Fender Electric Guitars

For some people, electric guitars start and end with Fender. Founded in Fullerton back in 1946, the Southern Californian giant has made an indelible mark on music history. From the stage to the studio to the home, Fender guitars have a reputation for their supreme build quality and sound.

Iconic guitars in the hands of iconic players making iconic music. But which Fender electric guitar is for you?

The Fender Stratocaster is the most instantly recognisable guitar shape around. A masterpiece that’s changed very little since it burst onto the scene in 1954, the Strat’s often heralded as the virtuoso’s choice. Hendrix, Clapton, Gilmour, Vaughan. Jeff Beck and Rory Gallagher. From John Mayer to John Frusciante and Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge, you’re in esteemed company when you buy a Strat.

Whether you’re after a vintage correct reissue of an early Strat or a model with modern appointments, these guitars are known for their comfort, playability and unmistakable tone. The clarity of the single-coil pickup. The quack of positions two and four. The warble of the tremolo. It’s all there, and all unmistakably a Strat.

Another guitar that’s been played by some of music’s most celebrated names, the Fender Telecaster has been loved by everyone from Keith Richards and Muddy Waters to George Harrison, Jeff Buckley and Bruce Springsteen. Jimmy Page too in his latter Yardbirds and early Led Zeppelin days.

Teles have an incredibly bright, clean and cutting tone, packing some serious punch in their single coils. A simple, no-frills guitar that really lets your fingers do the talking, the Fender Telecaster covers so much sonic ground that it’s great for playing countless genres.

A staple of the indie and surf scenes and much more beyond, a clue to the versatility of the Fender Jazzmaster is that its players include Elvis Costello, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Slipknot’s Jim Root. But why does the Jazzmaster attract such a diverse crowd? Well, because offset guitars are cool, for starters. But it’s also in the jangly pickups and wide tonal range on offer. 

Another guitar popular on the surf scene as well as for shoegaze, the Fender Jaguar has become the favourite of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr over the years. But there’s one man who catapulted the Jaguar to notoriety: Kurt Cobain. Whether you want to sound like the Nirvana frontman or not, the Jag has a distinctive voice and unique control set to create the sound you’re after.

Kurt Cobain was also partial to the Fender Mustang. Why? Because offset guitars are cool – you know that by now. If you can’t choose between a Jaguar and a Mustang, go for the Kurt Cobain Jag-Stang, which – you guessed it – combines the best features of the two models. The standard ‘Stang offers plenty of chime and clarity, but can really deliver a punch when you turn up the gain.

Like the Jaguar and Mustang, the Fender Duo Sonic has a short scale length of 24 inches, instead of the typical 25.5-inch scale you get with guitars like Strats and Teles. This makes it a great choice for younger and smaller players, as well as beginners. Although more of an unsung hero of the Fender range, the Duo Sonic has still found itself into the hands of players like Hendrix, Patti Smith and Rory Gallagher over the years.

Which Fender electric guitar is the one for you? Browse our huge range of Fender guitars to pick out your new instrument now.