Gear / Guitar

Fender Telecaster

On 34 sourced rigs at ToneLineage.

Who uses it

• Billie Joe ArmstrongSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…es paul junior models from the mid- to late-1950s. his fender collection includes stratocasters, jazzmasters, telecasters, a gretsch hollowbody, rickenbacker 360 and his copies of "blue" from fender custom shop. recently he has be…” Wikipedia: Billie Joe Armstrong ↗

• Brad PaisleySignature gear (career overview) careerMud on the Tires sessions 2003Time Well Wasted sessions 2005

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…335, with a fender deluxe reverb. the instrument most often associated with him is a 1968 pink paisley fender telecaster. brad's main guitars are crook custom guitars. these guitars are designed by bill crook and feature the paisl…” Wikipedia: Brad Paisley ↗

  Fender Telecaster, 1968 Paisley: 'Celebrity' main guitar. Ask Zac (Paisley's former tech Zac Childs): Mud on the Tires gear notes ↗

  Fender Telecaster (52/57 hybrid): Main guitar on 'The World'. Ask Zac (Zac Childs with Chad Weaver): Time Well Wasted gear notes ↗

• Duane AllmanSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…allman's first electric guitar was a red 1959 gibson les paul junior, which was followed shortly by a fender telecaster modified with a stratocaster neck. in 1968 or early 1969, allman bought a 1957 les paul goldtop (serial #7 33…” Wikipedia: Duane Allman ↗

• Eric ClaptonRoosters / Yardbirds 1963–1965

  His Yardbirds guitar. Where's Eric! (fan site): Clapton's guitar, amp and equipment set-up 1963-2014 ↗

• George HarrisonSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…ison 2011 pp 202–03 in late 1968, fender musical instruments corporation gave harrison a custom-made fender telecaster rosewood prototype, made especially for him by philip kubicki. sfn babiuk 2002 pp 237–239: fender telecaster…” Wikipedia: George Harrison ↗

• James HetfieldSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…vious guitars, hetfield's again had two different versions. 1996 fender telecaster '52 reissue with b-bender a mid 1990s reissue of the 1952 fender telecaster, this guitar was used to record…” Wikipedia: James Hetfield ↗

• Jeff BeckSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…01. an additional jeff beck custom shop stratocaster was released in 2004. left beck playing a fender telecaster in 1979 beck also played fender telecaster and gibson les paul instruments, and continued to play these for…” Wikipedia: Jeff Beck ↗

• Jimi HendrixAre You Experienced sessions Oct 1966–Apr 1967

  Fender Telecaster (borrowed, butterscotch): Roger Mayer: the 'Purple Haze' solos were on a Tele after Jimi broke his Strat. Guitar.com: The gear used on Are You Experienced ↗

• Jimmy PageLed Zeppelin 1968–1980

  Early Zeppelin. Wikipedia: Jimmy Page ↗

• John MayerDead & Company 2022 2022

  Fender Telecaster, 1952: Used at later shows. Guitar World: John Mayer's 2022 Dead & Company rig (Jul 2022) ↗

• Keith RichardsSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…o instruments played by the rolling stones upright 0.8 richards playing "micawber", a 1953 fender telecaster, in 2006 richards has a collection of approximately 3,000 guitars. even though he h…” Wikipedia: Keith Richards ↗

• Ritchie BlackmoreSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…97. the middle pick-up on his stratocaster is screwed down and not used. blackmore occasionally used a fender telecaster thinline during recording sessions. he is also one of the first rock guitarists to use a "scalloped" fretboar…” Wikipedia: Ritchie Blackmore ↗

• The EdgeHow to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 2004–2005

  Fender Telecaster, '60s (blue, Bigsby): GW: a 'blue sixties Telecaster with a Bigsby' on the Vertigo demo. Guitar World: The Edge on the Memory Man and early U2 ↗

• Bob WeirEarly Dead: Guild, ES-335 1965–1973

  Occasional early guitar. Reverb News: The Gear of the Grateful Dead ↗

• Brent MasonSignature gear (career overview) careerNashville session rig 1980s–2010s

  Named in the article: “…t to create and manufacture the valley arts brent mason signature model guitar, which was based on the fender telecaster design. in 2013, prs guitars launched the brent mason signature model guitar. wampler pedals manufactures and…” Wikipedia: Brent Mason ↗

  Fender Telecaster, late '60s (primer finish, B-Bender, blend pickup): PG: 'bought used in the '80s for a few hundred dollars', with Joe Glaser B-Bender, neck mini-humbucker and a blend-knob Duncan Vintage Stack middle pickup. PG's 2013 rundown dates it 1968; the 2021 rundown says 1967. Premier Guitar Rig Rundown: Brent Mason (session rig) ↗

• Joe StrummerSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…upright strummer in 2001 with his guitar strummer's main guitar throughout his career was a 1966 fender telecaster. strummer bought the guitar in its original sunburst finish in 1975, with the £120 he was paid to marry afrik…” Wikipedia: Joe Strummer ↗

• Johnny MarrSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…of the songs that were thought to have been recorded on this rickenbacker were, in fact, recorded on a fender telecaster. marr lent the guitar to noel gallagher during the recording of definitely maybe , the debut studio album…” Wikipedia: Johnny Marr ↗

• Keith UrbanHigh and Alive tour 2025

  Fender Telecaster, 1989 Custom 40th Anniversary ('Clarence'): PG 2025: 'Urban's workhorse guitar until this' tour. Premier Guitar Rig Rundown: Keith Urban (High and Alive tour, 2025) ↗

