“Delivers a high-octane character that’s occasionally stubborn, but it stands out from the crowd”: Fender 75th Anniversary American Professional Classic Cabronita Telecaster review

What is it?

Despite the sentiment that Leo Fender ‘got it right the first time’, we’ve seen hundreds of different versions of the Telecaster over the years. From the simple bolt-on neck, single-pickup combo that launched a million imitators, to the huge variations we see today in terms of pickup configurations, semi-hollow designs, baritone guitars and more, with the Telecaster, it’s undoubtedly a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The first Cabronita Telecaster was a Custom Shop model, created by Mike Aldred. In his own words, it was created to be the “asshole cousin” of the regular Tele, combining a simpler aesthetic with a style that was more aggressive than a standard T-type. A prototype was sent out to names such as John Mayer, Keith Urban, and Billy Gibbons, and when the first concept was released, many players opted to copy the design with their own builds as the price wasn't accessible for most.

Today’s review model, the Fender 75th Anniversary American Professional Classic Cabronita Telecaster, is the odd one out in the lineup of five instruments Fender has launched to mark 75 years of one of the most popular electric guitar designs in the world. It’s the only one that eschews the classic dual single coil pickup format (or the HS of the Ultra II model) in favor of two TV Jones TV Classic humbuckers.

It’s also the only one to feature the diminutive Cabronita pickguard and come in a choice of colors, with Candy Apple Red and Ice Blue Metallic finishes. Moving on, it’s got more in common with most of its diamond Anniversary brethren, featuring a classic alder solid body, a maple neck with a Modern ‘C’ profile, and a vintage-style hardtail bridge.

The deluxe tuners feature striking pearloid buttons, and interestingly, there’s just a single master volume knob paired with a three-way toggle switch to change between bridge, neck, and both pickups. On the back, a limited edition 75th Anniversary neck plate boasts an engraved diamond with the dates 1951 to 2026, and a small hole for the Micro-Tilt adjustment to change the neck angle.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,999.99|£1,799.99|€2,099
• Made: USA
• Type: Six-string electric guitar
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple, Modern ‘C’
• Fingerboard: Maple
• Scale length: 25.5" (648 mm)
• Nut/width: Synthetic bone nut, 43mm (1.685")
• Frets: 22 frets, medium jumbo
• Hardware: Deluxe cast/sealed tuners with pearl buttons, 6-saddle vintage-style strings-thru hardtail bridge with polished block steel saddles
• String spacing at bridge: 52mm
• Electrics: 2 x TV Jones Filter’Tron TV Classic humbuckers, master volume, 3-position toggle switch
• Weight: 9.92lbs/4.5kg
• Options: N/A
• Left-handed options: N/A
• Finishes: Candy Apple Red (as reviewed), Ice Blue Metallic
• Cases: Deluxe Gig Bag
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

The Cabronita is certainly a stunning-looking guitar, and this model is impeccably finished. A quick post to my Instagram story brought many admirers, with appreciative comments, a sure sign that this guitar is a looker to most eyes. The metallic, Candy Apple Red looks resplendent in the early spring sunshine beaming through my patio doors, and the combination of the maple neck, chrome hardware, and those pearloid tuner buttons makes it stand out in a different way from the garish Liquid Gold of the Ultra II model.

It’s not just visual, either. Pulling it out of the case, I sit it on my lap for a quick play and close inspection, finding a very solidly put together instrument. On the front, I can spot nothing out of place, with the single volume knob feeling well applied, and the three-way toggle offering a more solid feel than the typical Fender blade switch. The fretwork is flawless, and the maple fretboard has a lovely orange/yellow lustre with a satin urethane finish.

On the back side, the finish is flawlessly applied, but I do spy that the panel for accessing the wiring cavity sits slightly proud of the body. It’s slightly raised, and I’m being nitpicky for the sake of a review to try and find anything that isn't quite right. It certainly doesn’t affect the playability or comfort when I’m playing sans-amp and sitting down, and could likely be easily remedied if you’re a perfectionist when it comes to gear.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★★

Excited to play immediately, I start by plugging into my Universal Audio audio interface and loading up my Tone King Neural DSP plugin for a quick playability test. I notice straight away that the action is set very low, feeling absolutely rapid. It’s got a set of 9-gauge Fender USA 250L electric guitar strings out of the factory, and the low action paired with the light gauge means I’m soon flying across the fretboard.

It’s a little sticky at first, as you find with some finished maple fretboards. This feeling eventually disappears once I play it in a bit, and it only takes me a few minutes to adapt to the playing feel in the short term. The Modern ‘C’ profile offers that usual middle ground of playability, meaning that no major style of playing is out of reach from the off. From big open chords to groovy riffs and rapid-fire legato licks, I can instantly play my favorite tunes without any adjustment period from my usual Telecaster.

