market.
The principle level I’m making an attempt to make right here is that we should always shift our focus onto the standard of the brand new guitars, not the drama surrounding them. In the event you decide up a brand new Telecaster and it feels unbelievable to play, whether it is enjoyable, that’s all that issues. I’ve labored onerous to make my opinions extra targeted on how “enjoyable” or inspiring the gear is to play. If I’m not having enjoyable, it most likely reveals, providing you with a reasonably clear image that the gear’s not excellent. Regardless of a variety of of us suggesting it’s silly for Fender to rehash the Tele for the Participant II Modified lineup, the guitar is one in every of my favorites from the 2025 evaluation season. Don’t overcomplicate it! Hopefully you possibly can all spend the second half of 2025 specializing in how a lot enjoyable gear is, not what’s typed about it on boards or within the remark part.
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