Fender American Trouble Tele – Ice Blue Metallic

The Troublemaker Tele simply oozes rock n’ roll. It’s part of the Parallel Universe range released at NAMM 2018.

As you might have noticed, it’s a mashup of a few famous Fender parts and pieces. The Tele body shape with the Strat headstock and Jazzmaster Control knobs with Shawbucker humbuckers in Tele deluxe casing. Whew, that’s a mouthful.

What you end up with is a classic-looking Tele shape that’s never really existed. The tune-o-matic bridge hearkens to another famous singlecut guitar and the dual humbuckers make for a powerful sounding guitar.

Mahogany Body & Maple Cap

The classic formula of a Mahogany Body with Maple Cap has been tried and tested (though not often on a Tele!) for years and has formed a major part of rock n’ roll history when combined with the Shawbucker humbucking pickups. The body and neck are both finished with a thin nitro-cellulose lacquer which means the guitar will age beautifully as you do.

Parallel Universe

The Parallel Universe models were announced at NAMM 2018 and do exactly what they say on the tin. They’re all-American instruments that include hardcases and are ready for the rigours of the road – as all Fender guitars are.

Here’s what Fender say about the Troublemaker Tele:

Playing music is rebellious and mischievous by nature – it takes moxy to stride out on stage and convince a roomful of strangers to enjoy something they’ve never heard before. To turn heads you need the proper tool for the job, something like The Troublemaker Tele. A bound mahogany body with a maple top, custom Cabronita pickguard and lacquer finish?

Yep, we’re definitely stirring up some trouble with this limited-edition release. Powered by a pair of Shawbucker 1T and 2T humbucking pickups that are specifically voiced for their positions, this guitar grunts and growls in a most-desirable way. The 25.5”-scale, “Deep C”-shaped American Professional Tele neck sports a large Stratocaster® headstock, along with a 9.5”-radius rosewood fingerboard for enhanced playability, 22 narrow-tall frets and a bone nut.

From the 3-way toggle switch on the upper bout to the Adjusto-Matic™ bridge with stop tailpiece and matching cream Jazzmaster knobs, pickup bezels and switch tip to the pearloid position markers, vintage-style Telecaster Deluxe logo and “Limited Edition” neck plate, this guitar was designed to do one thing—raise a little hell.Don’t be afraid to kick up your heels a bit when you play The Troublemaker Tele—after all, the well-behaved rarely make history. Includes a hardshell case and Certificate of Authenticity.