BY ADAM MOORE
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There’s a lot of talk of change this year, and
that’s all fine and good, but some things
should just stay the same. One of those is
a 1952 blackguard Telecaster. Capable of
covering jazz, blues, rock and everything in
between with a distinctive bite, Leo Fender’s
Telecaster proved that planks of wood could
indeed sound musical. Comprised simply of
an ash body and major-league worthy neck,
this guitar was nothing other than a workhorse; its construction and modular nature
made it a natural choice for active musicians. And although it would (temporarily)
be eclipsed by its space age brother starting
in 1954, the Telecaster has always retained a
devoted cadre of loyalists who have prized
the instrument for its clarity and uncompromising honesty.
While time and skyrocketing vintage markets
have taken the number of original blackguards in the wild to new lows—with the
remaining likely sitting behind glass or vault
doors—a still-going-strong boutique world is
ensuring that these guitars are available for a
new generation, or an older generation just
looking to relive the glory days of instrument
design. Fortunately for buyers, a competitive
marketplace and expanding supply options
have brought about better materials, higher
quality, myriad options and bearable prices.
There’s now really no reason not to have a
good sounding, well built Tele-style guitar in
your arsenal.
This month, we sat down with five small builders—Bill Crook, Chihoe Hahn, Rick Kelly, Ron
Kirn and Jay Monterose—who all specialize in
Tele-style guitars, and asked them about their
approach to building and just what separates
their guitars from the rest. And even though
Tele-style guitars are fairly straightforward in
nature, we found five different answers, each
with their own dream of the ideal Tele-style
guitar. So whether you’re looking for an “
art-quality” instrument to call your number one,
or you just need another Tele to fill out your
closet, we’re betting you’ll find a builder here
to call.
www.premierguitar.com www.premierguitar.com
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