Fender Telecaster

When Leo Fender first introduced the guitar in 1950, the single-pickup version was called the Esquire and the two-pickup version was named the Broadcaster. Gretsch objected to the Broadcaster name because it conflicted with their Broadkaster drum line, so Fender briefly shipped guitars with no model name on the headstock — these rare units are now known to collectors as "Nocasters" — before settling on Telecaster in 1951.

A standard Telecaster uses two single-coil pickups: a bridge pickup mounted directly to the steel bridge plate for bright, cutting tone, and a warmer neck pickup enclosed in a metal cover. This pickup configuration has remained largely unchanged since the early 1950s and is central to the Telecaster's signature sound across country, rock, and blues.

The Telecaster has been closely associated with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and country guitarist James Burton, who played Telecasters with Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley. Players like Andy Summers of The Police and Jeff Buckley also relied on Telecasters for their distinctive recorded tones.

Original Broadcaster and early Telecaster models from the early 1950s regularly sell for tens of thousands of dollars on the vintage market, with especially clean examples or rare Nocasters reaching well into six figures. The exact price depends heavily on originality, condition, and documented provenance.