PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON LEES
FENDER BLACKTOP TELECASTER BARITONE £598 ELECTRICS
Fender Blacktop Telecaster Baritone £598 This new Mexican-made Fender takes the Telecaster into low-tuned territory via an extended neck and a trio of pickups by Paul Day
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ssentially halfway between a bass and a standard six-string, a baritone guitar is usually tuned down to A or B below normal pitch. Fender’s Blacktop Telecaster Baritone is a recent addition to the current crop occupying this niche market and, while its roots may be in Fender’s first electric, it’s not just for retro fans, especially in this Ghost Silver finish. The typical Tele headstock carries contemporary tuners, 102 Guitarist November 2012
but tuning is somewhat erratic, and accompanying creaks suggest the nut might need more work. The string guide doesn’t help, lacking any spacer underneath and pulling the top two strings hard down to the headstock, which also makes them difficult to remove. The bolt-on maple neck is longer to accommodate the extended 686mm (27-inch) scale, and although proportions are meatier all round, it manages to maintain a
comfortable handful, with the gloss finish adding a vintage look and feel. The shallow radius 22-fret rosewood fingerboard is equally friendly on the fingers, helping to make light work of the extra reach and heavier strings. The neck may have been stretched, but the alder body stays standard Tele in terms of shape and size. Weight is a fairly hefty 4kg, although waist contouring on the back lightens the familiar chunky lines.
The unusual three-pickup complement comprises Telecaster-type slim single coils in the neck and centre spots, both mounted on a suitably black scratchplate, with a matching, chromecovered bridge humbucker. The metal control plate is inverted, placing the five-way selector below the volume and tone pots. Fender says the pots are topped with black, amp-style knobs, but they’re really more like those seen on some Fender and Gibson guitars in the 70s. The bridge incorporates through-body stringing and six vintage-style bent steel saddles with indented tops that keep strings centred. Careful setting up is necessary to avoid familiar protruding grub-screw problems, and a beefier design might work better with the heavier gauge baritone strings.
Sounds
The three pickups promise a varied sonic menu, although