The Stratocaster and Telecaster generally have similar electronics. They each have a master volume control, but where the Tele only has one tone control, the Strat has dedicated tone knobs for the middle and bridge pickups.The switching, however, is another story. The Telecaster has always carried a three-way switch, but after guitarists found that they could get more tonal versatility by jamming the Strat’s original three-way switch in between the first and second position and second and third position, Fender outfitted it with a standard five-way selector.
The Telecaster typically has two single-coil pickups, with the bridge pickup being wider and longer than its Strat counterpart. What’s more, it is mounted on the Tele’s metal bridge plate, which can give it a more powerful tone.
(Fender also makes Stratocaster and Telecaster models with humbucking pickup options.)