Sound the hotly-anticipated gear release klaxon, because Susan Tedeschi – blues powerhouse and joint bandleader of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, alongside husband Derek Trucks – has to bring us her first . It’s based on her 1993 Standard in Caribbean Mist, an instrument that’s been with her for the majority of her career and which appears on the cover of her 1998 breakout record . It’s a collaboration we’ve been crossing our fingers over for years – especially since Fender CEO Andy Mooney .
Tedeschi describes being invited to work on the project in humble terms, calling it “incredible” and “an honor.” But she also states “it would have been very inspirational” if there’d been greater female representation in the guitar market when she was an up-and-coming artist. “I think they should have made a signature model 20 years ago for Sue Foley,” she says.
“She’s a badass guitar player who always played a Pink Paisley Telecaster. That was one of the reasons I went with a Tele.” It’s an illustration of how significant role models and their gear can be in shaping the playing aspirations and purchasing behaviors of next-gen guitarists, particularly in more underrepresented groups.
“I think it’s important for women to know that you can play an because so many times you’ll start on an acoustic,” adds Tedeschi, who began her own guitar journey that way. “Sometimes the acoustic is harder to play than an electric – but you don’t realize that.
