About the Telecaster Guitar Setup
- The body of a Tele is usually constructed from ash, alder, mahogany or poplar. Alder bodies have been widely used on both the Telecaster and Stratocaster since the late 1940s. Currently, the American Standard Telecaster uses alder or ash, depending on the guitar's finish. Alder, ash and poplar are highly resonant, produce clean tones and are lightweight. Mahogany produces a richer, warmer tone. Telecasters with mahogany bodies will weigh more than a pound more than those made of alder, ash or poplar. A plastic pickguard is screwed directly into the body and will vary in color depending on the guitar's finish.
- The neck of a Telecaster uses traditional bolt-on construction that Leo Fender developed to enhance production. The American Standard Telecaster has a maple neck with a modern C-shaped neck profile, which is a flattened version of the traditional oval C-shape. The narrow-shaped headstock has remained relatively unchanged since the guitar's introduction. Because of its bolt-on design and the Bi-Flex truss rod system, it is simple to modify and adjust the neck of a Telecaster. An American Standard Tele has a rosewood or maple fretboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets with rolled edges.
- The Telecaster can owe its signature sound to the pickup configuration, which is a simple two single-coil design. One pickup is located at the bridge and the other is located at the neck. The slanted bridge pickup increases the Tele's treble response. A three-way selector switch can be set to either the bridge pickup, the neck pickup or both. A tone knob and a master volume knob complete the American Standard Telecaster's controls. Other pickup configurations, such as a humbucker in the neck position and a single-coil in the bridge, or two humbucker pickups, are found on Telecaster models such as the Custom and Deluxe.
- The American Standard Telecaster has a six-saddle, bent-steel bridge with elongated string slots to easily adjust the length and height for each string. This design also increases resonance and sustain. The longer saddle screws used on the American Standard help with tuning accuracy and provide a wider range of motion. The Tele also has a stamped brass plate. The Telecaster uses Fender Deluxe Staggered Cast tuning machines and chrome hardware.
- American Standard Telecasters come equipped with Fender Standard Tension, nickel-plated steel strings. The gauges of the strings from the high E to the low E are as follows: .009, .011, .016, .024, .023, .042
However, like the bridge and neck of a Telecaster, strings can be adjusted and changed according to a player's preference.