Fender Telecaster Deluxe

The Seth Lover “wide-range” humbucking pickups installed on the Thinline Telecaster reappeared on two other early-70s Teles: a new version of the Custom, fitted with a neck-position humbucker; and the Deluxe, which boasted twin double-coil units, and debuted in 1972.

Like the revamped Custom, the Deluxe had individual volume and tone knobs for it’s transducers, with a small pickup selector on it’s upper bass bout replacing the chunky, but eminently practical “lever-switch” designed by Leo Fender. It had an all-maple neck and fingerboard, and chrome-plated hardware.

The Deluxe was discontinued in 1981, but made a comeback in January of 2004.