Fender Custom Shop Vintage Custom 1959 Custom Telecaster Olympic White

Vintage Custom 1959 Custom Telecaster

1959 is not just known as a magical year in the guitar world, it's also known as a transition year for Fender specifically.  This is when both the Stratocaster and Telecaster underwent serious changes, most significantly being when maple transitioned to rosewood for the fretboard.  Guitars made in this specific year are seen with both.  This Vintage Custom '59 Tele represents an all-time classic with features including a smooth playing neck, a light alder body underneath a thin finish, single-ply white pickguard, and some of the best Tele pickups ever made.  In this faithful recreation, the Fender Custom Shop has captured the tone, playability, look and feel of a Tele from 1959, in the ultra cool look of Olympic White without aging.

The two-piece select alder body sports a flash coat lacquer finish that lets the wood breathe with more sustain, while wearing in a distinctly personal way.  This thin transparent finish really looks great.  We chose to do this one in the Time Capsule finish package, so there's no relic work - it's super clean.  This one looks like it's fresh out of the Fender factory back in 1959.  The guitar is lightweight, coming in at just 7.3 lbs.  The tinted one-piece rift-sawn maple neck features a very comfortable 59 Large C profile - somewhat slim in the first position for easy chording, and progressively thicker going up the neck.  This is super comfortable and will feel familiar to fans of vintage Telecaster.  The neck is topped with a slab rosewood fretboard that has a compound radius of 7.25 - 9.50",  with 21 medium vintage frets.  This compound radius is a calling card of the Vintage Custom series and has become a popular choice amongst guitarists that want a vintage feel, but the modern ability to bend up high without fretting out.  

The Handwound 58 pickups give it the vintage Tele tone that is beloved by Tele players everywhere.  The vintage stagger, enamel wiring and Alnico 5 magnets provide a pure vintage tone.  This can give you all of the Tele twang you could ask for, but with the ability to sound smooth & serene, making it a versatile set.  This guitar also features the "Fat ‘50s Tele" wiring setup.  This is achieved by connecting the tone pot to the output of the volume pot (middle lug) instead of the input.  Many late fifties guitars of all brands were wired this way, but it can be done with any guitar. This will have two major effects on the tone:
First, the overall tone gets stronger with more transparent bloom.  Second, the typical treble loss that occurs when rolling back the volume is much less, and both the volume and tone controls react more smoothly and more evenly, without the typical hot spots. As a side effect, it’s easier to clean up an overdriven amp by simply rolling back the volume on the guitar a bit. Many of the Fender Master Builders prefer this hook up.

Other features include a single-ply parchment pickguard, ’58 - 63 Tele bridge with steel saddles, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut and winged string tree. Also includes a period deluxe brown hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.

If you're looking for a classic late-50's style Tele that has a super comfortable neck and classic Tele twang, this is a great choice.  Come to Club Fender to experience it today, or make it yours right here.

• Weight: 7.3 lbs
• Serial # R133031
• Model #  9237101619
• Series: Vintage Custom
• Color:  Olympic White
• Finish Package: Time Capsule
• Body: Off-center 2-Piece Select Alder, Sort for Light Weight
• Body Finish: Flash Coat Lacquer
• Neck Material: Rift Sawn Maple
• Neck Finish: Flash Coat Lacquer
• Neck Tint: Medium
• Neck Shape: 59 Large C
• Fingerboard Radius: Compound 7.25 - 9.5"
• Number of Frets: 21
• Frets Size: Medium Vintage
• String Nut: Bone
• Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
• Depth at 1st Fret: .850"
• Depth at 12th Fret: .990"
• Position Inlays: Vintage Clay
• Decal: Vintage 59 - 63 Tele
• Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound 58 Tele
• Neck Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound 58 Tele
• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
• Wiring: Fat 50's Tele
• Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
• Bridge:  Vintage 58 -63 Tele 
• Hardware Finish: Chrome / Nickel
• Tuning Machines: Vintage 
• Pickguard: Single Ply Parchment (8 hole)
• Control Knobs: Knurled Aluminum
• Included Accessories: Deluxe Hardshell Case, Strap, Certificate of Authenticity