Fender Standard Telecaster review: “This showcases the potential of Fender making instruments in Asia”
$599/£499, fender.com
Back at the NAMM Show in January, Fender pretty much broke the guitar internet with the announcement of the new Standard Series – the brand’s first Indonesian-made range of classic instruments that are designed to sit between the top end of Squier and the Mexico-made Player II range.
READ MORE: Fender Standard Stratocaster review – “I can’t shake the feeling it should be better than this”
Guitar.com’s first encounter with the Standards wasn’t exactly an overwhelming success, but maybe things will be different with a more slab-bodied approach to budget electric guitar making?
There’s been plenty of vitriol around these guitars – even before people had any chance to play them – but ultimately the proof will be in the guitar itself. Let’s find out what the Standard Telecaster really is all about away from the keyboard warriors.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Standard Series – what is it?
The Standard Series is, as detailed above, an attempt to plug a gap in the Fender product range as a result of the brand’s Ensenada-made instruments gradually creeping out of the ‘budget’ territory since the launch of the original Player guitars (which replaced the original, Mexico-made Standard series) back in 2018.
Instead of trying to make these guitars more cheaply (and presumably with extreme compromises) in Mexico, the decision has been made to get Cor-Tek (owner of Cort) to produce the new range in Indonesia instead.
FMIC has plenty of experience making guitars in Asia of course – Gretsch’s Electromatic guitars are made in various places across the region, and both the affordable ends of Jackson and EVH’s guitars are also made in Indonesia.
In order to hit that $599 there are some other cost-saving decisions made that differentiate these guitars from the old-school Mexico-made Standards. Most notably a laurel fretboard instead of a rosewood one – but that’s become pretty standard for Epiphone guitars and many others, and visually at least is probably preferable to the much-maligned pau ferro.
We also get a poplar body, and the return of ceramic-magneted pickups – a feature of the original MIM Standards. The Hex button tuners are another deviation from the Player II after its switch to ClassicGear spec, while both series Teles have Medium Jumbo frets in common.
Purists won’t be happy about the six-saddle bridge (with satin Player II-style block steel saddles here), but again this bridge type has been something of a default option on all non-vintage-leaning budget Telecasters for as long as I can remember.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Standard Telecaster – build and playability
You get four different finishes with the Standard Tele – Olympic White, Three-Colour Sunburst and Aqua Marine Metallic, plus the obligatory Blonde we have here. I must say that it’s a very orange shade of blonde, to the point where it looks closer to burnt orange – the iconic butterscotch shade this most certainly isn’t.
The transparent finish shows that we’re dealing with a four-piece body, but it’s notable that the grain and general look of this, while not exactly anything to write home about, isn’t as distractingly ugly as on the Standard Strat.
One thing that you can’t avoid is the heft of the thing. The scales show the Tele just tips into the 8lbs territory – that’s not as much as the boat anchor 9lb Standard Strat we tested of course, but there’s a lot less going on here hardware-wise.
A good Tele should be in the 7-7.5lbs territory, and it must be said that even though this is on the heavy side, it feels worse in the hand. This may be because the neck is actually relatively lightweight, but the body is even heavier than you’d expect – it makes the guitar have a dead weight quality to it, almost like the feeling you get picking up a sledgehammer.
You might not want to strap it on for a long time then, but at least once you do there’s a pleasant experience to be had, because the neck feels amazingly comfortable. The satin finish on the back, coupled with Fender’s Modern C profile and some lightly rolled board edges, lends itself to hours of effortless playing, free from the sticky gloss found on Squier Classic Vibes.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say the neck feels much closer to the American Performer than the Squier Affinity. Not everyone will feel that way – necks are some of the most subjective things guitarists can opine on – but it’s the first real sense that Fender is adding real value rather than cutting corners.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Standard Telecaster – sounds
Staying true to the Standard’s name, I decided the best place to start out putting this Telecaster through its paces would be to pair it with the gold standard choice of Tele amp companion – a Deluxe Reverb.
Candidly, I wasn’t expecting much out of these ceramic-magnet pickups – while some may enjoy the increased output, if you’re looking for classic Fender sounds they tend to not be particularly authentic – this was certainly true of the old Mexico-made Standards.
However, these new pickups are certainly not like their forebears in that regard. While they definitely have more punch than a classic alnico magnet Tele pickup, they really do sound good in this scenario.
I found the neck pickup to be my favourite position. Clean, it bellows with a mellow, darker Tele chime without ever sounding muddy. While it’s obviously not as bright as a 60s Tele, it still handled everything I threw at it really well, including drive – retaining its clarity nicely as you add the dirt.
The real test for a Telecaster is its bridge pickup however, and again I wasn’t expecting much having experienced the harsh bridge unit on the Standard Strat. But again, I was pleasantly surprised. If you want a pickup made for chicken pickin’, this is your guy. Whether clean or dirty, it is unmistakably a Telecaster and never once sounded harsh or shrill.
The middle position might be where most players find themselves with this guitar. It strikes a perfect balance between the neck and bridge pickups, retaining clarity and fullness. In this position, I was able to coax out a few serviceable Chet Atkins-esque licks, then switch gears into full-on math rock-inspired finger tapping. With some dirt thrown in, the middle position remains perfectly balanced, never leaning too far in either tonal direction.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Standard Telecaster – should I buy one?
Josh’s review said that the Standard Stratocaster felt like a missed opportunity, but the Telecaster showcases the real potential of Fender making instruments in Asia again. It definitely feels like an instrument made to a cost, and that will put some people off, but I have no doubt that plenty of people will walk into a guitar store, try one of these out and be perfectly happy to hand over their credit card for one.
Like any good reboot, the Standard Series has taken the DNA of the old series and created a more refined version. Don’t let people shouting on the internet tell you that this guitar is somehow irredeemable because of its place of origin or what it says on the spec sheet.
The neck is extremely comfortable and playable, the board edges are nicely rolled, the pickups sound so much better than I was expecting, and without any of the setup issues that plagued the Stratocaster, it feels like a solid and dependable instrument out of the box.
The biggest flaw is probably that other manufacturers are offering more in terms of build, sounds and feel at this price point – but you could probably say that about some other Fender guitars too.
There’s always been a premium associated with the Fender brand, and if you don’t want to pay it, well, plenty of Tele-style instruments without the big F on the peghead are available. The Fender name carries a level of desirability and cachet that makes people take notice – the Standard Telecaster is a quality entry point to the club.
Fender Standard Telecaster – alternatives
There’s a huge selection of alternative T-style options out there, and plenty in this price bracket too. Sire guitars have been earning quite a reputation for quality Asian-made interpretations of the classics, and the Larry Carlton T7 ($641/£499) offers a roasted maple neck and alder body.
If you want a Tele alternative with real heritage of its own, the G&L Tribute ASAT Classic ($649/£499) is Leo Fender’s final word on his iconic single-cut design, complete with his own Magnetic Field Design pickups. If you want your Tele to rock, and not twang, the Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2 HH ($649/£799) is a twin-humbucker beast.
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