It’s got a 9.5” radius, commonly found on the majority of Fender instruments, and again, that sits in that nice middle ground between the vintage-style 7.25” and the flatter, 12” radius instruments. It contributes to comfort for all kinds of playing, whether fretting barre chords or bending single notes. Getting my ruler out to measure the action at the 12th fret with my finger on the 1st fret, I get around 1.3mm, which for me feels pretty low, but not so low that I find any notes choking-out across the neck. My usual full-tone bend test across every fret and every string sees every note ring out exactly as it should.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Plugging into a Mesa/Boogie Mark VII combo amp, I start on the clean channel with the bridge pickup engaged to begin sound testing. With the amp settings replicating a Fender-esque mid-scoop and a touch of spring reverb, the sound is articulate and chimey, with every note of the open chord progression I play ringing out superbly. Switching to a country-inspired pedal note lick, the feeling is the same, a lovely balance that doesn’t get drowned out by the drone notes.

Switching to the neck position and moving to some jazzy, descending arpeggio licks, the trademark light/dark balance Tele’s are well known for is still present. Here, the tones are on the warm side of dark, with a bit more presence than you’d get in the typical Tele neck pickup position. It sounds wonderful, and there’s a nice bite when I dig in with my pick on triads further up the neck.

Switching to the crunch channel of the amp with all the EQ knobs just shy of the 12 o’clock mark, brash open chords are again nice and articulate on the bridge setting. It’s low-gain drive heaven here, those TV Jones pickups letting me chug aggressive palm mutes without getting so hairy that they delve into metal territory. Backing off the volume knob reveals a flaw; however, the lack of a treble bleed circuit dulls the tone a little too much for my tastes. I can recoup a bit of this with the treble knob on my amp, but then when I pull the volume back up, it’s too trebly.

Trying the middle position for the first time, it feels a little dull on softer playing, but I can eke out more of the attack of the bridge pickup by striking the strings harder with my pick. Played aggressively, the treble blooms really nicely, giving a nice balance of the darker neck position and bright bridge sound. It’s a bit lackluster when I switch back to the clean channel, as the neck pickup slightly overpowers the bridge, resulting in a sound that’s skewed darker rather than balanced between the two.

Finally, I move to the high-gain channel of the amp to see if the Cabronita Tele can get heavy. It’s not bad at all for rhythm playing, and I find myself able to coax out Rage Against The Machine-inspired single note licks in the neck position, and even some Mastodon-esque palm-muted power chord riffing that sounds great in the bridge. Lead work with the bridge humbucker is overly bright, however, and here I find myself wishing for a tone knob to dial it back a touch. In the neck position, it sounds incredible, with a nice bite to it, enshrouded by an overall feeling of thick warmth that never descends into overpoweringly muddy, no matter how far I move down the fretboard.

Verdict

Overall, I think the Fender American Professional Cabronita Telecaster is a worthy tribute to one of the all-time guitar icons, offering the DNA of the original while retaining enough personality to stand out from the rest of the Telecasters available right now. The stripped-back build looks sensational, and I'm especially impressed with the playability of it straight out of the box.

There are times when I find myself wishing for a tone knob, particularly with more treble-heavy lead tones. The bridge pickup is susceptible to being very bright, especially when dolloping on the gain, and I also find that rolling back the volume impacted the treble response quite heavily. The middle position isn’t particularly inspiring on cleaner sounds, but shines with harder playing and overdriven tones. That said, the tones of the bridge and neck pickups individually are enough to make up for these slight shortfalls.

Guitar World verdict: There aren't many other Cabronita Telecasters to choose from at the time of writing this review, which means there’s a lot to love about this one. It delivers a high-octane character that’s occasionally stubborn, but it stands out from the crowd thanks to the bright attack of the TV Jones pickups. It’ll reward players who love aggressive tones and like to dig in with their picking hand, but could frustrate those who like to ride their tone and volume knobs.

Also try

Fender American Professional II Cabronita Telecaster HH - $2,239.99 | £1,799

It's not widely available, but the only other Cabronita Telecaster available at the time of writing is this Fender American Professional II Cabronita Telecaster HH. It doesn't feature the classic TV Jones pickups, instead opting for DiMarzio Vintage Minibuckers, but it still delivers that classic stripped-back Cabronita recipe.

Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe - $2,629.99 | £2,529

If you want a Fender Telecaster with pickups that bridge the gap between single coil and humbucker, this Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe is one of the few options available that's similar to the Cabronita. Packing dual P90s and a vintage-style hardtail bridge, it’s a great gigging guitar.

Gretsch G5220 Electromatic Jet BT - $499.99 | £499

If you want TV Jones style pickup in a product that doesn’t cost around the 2k mark, have a look at the Gretsch G5220 Electromatic Jet BT. They’re Broad’Tron humbuckers rather than the Filter’Tron style in the other guitars here, but still give you a similar, low-output vintage tone in a single-cut with a hardtail bridge.

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