Fender Custom Shop Alan Hamel Founders Design Telecaster, Silver

Full Description

Built to Commemorate the Fender Custom Shop's 30th Anniversary

To commemorate 30 years of the Fender Custom Shop, eight of the original master builders came back to design their own dream guitar. This Founders Design Telecaster comes from the mind of Alan Hamel, inspired by the signature sparkle finishes which originally brought him into the Custom Shop.

Beneath its classic black sparkle burst lies an ash body, encased within an alder top and bottom. This combination of tonewoods provides a combination of tonal characteristics, from the sweet, airy 'twang' of the ash wood to the balanced, resonant tones of the alder.

These two woods complement each other beautifully, creating pleasing highs with plenty of brightness and sizzle, while the low-end remains firm and round. The midrange comes across as beefy and slightly scooped - perfect for rock and blues.

Smooth Playing Maple Neck and Fingerboard

Continuing with its classic design, the maple neck and fingerboard is fitted with the 10/58 V profile. Based after the neck shape of the Fender guitars from 1958, this profile provides a soft feel that gets softer the closer you get to the nut. This design provides comfortable chords and easy solos at the higher frets.

Using maple for both the neck and fingerboard delivers a beautifully bright characteristics, tightening up the overall tone for extra cut and bite. Hitting the strings hard will result in a clear, sharp punch, while light to medium picking brings out the subtler tones of the maple.

Custom Shop Electronics

The neck pickup is an updated variation of the original ''Twisted'' Tele pickup Alan designed during his time at Fender. This model features a slightly different tonal character than the original, providing a beautifully bright tone with a classic Fender quality.

The bridge features a replica of an early model Broadcaster pickup, designed to the specifications Alan had researched for the Blackguard book. Its alnico 5 magnets provide a focused midrange with an enhanced dynamic range and a beautifully full sound.

The electronics have also been customised to suit Alan's personal preference. The traditional Tele pickup switch has been upgraded from a 3-way to a 5-way switch, providing you with an additional two extra pickup configurations. Select one of the in-between settings to deliver a full bridge or neck tone with a percentage of the other pickup.

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.

About Master Builder Alan Hamel

Alan Hamel was one of the founders of the Fender Custom Shop, being brought on to do the sparkle finishes for the guitars. It wasn’t long before Alan started working on other things in the Custom Shop, designing the Twisted Tele neck pickup and working on the custom shop Western Boots Tele models and Vintage Hot Rod Stratocasters.

Hamel was also involved in some of Fender's high-profile projects. This included the 50th anniversary Precision Bass and the 30th Anniversary Ford Mustang guitar. Alan was also the one who built the blue sparkle Tele for singer-songwriter Carl Perkins.

Specifications

• Serial Number: #AH9600
• Model Number: 9235000606
• Series: Founders Design

Body & Bridge

• Top & Back: Alder
• Body: 2-Piece Select Ash
• Shape: Telecaster
• Bridge: 3-Saddle String-Through-Body Tele
• Construction: Bolt-On
• Finish: Gloss Polyurethane (New Old Stock)
• Colour: Black Sparkle Burst

Neck & Fingerboard

• Neck: Quatersawn Maple
• Profile: 10/56 ''V''
• Scale Length: 25.5''
• Fingerboard: Maple
• Radius: 9.5''
• Neck Thickness: .880'' @ 1st Fret, .980'' @ 12th Fret
• Frets: 21 6105 Narrow Jumbo
• Inlays: 5-Point Black Stars
• Side Dots: Micarta Black 3/32''
• Nut: Bone
• Nut Width: 1.650''

Electronics & Hardware

• Bridge Pickup: Alan Hamel Custom Hand-Wound Blackguard Tele
• Neck Pickup: Alan Hamel Custom Hand-Wound "Twisted" Tele
• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
• Pickup Switch: 5-Position Blade w/Custom Alan Hamel Tele Wiring
• Tuners: Gotoh Vintage Style
• Bridge Saddles: Compensated Brass
• Control Knobs: Knurled Flat-Top
• Pickguard: Clear Plexiglas w/Painted Black ''Halo'' Around the Pickup Route

Extras

• Strings: Fender USA, NPS, (.010-.046 Gauges)
• Case Included: G&G Founders Design Signature Embroidered Case
• Accessories:
  • Engraved Bridge Cover
  • Strap
  • Certificate of Authenticity
  • Founders Design Booklet