Up for sale, a 1953 Fender Telecaster in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Restored with great care by our techs here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar in conjunction with other premier talents in Northwest guitar building, this Tele delivers the classic tonal palette one expects with Fender’s first model. Little needs to be said about the sound of an early blackguard Tele, yet it’s worth noting that this example is incredibly dynamic and resonant. Snappy and twangy in the bridge position with great bite, the guitar smooths out with a chewy, cutting tone when both pickups are engaged and is all bell-like harmonic sparkle and warmth in the neck position. Weighing in at 8lbs on the dot with a nice full soft V shaped neck profile, this Tele plays effortlessly and has been setup with fresh 11-50 strings. Detailing the restoration work this guitar has received, the body and neck came to us with their original pencil dates as well as the stock neck plate, domed knobs, round string tree, strap buttons, and string ferrules. The top and back of the body were veneered with ash to obscure any seams and original nail holes were retained. Riggio Custom Guitars, our premier source for authentic Fender nitro lacquer finishes, finished the guitar in a pale Butterscotch and tastefully relic’d the instrument as well to reflect a lightly played example. The neck has a soft V profile with good shoulder, filling out to a C shape as you move up the fretboard with a light speckling of birdseye figuring in the maple on both the fretboard and profile. 846 deep at 1st fret, graduating to. 946 at the 12th fret, and the nitro lacquer on the profile has been worn down to the bare maple as part of the relic process behind frets 1-6, with silky smooth gloss in the higher registers of the profile. The fretboard has been re-radiused to Fender’s modern spec at 9 1/2, and the guitar has been freshly refretted with 6105 wire. The bone nut measures 1 5/8 in width and the headstock face features a period correct Telecaster waterslide decal. The vintage Kluson tuners turn smoothly and hold pitch as they should. On the neck heel, the original pencil date and “Tadeo” signature is present, noting that Fender’s most legendary neck shaper, Tadeo Gomez, had a hand in crafting this guitar and shaping the neck profile. The pencil date reads 3-23-53, matching closely with the body date in the neck pocket of 3-11-53. It’s also worth noting that this is one of the last Teles to feature a flathead truss rod adjustment screw, as a Phillips head screw was phased in by mid’53. On the body, the guitar features a replica single-ply pickguard courtesy of Riggio Custom Guitars, and Riggio also crafted an authentic bridge plate and control plate with very natural aging and a period correct serial number for’53. The new control and bridge plate are a perfect match for the original domed chrome knobs and brass saddles, which are an essential part of the Tele’s tonal profile. The wiring harness features a new Switchcraft switch and CTS 250k pots, with a premium replica tone cap correct for’53. In terms of cosmetic wear, there is none to report outside the faithful light relic job executed by Riggio after he applied the nitro lacquer finish. The wide and prominent grain of the ash can clearly be seen through the lacquer and the guitar features horizontal lacquer checking and a few incidental simulated marks of wear. This 1953 Telecaster has been lovingly and carefully restored with great attention to detail, and original or factory spec parts were used in every aspect of its construction. A modern G&G hardshell case is included. Check out our shop “Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar, ” and please let us know if we can answer any questions! International orders will be declared as merchandise, and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. The item “1953 Fender Telecaster Vintage Electric Guitar Ash, Tadeo signed neck with Case” is in sale since Friday, April 27, 2018. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Electric Guitars”. The seller is “mmguitarbar” and is located in Seattle, Washington. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Body Color: Butterscotch
- String Configuration: 6 String
- Brand: Fender
- Model: Telecaster
- MPN: Does Not Apply
- Body Type: Solid
- Dexterity: Right-Handed
- Body Material: Ash
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Model Year: 1953