Fender Electric Guitars

Fender electric guitars here mainly come in five classic shapes that the company designed in the fifties and sixties: Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang. Each shape has its own characteristic sound, so choose the shape first and the series afterwards. The series start with Standard and Player II, continue with the period-inspired Vintera and the American-made American Professional II, American Ultra II and American Vintage II, alongside Japanese MIJ models. There are also models named after musicians, such as Kurt Cobain Jaguar, Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster and Tom Morello Stratocaster.

Stratocaster, Telecaster, or Jazzmaster and Jaguar?

You will find the Stratocasters together on the Fender ST models page and the Telecasters on the Fender T models page. Offset guitars are on the Fender Jazzmaster and Fender Jaguar pages. The range also includes Thinline Telecasters with a partly hollow body and an f-shaped soundhole, and baritone Telecasters with a long 686 mm scale length for lower tunings.

Which Fender series is right for you?

Standard and Player II are the entry points to the Fender range. They have comfortable modern necks, plenty of colours and pickup combinations, and suit both a first serious electric guitar and playing in a band. Player II Modified adds modifications such as a Floyd Rose tremolo on models with FR in the name.

If you are drawn to guitars in the style of their original era, choose Vintera, which names the period, such as Late '50s or Early '60s. American Vintage II goes further, recreating a specific year, such as 1961 Stratocaster or 1963 Telecaster. American Professional II and American Ultra II are modern guitars made in the USA, while the MIJ series, including Hybrid II and Traditional, is made in Japan.

What do MN, RW, HSS or LH mean in a guitar's name?

A Fender guitar's name tells you its main specifications. MN means a maple fingerboard, RW rosewood, EB ebony and LRL laurel, which is used in the Standard series. The letters S and H describe the pickups: S is a single-coil with a bright tone, while H is a humbucker, which suppresses hum and sounds fuller. HSS therefore means a Stratocaster with a bridge humbucker for distorted sounds and two single-coils for clean sounds, while HH has two humbuckers. LH indicates a left-handed version and FR a Floyd Rose tremolo.

When comparing guitars, also check the fret count: period-style models usually have 21 frets, while modern series have 22. A scale length of 648 mm is standard for both the Stratocaster and Telecaster; the Jaguar and Mustang have a shorter 610 mm scale, which makes string bends easier.