Fender has honored Susan Tedeschi with her first-ever signature Telecaster – finally making one of the most highly demanded and requested signature guitars of recent years a reality.
That Tedeschi hasn’t already got a signature Fender to her name may come as a surprise to many, given the fact the Tedeschi Trucks titan has used a variety of Stratocasters and Telecasters across her career to cement her status as a blues and American roots icon.
In fact, back in 2022, we earmarked Tedeschi as a guitarist wholly deserving of a Fender signature guitar, and now, almost exactly two years later, that model has been officially launched.
We argued Tedeschi’s 1970 Strat was worthy of a signature reissue, but the guitarist and Fender decided instead to revisit her 1993 American Standard Tele, which was used as inspiration behind the flagship signature model.
Notably, that ‘93 Tele – which features a knockout Caribbean Mist finish – has been Tedeschi’s go-to guitar for over three decades, and can be spotted (with a few additional body stickers and signatures) on the cover of her seminal album, Just Won’t Burn.
The ‘90s-inspired build arrives sans body stickers with a slim Tedeschi C-shaped maple, 9.5”-radius rosewood fingerboard and 22 medium jumbo frets, which are joined by a standard alder body.
Custom Susan Tedeschi single-coils are in charge of tones, which are said to be “perfectly suited to blues and other genres”. Given the guitar’s master, that goes without saying.
There's also a Master TBX (Treble Bass Expander) tone control, which serves as a standard tone parameter between 1 and 5, after which the pot sends more bass, treble and presence through.
This reproduction arrives with a mostly unblemished finish, which contrasts with Tedeschi’s original model. That, by comparison, is covered in the signatures of Tedeschi’s famous friends, including B.B. King.
While guitar fans have been clamoring for a Tedsechi signature guitar for a few years, the guitarist herself never set her sights on designing one. This model, therefore, arrives as something of a dream for the virtuoso.
“Honestly, it’s a dream,” says Tedeschi. “I just wanted to be able to play the guitar, nevermind have one that is a signature model, so it’s an incredible honor.”
"Susan Tedeschi is a major force in contemporary blues-based music, and it’s so exciting to be honoring her with her very own signature guitar,” added Justin Norvell, EVP Product at FMIC.
“Fans of Tedeschi will be very familiar with her original 1993 American Standard Telecaster, so it's great to be able to offer them such a faithful recreation.”
The Tedeschi Telecaster is available now for $1,899.
Head over to Fender to find out more.
