October 2025

We mark 75 years of the indomitable Telecaster, Leo Fender’s solidbody masterpiece! We lead off with an examamination of the matching gold-sparkle Teles played by Don Rich and Buck Owens in 1965. The band was its peak, with guitars supplying the raw, visceral sound to hits by the Buckaroos. Most of them are still around, but one disappeared without a trace. We also examine 22 classic Tele licks; from Muddy Waters and Jimmy Bryant to Prince and Susan Tedeschi, it has always been a formidable tool of expression. Finally, Dan Forte’s “Check This Action” dives further into the influence of…