The Telecaster was the first solidbody electric guitar in production, and for many players it’s never been improved. Even in stock form, there’s still no type of music the Tele can’t make a convincing stab at, and no genre where it can’t look at home. Country, soul, and indie are its mainstays but Tom Morello, Jim Root and Richie Kotzen show how far it can travel. Leo Fender saw what needed to be done and did it: the Tele offers solid tuning, great sounds, and playability. Its few shortcomings, like the difficult-to-intonate threesaddle ‘ashtray’ bridge and single-coil pickup hum, can be improved but not without compromising the classic tone. It is the ultimate workhorse guitar.