5 Best Telecasters With Humbuckers

The Telecaster is one of the most iconic guitars in modern music history. This guitar has played a vital role in creating some of the most famous guitar lines of all time.

If you’re in the market for a humbucker-loaded Tele, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best Telecasters with humbucker pickups currently on the market.

Fender Player Telecaster HH – Best Overall

The Fender Player Telecaster HH is perhaps one of the best humbucker-loaded Telecasters currently available on the market. If you’re looking for something that can provide meaty tones and those iconic sweet twangy tones, this one’s for you.

The Player Telecaster HH features an Alder body with a gloss polyester finish. Depending on your fretboard choice, you have a few color options available with this model. These combinations include:

• Tidepool blue with Maple fretboard
• Silver with Pau Ferro fretboard
• 3-tone sunburst with Pau Ferro fretboard

This Telecaster features a Maple neck with a Modern C-shaped contour and a scale length of 25.5”. The fretboard features a 9.5” radius and 22 frets. This is a modern upgrade from the traditional 21 fret count.

For pickups, the Player Telecaster HH is stocked with a pair of Player Series Alnico II humbucker pickups. These can deliver tones ranging from a bitey growl to that iconic twang. 

You’ll get the best of both worlds with this Tele. It features a push-pull pot so you can split the humbuckers into single-coil pickups. 

As is standard on Telecasters, this model has a 3-way switch as well as a volume and tone knob. Those classic tones will be quite easy to dial in.

Elsewhere on this guitar is a synthetic bone nut and die-cast sealed tuners. The bridge has gotten an upgrade, featuring steel saddles bent to provide more stability and resonance. 

What Makes This Guitar So Great?

Overall, this Telecaster has been given some excellent modern upgrades. You’ll be able to handle a wide range of musical styles with this guitar. This is a great example of how Fender has made a versatile guitar much more versatile.

The push-pull pot is a great addition to this Telecaster. Having this addition means you won’t need to choose between having humbuckers or single-coil pickups. Instead, you’ll be able to change the guitar’s range of tone with a simple push of a button.

Another excellent upgraded feature with the Player Telecaster HH is the fact that it has 22 frets. Vintage-style models are great, but it’s a bit of a hindrance not to have 22 frets on the guitar. This is especially the case if you’re used to playing a guitar that has 22 frets.

Item Weight: 11.25 pounds

Package Dimensions: 33.3 x 15.5 x 4.5 inches

Fender American Performer Telecaster – Best Premium

The Fender American Performer Telecaster is one of the best Telecasters for those with no budget. Professional guitarists are sure to love the sleek features this specific model has to offer.

This Telecaster model features a body made of Alder with a gloss polyurethane finish. Depending on your fretboard preference, there are a few color options available with this guitar. These include:

• Vintage white with Maple fretboard
• 3-tone sunburst with Maple fretboard
• Satin surf green with Rosewood fretboard
• Aubergine red with Rosewood fretboard

The neck is made of Maple with a Modern C-shape contour and a scale length measuring 25.5”. A 9.5” radius fretboard is featured with 22 jumbo frets. Having 22 frets on a Telecaster is an excellent modern amenity to this classic guitar.

The real meat and potatoes of this guitar are the pickups. In the neck position is an American Performer DoubleTap humbucker pickup. You’ll be able to split this into a single-coil for extra tonal range. 

In the bridge is a Yosemite Tele single-coil pickup. These are widely known to produce those classic twangy sounds that the Telecaster is known for. 

A standard 3-way switch, as well as a master volume and tone knob, are provided. This tone knob features a GreaseBucket pot, which is perfect for handling the treble without sacrificing bass frequencies.

Elsewhere on this guitar is a synthetic bone nut as well as classic gear tuners. The bridge features a 3-saddle design, with 2 strings per saddle. 

You’ll get a gig bag with the purchase of this Telecaster. It’s a bit of a bummer that it doesn’t come with a hardshell case, especially at this price. However, at least it comes with some portability protection.

What Makes This Guitar So Great?

There are a few aspects of the American Performer Telecaster that make it worthy for those that have the budget. Most of these aspects are directly related to the added modern modifications.

The pickup selection for this Telecaster is pretty unique, especially the DoubleTap humbucker in the neck position. Neck positions are generally a bit more mellow, so it’s great to see a humbucker in this spot. Smooth twang can be easily brought out with the coil-tap feature.

It’s also a nice feature to have a hot Yosemite single-coil at the bridge. This position is going to provide those hot country guitar tones that the Telecaster is most famous for. 

