The Fender Telecaster and Fender Stratocaster are the two most popular guitar models in the world. If you are pondering the Strat vs. Tele question you’ve no doubt thought about which one is the right model for you. In the Telecaster vs Strat debate, there is a fair amount of misinformation. There are more similarities than differences, but the differences that exist are worth talking about.
Differences Between Telecaster and Stratocaster
Let’s discuss first what the important differences are between these two iconic guitar models. Later, we’ll talk about how these differences might affect your choice. Keep in mind that these are the fundamental differences between the telecaster and stratocaster, and that both Strats and Teles have been modified and upgraded in pretty much every way imaginable!
Specific to the Telecaster:
- The body of the Tele has a single cutaway and no body contours ( though plenty of Teles now feature “tummy” and forearm cuts)
- The tele has two pickups and the bridge pickup is mounted on a plate
- The tele has one master volume and one master tone control
- The original bridge of a telecaster is a 3-saddle “ashtray” bridge (though many telecasters today come equipped with 6-saddle bridges)
- The bridge is fixed, with no tremolo bar (“whammy” bar)
- The headstock has the distinctive telecaster shape
Specific to the Stratocaster:
- The Strat has much more substantial and smooth body contours, and an additional cutout on the upper horn
- The Strat has three pickups, and a master volume control, and two individual tone controls
- The strat includes a floating tremolo bridge, with a “whammy” bar, and a 5-way pickup switch (originally 3-position)
- The bridge can be either set to floating (for use with the whammy bar) or fixed
- The headstock has the distinctive Stratocaster shape
Similarities Between the Telecaster and Stratocaster
- Both have bolt-on necks with a 25.5” scale, and 21 or 22 frets
- Both have single coil pickups
- Body wood is traditionally ash or alder
- Neck wood is traditionally maple, with fretboards made of maple or rosewood
- Both have an inline headstock tuner arrangement
- The strings on both are routed through the body via holes on the back of the guitar
A few more similarities
Neck shapes are all over the place, from Hard-V to Slim C shape. One generalization that is somewhat true is that today’s Telecasters often have somewhat chunkier necks, while Strats tend to feature slimmer C shapes. This is a generalization of course, because you can find many exceptions to this, there are many factors that contribute to the feel of a guitar neck (see our article on Guitar Neck Shapes for more on this)
One thing that is great about Teles and Strats is their customizability, and the neck, body, and fretboard are often constructed with other species of wood. Hardware and electronics are mixed, matched, and experimented with often.
Stratocaster vs Telecaster Tones
With so many similarities, you would expect Teles and Strats to sound similar, and they do. In fact, many people consider them interchangeable, to a degree. A Tele and Strat will sound more like each other when compared to a completely different guitar style such as a Gibson ES-335, or PRS McCarty. This is largely because although the body shapes are distinct, Strats and Teles share the same DNA of body wood (alder or ash), and neck wood (maple). The fact that the neck is bolted to the body has a huge effect on tone as well.
Because of the great variability of pickups, electronics, and woods, the tone differences of Teles and Strats must be generalized. Personally, I feel that Teles have a tad more clarity than Strats, whereas Strats are a little bit compressed sounding, which translates well with overdriven sounds. Note: Original Telecasters in the 1950s came with very dark sounding neck pickups, but most modern Tele neck pickups are formulated for more usable sounds.
As I mentioned earlier, both the strat and tele are fantastic upgrade platforms due to their simple design and bolt-on neck. Literally every piece of hardware, as well as bodies and necks, is available for replacement or upgrade, whether you have a genuine Fender Strat or Fender Tele, or a Squier made by Fender, or boutique model made by an independent builder. Keep this in mind when choosing a guitar, because it’s easy to tweak a guitar you already like to make it play and sound better.
Which one is best for you?
Now for some guidance. First, let me dispel one myth that circulates in these discussions: Neither a Strat or Tele is “easier” to play. The perceived playability of any guitar is dependent on the neck shape, fret size, and setup, as well as other factors, so I would not let this affect your tele vs strat decision. The type of music you play and the tones you are targeting should be your first consideration.
Go for a Telecaster if you:
- Play country music, and know and love “chickin’ pickin” Telecaster guitars are the sound that most people associate with country music, a.k.a., “twang”. Nothing quite equals the Tele bridge tone for this. Teles also have a sweet two-pickup tone in the middle position that is great for rhythm and classic country sounds.
- Play clean more often than distorted. A Tele’s general tone is clearer, and lacks the slight compression usually found on Strat pickups, especially when using gain.
- Play (or try to play) Jazz… The Telecaster has been the go-to choice for Jazz on a solidbody. A good Tele has an almost archtop-like vibe on the neck pickup with the tone rolled off.
Go for a Stratocaster if you:
- Enjoy stingin’ the blues, and love that Texas sizzle. Strats have arguably become *the* soldbody blues guitar, ala SRV and Hendrix style
- Overdrive your amp and/or play with distortion pedals. Strats tend to excel with rock-type tones.
- Need to hear that quack. If you are looking to get authentic 70s Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, or sweet-clean Robert Cray 2 and 4 position sounds, only a Strat will do. “Glassy” cleans are on tap too.
- Use the whammy bar. If using the tremolo bar a la Jeff Beck, or even at all, the Strat is your pick because Telecasters don’t have them.
Conclusion
The Strat was released after the Telecaster, which Fender originally marketed as an “improvement” but many feel that Leo and crew got it right the first time. But it’s worthwhile to point out that in the ensuing decades, pro players have generally chosen them based on the type of music they are playing: Teles rule for country, jazz, and rootsy rock, and Strats kill it for blues and heavier rock.
This is not to say you can’t cop a sweet jazz tone on a Strat, because you definitely can—just as Jimmy Page famously used a Telecaster on some of Led Zeppelin’s most classic rock songs of the 70s. Similarly, while the Strat is heavily associated with the blues, many classic blues artists such as Muddy Waters and Albert Collins used Telecasters regularly. Check out Recommended Telecasters and Recommended Stratocasters for suggestions on models at each price tier.