Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Jason Smith 60's Rosewood Telecaster NOS Natural

Fender Custom Masterbuilt Jason Smith 60's Rosewood Telecaster

Fender built several instruments in the late 60s made completely of hand-selected rosewood. These were in production only very briefly and are now highly collectable on the vintage market. Jimi Hendrix reportedly had one of the first Rosewood Stratocaster guitars, and George Harrison of the Beatles used one of the original Rosewood Telecaster guitars on Let It Be and for the famous Apple Records rooftop concert in January 1969.

The Masterbuilt Rosewood Telecaster offered here is a meticulously crafted replica of one of the most sought after guitars in Fender history.  Truetone Music does a run of these, and one of them is always done by veteran Masterbuilder Jason Smith.  We specifically order this satin finish version to be built by him, as he's one of the best.  We've been doing so for years, and every single one is perfect.  This is no exception. 

For the specs, we kept it vintage correct, with handwound '67 Tele pickups, a comfortable 60's Oval C neck shape with just a little thickness added, a 7.25" radius, vintage frets, and Schaller tuning keys.   Of course, it's the all-rosewood construction that will capture one's attention.  The grain on this one is particularly nice - be sure to check out the photos to see it closely.  We noticed that this guitar is light for a Rosewood Tele, as it weighs just 8.00 lbs (typically they are 9 lbs or more).  It's super comfortable to play.  Jason Smith absolutely nailed it.

In terms of sound, this guitar gives you exactly what you'd expect: warmth, with a bit of brightness. It sustains like the best of Tele's.  The guitar has a clear chime as well as plenty of bounce in the low mids.  This isn't the Tele you get when you want the old school Bakersfield twang of the early 50's.  It's the Tele you get when you want the balance and roundness of the late 60's.

This amazing example of one of Fender's most iconic guitars was built by Jason Smith for Truetone Music - and we couldn't be happier with the result.  Don't hesitate, as it will be at least 2 - 3 years till we get another, as that's the wait time for all Jason Smith builds.  Any Masterbuilt Rosewood Telecaster is a special instrument, and this one really stands out.

About the builder:

A Custom Shop veteran and son of longtime Fender R&D legend Dan Smith, Jason Smith grew up on Fender—“It has always been in my family,” he said, “And I was always extremely interested in everything my father did.”
Born in Rochester, N.Y., and raised in California, Smith remembers meeting guitar greats from about age five on through his father’s work with Fender—Eric Clapton, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jeff Beck and Robben Ford, to name only a few. He went to his first big rock concert at age six—Rush—and Smith remembers going backstage with his dad and meeting Geddy Lee after the show. Before he was even in his teens, Smith was going to see Pink Floyd, ZZ Top and many other major artists.
Rock music and Fender are part of his DNA. Smith joined the Fender Custom Shop in 1995, and in 2006 completed a five-year apprenticeship under acclaimed Senior Master Builder John English. Among many diverse projects with English, Smith worked on a pair of double-neck Stratocaster guitars for Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo. He has since crafted fine instruments for players and acts including John 5, Michael Landau, Flea, Josh Klinghoffer, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Reggie Hamilton, Linkin Park, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Neon Trees and many others.

• Part # 9211001263
• Serial # R128532
• Weight: 8.00 lbs (light for a Rosewood Tele)
• NOS Finish - Natural
• Hand-selected Indian Rosewood body (with Maple Insert) and Neck
• 60's Oval C neck profile (.850" - .920")
  
• 1.650" Nut Width
• 7.25" radius
• Vintage frets
• Mother of Pearl dots
• Custom Shop '67 Tele Pickups
  
• 3-way Switch
  
• Master Volume control
• Master Tone control
• Vintage Tuners and Bridge
• F Logo Neck Plate
• 3-ply Black pickguard
  
• Custom Shop Deluxe Black Hardshell case 
• Certificate of Authenticity Signed by Masterbuilder Jason Smith
• Custom Shop Strap