The treble frequency on Fender guitars can be a bit piercing to the ear for some people. An addition of the GreaseBucket pot is perfect as it allows you to effectively dial back the treble. This will allow you to really zero in on the perfect bridge-position tone you are looking for.

Item Weight: 11 pounds

Package Dimensions: 42 x 18 x 5 inches

Squier Affinity Series Telecaster Deluxe – Best Budget

On a budget but still looking for a Telecaster that can pack a punch? Be sure to check out the Squier Affinity Series Telecaster Deluxe. This humbucker-loaded Tele is a perfect entry-level guitar that’s built to perform.

The Affinity Series Telecaster Deluxe has a Poplar body with a gloss polyurethane finish. Several color and fretboard combinations are offered with this model. These include:

• Black with Maple fretboard
• Burgundy mist with Indian Laurel fretboard
• Charcoal frost metallic with Indian Laurel fretboard

Schematically, this Telecaster is modeled off of vintage-style Fender Telecaster models. The neck is made of Maple with a scale length of 25.5” and a C-shaped contour. Meanwhile, the fretboard has a radius of 9.5” with 21 frets. 

This Telecaster is stocked with a pair of Fender Ceramic humbucker pickups. A 3-way switch and a pair of dedicated volume and tone knobs allow for excellent tone control.

Elsewhere on this guitar can be found a plastic nut, die-cast tuners, and a 6-saddle bridge. A large pickguard is also featured with this guitar, modeled after vintage Telecaster Deluxe guitars of years past. 

What Makes This Guitar So Great?

The most attractive aspect of the Squier Affinity Series Telecaster Deluxe is by far the amount of value per cost. As most guitars in the market have increased in price, this guitar is still relatively inexpensive. 

For the most part, this is a pretty basic Telecaster with humbuckers. You might not get the extra features like you would on higher-end models. However, because of the price, this guitar makes a potent contender for modifications.

This Telecaster breaks away from tradition a bit, especially where the toggle switch is located. Most Telecasters have the switch by the control knobs, whereas this one is at the shoulder. You might find that this location provides a bit of a convenient experience when changing pickup selections in mid-performance.

Despite its simplicity and affordability, it’s still a worthy Telecaster for anyone that desires to play one. For that, this Telecaster is unbeatable in its respective price range.

Item Weight: 10 pounds

Package Dimensions: 44 x 15 x 4 inches

Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH 

Looking for a spiffy Telecaster that has plenty of bite but can be sweet and endearing, too? The Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH might be calling your name. This Telecaster is sure to dazzle you with its looks and hook you in with its sound.

The Custom Telecaster FMT HH is unique in its build. It features a Mahogany body with a carved flamed Maple top and a gloss polyurethane finish. This flamed Maple top is accentuated in a number of beautiful colors including:

• Black cherry burst
• Amber
• Crimson red transparent

No matter what color choice you choose, your guitar will feature a cream color binding on the guitar’s edges. This perfectly compliments each color and gives the guitar a look of completeness.

This Telecaster has a Modern C-shaped neck made of Mahogany with a scale length of 25.5”. Another unique aspect of this model is that the neck joint uses a set neck method. Most Fender guitars use a modular bolt-on neck joint.

The fretboard is made of Indian Laurel and has 22 frets. Again, the fretboard is unique in that it has a radius of 15.75” rather than the standard 9.5” radius.

For pickups, the Custom Telecaster FMT HH features Seymour Duncan humbuckers. More specifically, the neck has a ’59 SH-1N RP, with an SHPGP-1B Pearly Gates Plus at the bridge. These are high-powered pickups that can certainly deliver sonic gold.

A standard 3-way switch, as well as a master volume and tone knob, are provided for tone control. This guitar has a coil tap, effectively opening the palette of tones into single-coil and humbucker ranges.

Elsewhere, this guitar has a graphite nut, die-cast sealed tuners, and a 6-saddle bridge.

What Makes This Guitar So Great?

If you haven’t seen by now, this is by no means your traditional standard Telecaster guitar. This specific model has been given special treatment, and it’s sure to play and sound like it.

The set neck is an interesting build choice. These types of neck joints are thought to provide more resonant sustain to the guitar. 

Also, the 15.75” fretboard radius is quite a bit flatter than what is typically found on Fender guitars. Those who are into more technically-demanding musical styles are likely to find this a great fit. You likely will not have to worry about your notes fretting out at all.

Similarly, the pickup selection is also very attractive, especially for those who are inclined to play heavier music. Yet, the guitar proves its extreme versatility with the coil tap, allowing for that single-coil sound to shine through.

