Standard Telecaster
Butterscotch Blonde, maple fingerboard
A Telecaster with the Fender logo and, unusually at this level, six saddles
Amazon rating
4.5 (46)Price band
$500 - $1,000
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The short version
The Standard Series exists to fill the gap between Squier and the Mexican-made Player line, and on the Telecaster the most consequential decision is the bridge. This is a string-through-body Tele bridge with six individual block steel saddles rather than the three brass barrels of a vintage-style plate. Three saddles means two strings share each one, so a Tele can never be intonated exactly; six saddles means it can. Everything else is the familiar recipe: a poplar body under gloss, a Modern C maple neck in satin urethane, a 9.5-inch radius that suits bending, and a pair of ceramic Fender Standard single-coils wired to the usual three-position blade.
Score profile
Six axes, scored 1-10. These are editorial judgements about what this instrument delivers for the money — not measurements, and not anyone else’s ratings.
- Build
- 8.0
- Tone
- 8.0
- Versatility
- 7.0
- Comfort
- 8.0
- Hardware
- 8.0
- Value
- 8.0
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
Full specifications
| Brand | Fender |
|---|---|
| Model | Standard TelecasterButterscotch Blonde, maple fingerboard |
| Body | |
| Body | Telecaster solidbody |
| Body wood | Poplar |
| Body finish | Gloss polyurethane |
| Pickguard | Three-ply black |
| Neck & fingerboard | |
| Neck joint | Bolt-on, four-bolt neck plate |
| Neck wood | Maple |
| Neck profile | Modern "C" |
| Neck finish | Satin urethane with gloss urethane headstock face |
| Scale length | 25.5" (648 mm) |
| Fingerboard | Maple |
| Radius | 9.5" (241 mm) |
| Frets | 21 |
| Fret size | Medium jumbo |
| Inlays | Black dot |
| Nut | Micarta |
| Nut width | 1.6875" (42.86 mm) |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | String-through-body Telecaster bridge with six satin chrome block steel saddles |
| Tuners | Fender Standard cast/sealed with hex buttons |
| Hardware finish | Chrome |
| Electronics | |
| Neck pickup | Standard single-coil Tele, chrome cover |
| Bridge pickup | Standard single-coil Tele |
| Configuration | SS |
| Electronics | Passive, ceramic magnets |
| Controls | Master volume, master tone |
| Switching | Three-position blade |
| General | |
| Type | Electric guitar |
| Strings | Nickel-plated steel (.009-.042) |
| Finish | Butterscotch Blonde |
| Orientation | Right-handed |
31 verified fields. Specifications come from the manufacturer first, then the Amazon listing, then authorised dealers — sources are listed at the foot of this page. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
The good and the bad
What we like
- Six individual block saddles, so the guitar can actually be intonated across all six strings
- Modern C neck in satin urethane with the modern 9.5-inch radius
- String-through-body construction, which is where the Telecaster's attack comes from
- Fender headstock and standard dimensions, so upgrade parts fit without modification
What we do not
- Ceramic pickups rather than the alnico sets fitted higher up the range
- Poplar body and Micarta nut are the visible cost savings
- Priced between a Squier Classic Vibe and a Player II, and beaten on paper by both in different ways
Who it is for
Skill level
Styles it suits
What owners and reviewers report
This listing has 46 Amazon ratings — not enough written feedback for us to identify reliable patterns. We will fill this section in when there is something real to summarise.
The verdict
Buy this for the bridge and the neck, not for the pickups. The six-saddle plate and the satin Modern C are genuine functional wins over cheaper Teles, and butterscotch with a black pickguard is the one finish combination that looks like it costs more than it does. The ceramic single-coils are the compromise: hotter and more brittle than the alnico sets Fender fits further up the range, and the first thing a player with an ear for the classic Tele spank will want to change. Poplar rather than ash or alder, and Micarta rather than bone at the nut, are where the rest of the cost came out. It also sits in a genuinely crowded spot, with a Squier Classic Vibe below it and a Player II above.
Sources
Amazon rating captured 2026-08-28. ASIN B0DQ1YDQ3K.
Strings for this guitar
All stringsIt ships with Nickel-plated steel (.009-.042). Staying at that gauge keeps the setup and the neck relief as the factory left them; going a step lighter makes bending easier, a step heavier gives more volume and tension. Anything more than one step either way usually needs the truss rod and the intonation adjusted.
- 8.3/10
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Nickel Plated Steel Electric
Standard .010s that survive a summer of gigs instead of a fortnight
- 7.8/10
D'Addario · Strings
NYXL1046 Nickel Wound Electric
The same gauge as an EXL110, with the tuning problem actually solved
- 7.7/10
D'Addario · Strings
EXL110 XL Nickel Wound Electric
The electric string most guitars leave the factory wearing
What else you need
All accessoriesThe highest-scoring option in each category that suits this instrument. If you have never owned a guitar before, the starter guide explains what each of these is for and what you can safely skip.
- 6.6/10
New Bee · Cables
The cable an electric guitar needs on day one, at the price of a coffee
- 7.8/10
Fender · Tuners
FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
The tuner to buy first, before strings, before a strap, before anything
- 8.2/10
Dunlop · Picks
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
- 7.4/10
GLEAM · Stands
The accessory that decides whether the guitar gets played at all
Compared with
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