Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt David Brown 1957 Telecaster Relic Ebony Transparent With Case

 Masterbuilt David Brown 57 Tele

Truetone Music is proud to have a long and close relationship with Fender, especially with the Custom Shop.  Every so often, we make a pilgrimage there to sit down with Masterbuilders to cook up a batch of amazing guitars.  Sometimes we go for vintage-styled recreations, sometimes we go for modernized tweaks.  Sometimes it's a classic color, sometimes it's a totally new color or even reclaimed wood.  No matter what, they always knock it out of the park!

This very cool '57 Tele is a result of this partnership.  When a new Masterbuilder is announced, we jump on it and immediately reach out to start working together.  In this case, it was easy - the newest Masterbuilder was our old friend David Brown, who had been at Fender previously.  It was a lot of fun to reconnect and start dreaming up a batch of amazing guitars.  We specifically asked him what he was interested in doing and worked on the design together.  That was the genesis of this unbelievably awesome guitar.

One of the first things you'll notice, of course, is the color: Ebony Transparent.    This is a rarely seen color, but it's one we love here at Truetone.  It's a transparent finish, so the wood grain of the ash really shows.  We chose to do this one as a Relic, and David nailed it.  The guitar has the look and feel of a guitar that has been around for decades as a serious player's main axe, and the finish shows it.  It's all tastefully done.  This is the first Relic that we've gotten from the hands of David Brown, and immediately were impressed.  It's obvious he put his own care and taste into the guitar, which is exactly what we wanted.  We really didn't know what the outcome would be when originally spec'ing it out, but couldn't be happier with the result.  It's perfect.

The neck is the next thing you'll notice - we sure did!  It's an amazing piece of AAA Flame Maple, roasted.  It has all of the feel & comfort you would expect from a masterbuilt instrument.  David really does amazing work with the fine details on a neck, from the perfectly seated frets, rolled edges and overall playability.  We didn't aim for a period correct V shape on this one - instead, we went for a Large C, which has become quite popular over.  The C shape is really comfortable, and the girth of it will appeal to anyone that's a fan of 50's Teles.  It has a 9.5" radius and Medium Jumbo (6150) frets, making it easy to play, even up high on the neck when bending notes.

For the pickups, we discussed it with David and settled on the 56/57 Tele set.   We feel that these are some of the Custom Shop's best and "truest" vintage sounding pickups.  The bridge position has a 56/57 Tele pickup with Alnico 5 magnets, and provides the twang.  The neck position has a handwound 55/56 Tele pickup with Alnico 3 magnets, with a warm and creamy tone.  This is a great combination and perfect for a Tele replicating the sound of that era.

This guitar has all of the mojo of a vintage instrument, with a few twists and modernizations for playability.  And, this one is super light, coming in at just 6.6 lbs.  It comes with a special blonde hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.

David Brown’s music adventure began in the late `70s while he was in middle school. By the time he was in high school, he was playing in bands and working at a local store in Anaheim where he learned guitar repair and construction. In 2000, David got the opportunity to work at Fender and thus began his career with the company. By 2006, he received a degree in marketing from California State University at Fullerton and was now working in the Fender Custom Shop building new models as well as making instruments for various artists.

“I hope to bring a perspective that takes into account all of my previous experiences in guitar building and construction. I hope to create these instruments that are the industry standard when it comes to accuracy and feel for the musician. Becoming a Master Builder for the Fender Custom Shop means that you’ve arrived. There is no higher pinnacle than this.”

Apart from electric guitars being his passion, David enjoys designing and building tube amplifiers and playing original music with his classic rock band. He and his wife enjoy traveling abroad as well as rescuing and fostering dogs and cats. He also enjoys black and white landscape photography.

A Masterbuilt instrument is like no other, and this is truly a one of a kind.  Come to Club Fender at Truetone Music to experience it today, or make it yours right here.

• Serial # R129036
• Weight: 6.6 lbs
• Model# 9211003234
• Finish Package: Relic
• Finish: Nitro Lacquer
• Color: Ebony Transparent
• Body: Ash
• Neck: Roasted AAA Flame Maple
• Tint: Medium
• Note: Remove finish from back of neck
• Neck Shape: Large "C"
• Neck Nut Width: 1.650"
• Neck Thickness at 1st Fret:  .875"
  
• Neck Thickness at 12th Fret:  .950"
  
• Neck Butt Width: 2.200"
• Frets: 21
• Fretwire: 6150 Medium Jumbo
• Radius: 9.5"
• Dots: Micarta Black
• Pickguard: Single Ply Parchment
• Neck Pickup:  Custom Shop 56/57 Tele
• Bridge Pickup:   Custom Shop 56/57 Tele
• Bone Nut
• Tuners: Vintage
• String Guide: Vintage
• Bridge: 63 Tele with RSD Saddles
• Neck Plate: Vintage
• Switch: 3 way with Modern Wiring
  
• Case: Custom Shop Tweed