Let’s not forget the most obvious aspect that makes this guitar a highly unique Telecaster: its looks! It’s certainly not every day that you see a Telecaster with a flamed Maple top. 

Item Weight: 10.4 pounds

Package Dimensions: 44 x 15 x 4 inches

Squier Classic Vibe ‘70s Telecaster Thinline

Looking for an affordable Telecaster with historical inspiration? Be sure to check out the Squier Classic Vibe 70s Telecaster Thinline. This semi-hollow guitar is sure to please your tonal appetite. 

The Classic Vibe 70s Telecaster Thinline has a Soft Maple body with a chambered F-hole design. This gives it a very classic and unique look with a bit of extra resonance. 

A gloss polyurethane finish perfectly accentuates the color of your choice. These choices include:

• Natural
• 3-tone sunburst

This guitar is built to traditional Fender specs, featuring a 25.5” scale C-shaped Maple neck. You’ll find 21 frets on the Maple fretboard, which has a radius of 9.5”. 

For pickups, this Thinline Tele is stocked with a pair of Fender Wide Range Humbuckers. A 3-way switch, as well as a master volume and tone knob, are also provided. You’ll have no problems finding your favorite tones with this guitar.

Elsewhere, this model features a nut made of real bone as well as a 6-saddle bridge. In keeping with the vintage inspiration, vintage-style tuners are installed on the headstock.

What Makes This Guitar So Great?

The original Thinline Telecaster is a favorite amongst guitarists. It has a very unique and attractive design that has the right balance of tradition and risk-taking.

Fender released a reissue of this iconic guitar around 2012 and it was a massive hit. Unfortunately, the price tag was out of the range of most budget-conscious guitarists. The run was also very short, lasting for only a year. 

The fact that Squier makes an affordable Thinline Telecaster model cannot be appreciated enough. This guitar is inspired by the traditional vintage specifications but given a bit of a modern edge.

If you’ve always wanted a Thinline Telecaster guitar but have been unable to afford one, this is your chance. These are sure to sound and play great. They certainly look amazing.

Item Weight: 10 pounds

Package Dimensions: 44.5 x 15 x 4 inches

What To Look For In A Telecaster With Humbuckers?

For the most part, Telecasters usually feature much of the same build components across each model. However, if you’re looking for something in particular, you’re going to want to keep a few things in mind.

Humbucker Type And Placement

If you’re certain you want a Telecaster stocked with humbuckers, it’s important to distinguish what you’ll be using it for. Traditionally, Telecasters are not typically known for heavier styles of music. However, with the right type of humbuckers, you might find that the Telecaster performs quite well in this regard.

Similarly, you’ll need to pay attention to the placement of the humbucker. This is more oriented towards combination models that have both a humbucker and single-coil pickup. A humbucker at the bridge will sound vastly different than a humbucker at the neck position.

Extra Features

You may want to consider whether you desire to have extra features on your Telecaster. For instance, a push-pull pot will come in handy more than you realize. This is especially the case if you love both the single-coil and humbucker sounds. 

Similarly, you’ll want to pay attention to whether your Telecaster of choice has 21 or 22 frets. This might not bother some people, but having 22 frets is going to feel more normal. You’d be surprised how apparent that 1 missing fret at the top of your range will be. 

Best Brands For Telecasters With Humbuckers

The Telecaster is primarily built from one single family of guitar manufacturers. Many manufacturers do make Telecaster-style guitars, some of which are pretty good. However, these two manufacturers are going to be able to provide that true Telecaster playing experience.

Fender

Fender is by far one of the biggest and most well-known brands in the guitar industry. Since the 1940s, Fender has played a pivotal role in creating some of the most influential guitar equipment ever. These instruments have been influential in some of the most famous music in modern music history.

The Telecaster was first introduced to the world in 1951, although it originally went by the name of Broadcaster. Since then, the guitar has seen numerous iterations and has been used widely by many styles of guitarists. It happens to be one of the most popular body styles for a guitar and is often copied by manufacturers.

Squier

Squier is a sister company of Fender. It was originally established in an effort to mitigate the wide influx of counterfeit Fender guitars in the 1980s. 

Since then, Squier has become a go-to for guitarists looking for extremely affordable versions of Fender models. Its products have continually increased in quality over the years.

Best Telecasters With Humbuckers, Final Thoughts

Do not let the Telecaster’s historic country music reputation fool you. These guitars are built to provide extreme versatility for any guitarist. Having humbuckers loaded into this guitar opens up a range of limitless tonal options.

Be sure to try these Telecasters out for yourself. By having them in your own hands, you’ll know which one feels and sounds right for you.