Dumb question but what's the difference?
I'd always thought that it was Esquires have one pickup whilst Teles have two, but I know that in the early days that Fender produced two-pickup Esquires. Presumably because Leo had some 'Esquire' decals sitting around in the factory and Leo didn't like waste. Also the Broadcaster/Telecaster names probably hadn't been thought of at that time.
Also it seems to me that simply whipping the neck pickup out of a Tele doesn't instantly make it an Esquire - to me part of what makes an Esquire is that the blade switch selects tonal options rather than pickup choice. A Tele with the neck pickup removed, to my mind, is simply a one-pickup Tele.
I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
Comments
Will be interesting to read any info anyone has on this.
Early 1951, two pickup guitars produced with the truss rod were named Broadcaster until Gretsch claimed a trade mark infringement and requested Fender to cease and desist.
Late 1951 two pickup guitars were named Telecaster.
The transitional, mid 1951 two pickup guitars had the clipped decals that only read Fender. Hence, the "No Caster" nickname.
The single pickup Esquire first appeared in early 1951.
These two names were coined by Don Randall.
Some obsessives would argue that the magnetic field above the neck/Rhythm position pickup influences the excursion of the vibrating strings. Obviously, when that pickup is not present, no such influence can occur.
On the Fender Seymour Duncan Tribute Esquire, the selector switch offered;
1) the full output of the pickup
2) a tapped output (circa 75% of maximum)
3) the vintage-style preset, muffled "bass tone"
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
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