This Fender Custom Shop ’50s Thinline Tele blends lightweight comfort, roasted tonewoods, and a fanstastic Firebird/Nocaster pickup combo for tones that range from sparkling cleans to throaty growl.

We’ve always had a soft spot for Thinline Teles, and for good reason. They’re light, lively, and deliver a mix of warmth and punch you don’t always get from their solid body cousins.

This Custom Shop ’50s Thinline takes all of that appeal and dials it up with some awesome details: roasted ash body and maple neck, a sleek black finish framed in tortoise binding, single-ply tortoise guard, Duncan Antiquity Firebird neck pickup, and a CS ’51 Loaded Nocaster bridge pickup. Add in a 10/56 V neck profile, 10" radius, and 6150/medium jumbo frets, and you’ve got a Tele that feels every bit as good as it looks.

The neck is a standout - substantial without being overwhelming, with that soft V carve that just melts into your hand. Plugged into a Carr Skylark, the guitar came alive: the Firebird neck pickup adds sparkle with extra muscle, while the Nocaster bridge delivers the kind of jangly bite Tele fans crave. Clean, it’s articulate and sweet; push it harder, and you’re rewarded with a warm, throaty growl that’s pure fun to play.

It’s one of those guitars that keeps surprising you, whether you’re chasing crystalline cleans or grinning through gritty breakup. A seriously inspiring Thinline.