Fender Masterbuilt David Brown '59 Telecaster Black/DLX Closet Classic

A David Brown Masterbuilt ‘59 top-loader Tele with a roasted maple fingerboard on an unroasted neck and hot, Broadcaster-inspired Josefina-wound pickups.

You know, every once in a while we let our Stratocaster bias show. How and where? Mostly in our inventory counts. We can sometimes get a little heavy in the Strat department while running light in the twang department, otherwise known as the Tele department. We get it. We love Teles like most players do, and to help make up for the imbalance, we bring you a peace offering: this incredible David Brown Masterbuilt ‘59 Telecaster.

If you’ve been following us for the last year or two (or longer), you’ve likely seen us singing the praises of David’s work. There’s something about what he’s going for that really connects with us, and it’s a feel and aesthetic thing. His guitars feel a bit like the small-shop boutique guitars we carry, but with that unmistakable Fender “thing” in the mix. It’s a really cool combination that keeps us sitting down with his instruments a little longer than we’d planned.

Take David’s version of a ‘59 top-loader Tele. There are a few aspects of the build that pull the overall vibe in a subtly new direction, and we’re here for it. For one, you’d be forgiven for thinking the fingerboard is pau ferro, and when you’re playing, you definitely get that vibe looking down at your fretting hand. But... drum roll... it’s actually a very clever use of roasted maple. Usually the whole neck gets roasted, but here only the board is. It’s a cool sleight-of-hand “trick” that gives you plenty of snap like a maple board, while the look leans more toward pau ferro or rosewood.

Speaking of the neck, the ’60s Oval C profile (.82" to .93"), 9.5" radius, medium vintage frets (47095), and 1.65" bone nut all feel amazing in hand. It’s very similar to a ‘66 profile: mildly chunky, with an almost imperceptible taper, and ever so slightly wide. Single-note runs and chord work both feel great.

Plugged in, the Josefina-wound pickups deliver classic Tele bite and twang, with a Twisted Tele in the neck position and a Red Hot Tele in the bridge. Admittedly, that name makes it sound like you’re going to plug in and get hit with Super Distortion levels of output. Not that there’s anything wrong with that (we’re mostly kids of the ’80s), but that’s not really what it’s about. Those early Broadcasters had pretty hot bridge pickups, and the Red Hot Tele gets into that world. It’s bold in the way a great P-90 is, just with that classic Fender scooped midrange going on. Very, very fun.

If you’re a Tele fan who’s been there and done that with vintage-style Teles, this one should be on your list. The tweaks David made are subtle but meaningful when it comes to feel and responsiveness, and it’s always cool to play a classic design that someone has clearly put a lot of thought into. Great stuff, David!