The Fender Custom Shop excels in a lot of ways - vintage, modern, aged, super clean, traditional, unique, straight-forward and funky. Whatever you want, they can do. While they always nail the aged finishes, and we have a fine selection from Journeyman Relic to Super Heavy Relic, we've decided to also provide an offering of perfectly clean, NOS guitars. We did this after noticing that a lot of oustomers were doing NOS custom builds.
This Custom Shop '54 Telecaster is a testament to their ability to pull off vintage recreations with a twist, featuring a great neck profile, modern playability, and a unique finish. What you get elsewhere on the guitar is an otherwise all-traditional design. In our eyes, it's the best of both worlds.
This Tele has a two-piece select ash body that is light and very resonant - we noticed that as soon as we pulled it out of the case to give the first strum. It also has a beautiful flame maple neck - it looks great in the photos but even better in person. It's not just about looks - this neck feels incredible. The Large C neck profile is very comfortable - we went with this to provides players a vintage feel but with the ease that a C shaped neck gives. It's not a fat neck like early 50's Telecasters but it's also not skinny like a 60's guitar....to us, it's the perfect in between grip. It measures .875 - .950, providing a great feel for those that love the vintage feel but also want to be able to play fast. The 9.5" radius and 6105 (narrow tall) frets create a modern playing experience while allowing easy bending without the fear of fretting out.
For the pickups, we went with the Handwound Custom Shop 50/51 set. For fans of the unmistakable tone of a Blackguard Tele - punchy lows, fat mids and crisp, twangy highs - these pickups are perfect, as they are faithful recreations of the originals. Crafted with large-diameter, unbeveled alnico 3 magnets in the bridge pickup and alnico 5 in the neck pickup, they're wound using 43-gauge Enamel wire for authentic performance and sound. Loaded with open, lively, full-bodied tone, these pickups host a rare collection of features from the earliest versions of the 1950 Blackguard Tele in existence.
Additionally, the guitar has modern Tele wiring with the Tone Saver control. If you experience tonal change when turning down the volume control on your guitar, this is a great solution. Unlike traditional treble bleed circuits that involve connecting tiny parts together with delicate soldering, the Tone Saver contains a special R/C network inside one convenient enclosure that will keep your guitar's tone remarkably consistent at any setting.
Other features include a period correct bridge with brass saddles, vintage-style tuning machines, knurled chrome knobs, a bone nut and a single ply black pickguard. The guitar comes with a Custom Shop tweed hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.
The woods chosen for this guitar really stand out. You'll see the beautiful AA flame maple on the neck, and be sure to check out the exquisite grain on the ash body under the Walnut finish.
Come to Truetone Music to check out this amazing Custom Shop build, or order here right now for it to be sent straight to your home.
- Serial # R151135
- Weight: 7.5 lbs
- Part # 9231017281
- Base Model: 1954 Telecaster
- Finish Package: NOS
- Body Finish: Nitro Lacquer
- Color: Faded Walnut
- Pickguard: 1-ply Black
- Body: 2 Piece Select Ash - Off Center Seam (Treble Side)
- Note: Sort for lightweight
- Neck: AA Flame Maple
- Neck Finish: Lacquer
- Tint: Medium
- Neck Shape: Large "C"
- Dots: Micarta Black
- Frets: 21
- Fretwire: 6105 Narrow Tall
- Radius: 9.5"
- Neck Thickness at 1st Fret: .875"
- Neck Thickness at 12th Fret: .950"
- Neck Nut Width: 1.625"
- Neck Butt Width: 2.200"
- Nut: Bone
- Pickups: Handwound Custom Shop '50/51 Blackguard
- Wiring: Modern Tele with Tone Saver
- Hardware: Chrome/Nickel
- Tuners: Vintage
- Bridge: 51 - 54 Tele
- Neck plate: Limited Edition
- Case: Custom Shop Deluxe Tweed
