Fender Vintera ‘70s Telecaster Deluxe

A highly functional and affordable throwback to the wonder years.

RRP: $1,799 Body: Alder Neck: Maple (Thin C-shape) Scale: 25.5 inches Fingerboard: Maple Frets: 21

Pickups: Two Fender Wide-Range Humbucking Controls: Volume 1 (Neck) / Volume 2 (Bridge) / Tone 1 (Neck) / Tone 2 (Bridge) Hardware: Nickel / Chrome

PROS

Amazing value for money Revoiced wide-range humbuckers

CONS

Not as suited to brighter Tele tones

After an increase in higher gain players over the course of the 1960s, Fender hired former Gibson pickup guru Seth Love to help update their debut solidbody electric design. The fruits of that collaboration arrived in 1972 as the Telecaster Deluxe, using the all-new Wide Range humbucker to dial in more overdriven tones.

The new Ensenada factory-made Vintera series offers a whole range of throwback Telecasters from the big F’s groundbreaking first three decades. But the ’70s Deluxe – available in three wonderfully classic finishes – has definitely earned its place near the top of our best Telecasters list.

The humbuckers are incredibly musical, both clean and distorted, and offer a bit less of that famous

Tele twang in favour of more grit and power. All in all, the Fender Vintera ‘70s Telecaster Deluxe is a brilliantly versatile and more wallet-friendly tribute to one of the more rockfocused models in Fender history.