While always a versatile tone machine favored by players of all styles, the American Professional Classic HotShot Telecaster supercharges the available sonic landscape by adding a Stratocaster single-coil in the middle position. Simply changing positions using the HotShot Tele’s 5-way pickup switch can get you swiftly from twang to clean pop, classic rock and beyond.
“The HotShot Tele has a 5-way switch, two Tele pickups and one Strat pickup—which is honestly pretty sick,” says Bilmuri guitarist Reese Maslen. “The pickup configuration opens up a huge variety of options. It does that Strat jangle, and it has clarity and a nice, bright top end. It isn’t honky in any way. It works. It does the sound I love so much about Strats in a Telecaster. I would be way more inclined to pick up the American Professional Classic HotShot Telecaster for a Bilmuri set than I would any other Tele.”
Key Features of the American Professional Classic HotShot Telecaster
- Alder body with gloss urethane finish
- Modern C-shaped maple neck
- Maple fingerboard
- 25.5” scale length
- 22 medium-jumbo frets
- 1.685" nut width
- Fender Coastline ’63 Tele single-coils (bridge and neck)
- Fender Coastline ’57 Strat single-coils (middle)
- 5-position pickup selector
- Master Volume and Master Tone controls
- Fender ClassicGear staggered tuning machines
- Vintage-style strings-through-body bridge with slotted brass barrel saddles
- Deluxe gig bag
Shop Now: Fender American Professional Classic HotShot Telecaster in 3-Color Sunburst
More Tones, More Stylistic Options
The American Professional Classic HotShot Telecaster celebrates the sonic versatility of ’80s superstrat-style guitars, but for Tele devotees and lovers of single-coil sounds. Historically, Telecasters have been wielded by stylistically diverse players—from Keith Richards to James Burton, Muddy Waters, Joe Strummer and Andy Summers—but the middle-position single-coil on the American Professional Classic HotShot Telecaster expands the tonal palette in ways that a traditional, two pickup Tele can only dream about.
Shop Now: Fender American Professional Classic HotShot Telecaster in Butterscotch Blonde
Meet the Fender American Professional Classic Lineup
The American Professional Classic Series celebrates Fender’s most beloved models—refined for today’s players who crave timeless tone with contemporary performance. Alongside the Stratocaster HSS, the lineup includes a range of iconic instruments tailored to every playing style and sonic preference.
- Stratocaster SSS – Equipped with three Coastline ’57 single-coils, Modern C-shaped neck and 9.5"-radius fingerboard. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Stratocaster HSS - Sporting two Coastline '57 single-coils and a Coastline '57 humbucker for extra punch and tonal versatility. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Telecaster – A timeless workhorse, donning Coastline '63 telecaster pickups and a Greasebucket tone system. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Jazzmaster – Boasting Coastline '65 Jazzmaster pickups, available in various classic Fender finishes.
- Jaguar – Equipped with Coastline '65 Jaguar Pickups and custom-faded finishes, this Jag offers up pure offset nostalgia. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Precision Bass – A classic reborn, this P-bass struts Coastline '60s split-coil precision bass pickups, blending vintage punch and modern clarity. Offer with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Jazz Bass – Carrying Coastline '62 jazz bass pickups, this is the choice for expressive players seeking depth, punch and articulation. Available with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Mustang Bass – This short-scale legend features Coastline '70s split-coil mustang bass pickups and a 30" scale lenght. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.