If it’s been a minute since you’ve played a Thinline, we think you’ll be blown away by what Fender’s Custom Shop is turning out these days.

We’ve always had a soft spot for Thinline Telecasters—they're lightweight, super responsive, and pack more punch and warmth than their solid-body siblings (which we still adore, of course).

This LTD Custom Shop 1950s Tele sports a really attractive / slightly bursted Natural Blonde finish with a realistic Journeyman relic treatment. It features a hollow, 2-piece ash body, paired with a rosewood neck - an unusual twist on the typical maple neck you'll find on these (or maple w/a rosewood fingerboard).

The '57 Soft V neck carve is immediately comfortable—moderately chunky and rounded with comfortable shoulders. It’s one of those necks that just feels instantly familiar, perfect for a wide range of players. For those keeping score at home, it measures .88"-.99" with a 9 1/2" fingerboard radius and 6105 Narrow/Tall frets.

We plugged it into a Carr Rambler (with a little reverb—okay, maybe a lot of reverb), and this Tele knocked us out right away with its throaty growl and sweet, sparkling highs. It’s like the best of both worlds: a little like a P90-equipped solid-body crossed with a classic Tele. Clean tones sound fantastic, but when we cranked up the amp a bit, it pushed into a warm, punchy breakup that had us grinning ear to ear. It’s the kind of sound that might make you forget about your set-neck, mahogany body guitars for a while. Truly impressive - and fun - stuff.