There’s been an awful lot of talk of Stratocasters over the past few months, but 2026 is actually meant to be the year of the Telecaster, which is celebrating its 75th birthday.
Back in March, Fender dropped its first batch of celebratory 75th Anniversary Telecasters – including one with a genuine Fender first. Now the guitar giant has revealed its next trio of commemorative models – and it’s good news for baritone fans and vintage aficionados alike. Let’s take a look.
Fender 75th Anniversary Player II Baritone Telecaster ($879-$999)
The Baritone Telecaster has officially returned to the Fender lineup as a Player II model, packing a 27” scale length, and tuned B-to-B.
Latest Videos FromGuitar World
It comes in 3-Color Sunburst and Black with a rosewood fingerboard, or Lake Placid Blue and Butterscotch Blonde with maple. Bodies are alder, or chambered ash for the Blonde, which goes for $999 rather than $879.
Otherwise, it’s spec’d as per the regular Player II models: modern C profile neck, 9.5”-radius fingerboard, Alnico V single coils, ClassicGear tuners… You know the drill.
As a Telecaster Blacktop Baritone player myself, I’ve been stoked to see Fender double down on baritones this year, with the recent launches of the Squier Jazzmaster Baritone and Player Fusion Jaguar Baritone.
(Image credit: Fender)
Fender 75th Anniversary Player II Telecaster ($849)
(Image credit: Fender)
Also on the Player II front, the regular 25.5” lineup is getting its own 75th Anniversary model, which comes with a 75th neckplate and four limited-edition colorways.
There’s a choice of Daphne Blue and Seafoam Green with rosewood fingerboard, or Candy Apple Red and Aztec Gold with a maple fingerboard. Otherwise, the specs remain the same, as does the price.
Fender 75th Anniversary American Vintage II 1951 Nocaster ($2,999)
Finally, the Nocaster is making a comeback as the 75th Anniversary American Vintage II 1951 Nocaster.
Fender history buffs will know the deal here: the Tele first launched as the Broadcaster, before Gretsch politely reminded the guitar firm that it owned the Broadkaster name for its drum set. As a result, Fender clipped the name off the headstock decal for a short time, before officially renaming the model the Telecaster.
Fender is promising a meticulous recreation of that rarest of beasts, with an ash body finished in Nocaster Blonde and dressed in Fender’s Heirloom Lacquer treatment to emulate 75 years of wear and tear.
The playability should be pure vintage, courtesy a ’51 U-shaped hard rock maple neck with 7.25”-radius fingerboard and vintage-tall frets.
There are some neat period-accurate touches here, including narrow 12th fret face-dot spacing and a sole single Phillips-head fastener at the truss rod nut.
75th Anniversary Blackguard Telecaster pickups aim to deliver the sought-after Blackguard chime, while there is of course a triple brass-saddle bridge, plus single-line Fender Deluxe tuners.
For more info on all the new models, head to Fender.com.
