What Is the Difference Between a Fender Stratocaster & a Fender Telecaster?
The Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster are iconic American guitars featured on thousands of classic rock 'n' roll recordings. Although similar in design and popularity, these two popular guitar models have significant differences.
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History
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Leo Fender developed the Fender Telecaster in southern California; his company introduced it in 1951 as the first solid-body Spanish-style commercially mass-produced electric guitar. In 1954, Fender introduced the Stratocaster, which combined the design innovations of the Telecaster with an additional single-coil pickup that opened up more tonal possibilities for musicians.
Features
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The classic Fender Telecaster model features a solid Spanish-style body, two single-coil pickups controlled by a three-way selector switch, and controls for volume and tone. The Fender Stratocaster is noted for its sleek contoured body, two-tone sunburst finish and three single-coil pickups with a three-way selector switch. Later versions featured a five-way selector switch.
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Identification
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Only the Fender Stratocaster features a vibrato, or "tremolo," bridge that allows guitar players to bend the strings, producing a "twang" effect similar to that of a pedal steel guitar. Another key difference between these two popular Fender guitar models is the neck shape. Classic Telecaster models have a narrow headstock neck, while the Stratocaster has a wide "dogleg" headstock neck.
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References
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- Photo Credit guitar guitarist music musical instrument image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