• Kim DealSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…a – kelley deal also has the same model, which she received as a christmas present from kim in 1991. * fender telecaster – occasionally played in the breeders' live performances since at least the last splash era. she was also…” Wikipedia: Kim Deal ↗

• Kim ThayilSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…ndmates preferred for its "beefier" sound. other guitars thayil has used include the gibson es-335 and fender telecaster. thayil uses mesa/boogie amplifiers, combining a dual rectifier trem-o-verb combo and an electrdyne head. bot…” Wikipedia: Kim Thayil ↗

• Mick JonesSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…right upright jones playing his fender thinline telecaster at carbon casino vi in london, 2008 jones' first guitar was a gibson les paul junior with a p-90 pickup, wh…” Wikipedia: Mick Jones (The Clash guitarist) ↗

• Mike CampbellThe Dirty Knobs 2020–present

  Fender Telecaster, 1956 (B-Bender): PG. Premier Guitar: Mike Campbell's Dirty Work ↗

• Rory GallagherSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…gher also used a number of other guitars throughout his career. in his early years, he favoured a 1966 fender telecaster or 1959 fender esquire for electric slide work, and a 1968 martin d35 or 1932 national triolian resonator for…” Wikipedia: Rory Gallagher ↗

• Steve HoweSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…n some sections. for relayer howe used exclusively fender guitars, primarily a 1955 telecaster with a gibson humbucking pickup. on his first solo album, beginnings , he used a ba…” Wikipedia: Steve Howe ↗

• Vince GillSolo years 1979–present

  Fender Telecaster, 1953 blackguard: PG: 'a 1953 blackguard Tele he bought in 1979 in Del City, Oklahoma'. Premier Guitar Rig Rundown: Vince Gill & Paul Franklin (2013) ↗

  Fender Telecaster (white): Gill: 'my white Tele, which I bought in 1978 for 50 bucks'. Guitar World: Vince Gill on the Eagles and vintage gear ↗

• Albert LeeSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article: “…ountry music. during his time playing with heads hands & feet, lee became a "guitar hero", playing his fender telecaster at breakneck speed. international success in 1971, lee performed with deep purple's keyboard player jon…” Wikipedia: Albert Lee ↗

• Lee RanaldoSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…ranaldo has used many guitars throughout his career, but is mostly associated with the fender jazzmaster, and telecaster deluxe models, as well as gibson les pauls sometimes, usually with radically alternative tunings, and modific…” Wikipedia: Lee Ranaldo ↗

• Richie KotzenSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…nce again. kotzen has used fender electric guitars for most of his career, most notably his signature model telecasters and stratocasters, as well as other custom-made models. currently, there are two richie kotzen signature mod…” Wikipedia: Richie Kotzen ↗

• Danny GattonTelemaster years 1974–1994

  Fender Telecaster, 1953 (#4883, modified): Bought at Zavarella's Music, Arlington, VA in 1974; GW: Joe Barden pickups, 1-megohm tone pot and .05µF cap for wah effects. Jazz Journal: The Humbler – Danny Gatton (2023) ↗

• Don RichBuck Owens and the Buckaroos 1964–1974

  Fender Telecaster, silver metal-flake (1966): Fender: the 1966 replacements were 'covered with polyurethane and smooth to the touch'. Fender: Buck Owens and the Silver Sparkle ↗

• James BurtonRicky Nelson and the session years 1950s–1969Elvis Presley's TCB Band 1969–1977

  Fender Telecaster, 1953 (blonde): Burton: 'my first electric—Fender Telecaster—a blonde body, a beautiful, two-pick up, Telecaster', bought by his parents. VG: it's what he played until the Elvis Vegas show. James Burton official site: 2007 interview ↗

  Fender Telecaster, 1968 Pink Paisley: Burton: Fender VP 'said, I have a guitar here with your name on it'; Elvis: 'it looks great and it sounds great... play it all you want'. NPR Fresh Air: James Burton (2019) ↗

• Jonny BucklandParachutes 1999–2001

  Fender Telecaster (Jerry Donahue, Lake Placid Blue, Japan): Community-reported; unconfirmed. Siren Pedals blog: his main guitar on the Parachutes tour. Siren Pedals blog (archived): capturing Jonny Buckland's tone ↗

• Mike McCreadySignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article's equipment section: “…ibson les paul junior, which is a tv yellow 1959 model. he also has gibson les paul specials. he plays fender telecasters on live performances of "corduroy" (from vitalogy ), "world wide suicide" (from pearl jam ), and "mark…” Wikipedia: Mike McCready ↗

• Steve CropperSignature gear (career overview) career

  Named in the article: “…e early stax recordings, cropper is known to have played a 1956 fender esquire and later used a blonde fender telecaster. the beatles favored cropper's playing, and his production on otis redding records. cropper has a cameo in th…” Wikipedia: Steve Cropper ↗

Affordable clones & alternatives

Affiliate links. ToneLineage may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Approximate new prices from zZounds listings checked 2026-10-21; they change.

• Squier Sonic Telecaster Electric Guitar~$250 new approx.
• Squier Classic Vibe '50s Tele Guitar~$500 new approx.

Budget clone

Squier Classic Vibe Tele

Boutique clone

Fender Custom Shop / Nash T

Suggested alternative Clones are editorial suggestions, not claims about what any artist uses.

Buy the real thing

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