Fender Custom Shop 1954 Relic Telecaster, Aged Blonde #CZ535332

Full Description

Time Machine Series by Fender

The Time Machine series is Fender's own shrine to the heritage and legacy of the pioneers who made the company what it is today. The Fender Custom Shop has reached new heights of craftsmanship with its acclaimed Time Machine series, artfully crafting meticulous replicas using the same techniques and tooling used to create the originals all those years ago.

The Custom Shop proudly introduced an expanded selection of premium ''relic'' finishes that have been designed to replicate the worn-in vibe of a genuine vintage instrument. The Relic finish delivers an authentic worn-in wear of a guitar that has experienced many years of regular use. Each finish is specially devised to capture the authenticity of the original-era, with unparalleled breathability and resonance.

Solid Ash Wood Body

The Fender Custom Shop Relic Telecaster features a solid ash wood body, delivering a classic Fender ‘twang’ with sweet, airy tones. The lightweight ash provides this guitar with excellent resonance and sustain, offering firm lows, pleasing highs, and a scooped midrange. The Custom Shop 1954 Tele is finished in an aged white blonde nitrocellulose lacquer, with its thin, porous, and delicate coating allowing the tonewoods to breath with their natural tonal character and resonance. The lacquer is also known to wear and age in a certain way that appeals to many players.

1954 ’’U’’-Shaped Maple Neck & Fingerboard

The Custom Shop Relic Tele features a sleek 1954 ‘’U’’ shaped neck profile and a 9.5’’ radius fingerboard, providing an incredibly smooth playing experience which helped inspire new playing techniques and create beautiful expression. The maple neck infuses the Fender Tele with a beautifully bright characteristic, tightening up the overall tones and delivering plenty of cut and bite. Using maple for both the neck and fingerboard provides players with a sharp, clear punch when the strings are hit hard, while light to medium picking brings out the subtler tones of the maple.

Custom Shop ’51 Nocaster Pickups

Featuring a set of custom shop ’51 Nocaster single-coils, the Fender 1954 Relic Tele offers the same specs as the original 1951 pickups to deliver the tonal qualities of the classic Nocaster guitar. These custom shop pickups have been built with period-correct cloth output wire and fibre bobbins to deliver a truly vintage performance, while its enamel-coated magnet wire offers that classic Tele warmth. The addition of flush-mount magnets ensures the pickups deliver an even string response, while its classic alnico 3 magnets produce plenty of focus and enhanced dynamics.

String Through Construction

This 1954 Fender Telecaster incorporates a string-through body construction to improve the overall tonality and sustain, transferring the vibrations and resonance from the strings to the body. The American vintage tele bridge features solid barrel steel saddles to keep the strings stable, allowing the guitar to be played harder without going out of tune.

Bone Nut

Along with its amazing tone and looks, the Custom Shop Relic Tele also features a bone nut which adds to its classic aesthetic. The main purpose of using a bone nut, compared to modern materials, is the bone offers excellent resonance and sustain. A bone nut also delivers a very balanced tone and will last a long time. In addition, this type of nut naturally self-lubricates and helps the guitar to stay in tune for longer.

The History of the Telecaster

The rich history of Fender guitars begins with the Telecaster. An indispensable instrument, the Telecaster was the world's first successful solid-body electric guitar. Perfected after two years of development - and a name change or two - the Telecaster debuted in February 1951 and began its steady ascent towards the stage and studio. Ingeniously engineered with the ability to be heard both loud and clear, it was a marvel of simple design elegance and workhorse functionality. It is perhaps a fitting testimony to its essential original rightness that the Telecaster design has hardly changed ever since.

Specifications

• Model Number: 9235000526
• Series: Time Machine

Body & Bridge

• Body: 2-Piece Select Ash
• Shape: Telecaster
• Bridge: 3-Saddle American Vintage String-Through-Body Tele
• Construction: Bolt-On
• Finish: Aged Blonde

Neck & Fingerboard

• Neck: Quartersawn Maple
• Profile: 1954 ‘‘U’’
• Scale Length: 25.5’’
• Fingerboard: 1-Piece Maple
• Radius: 9.5’’
• Frets: 21 Narrow Jumbo
• Inlays: Micarta Black Dots
• Nut: Bone
• Nut Width: 1.650''
• Headstock: Telecaster

Electronics & Hardware

• Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound ’51 Nocaster
• Neck Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound Loaded ’51 Nocaster
• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
• Switching: 3-Position Toggle
  • Position 1: Bridge Pickup
  • Position 2: Bridge, Middle, & Neck Pickups
  • Position 3: Neck Pickup
• Tuning Machines: Vintage Style w/Fender Logo
• Control Knobs: Knurled Dome
• Bridge Saddles: Solid Barrel Steel
• Pickguard: 1-Ply Black
• Hardware: Nickel/Chrome

Strings & Accessories

• Strings: Fender USA, NPS, (.010-.046 Gauges)
• Case Included: Deluxe Hardshell
• Accessories:
  • Certificate of Authenticity
  • Strap