Fender

Fender Esquire, Blonde (1968)

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Pickup currently unavailable at 165 Showroom

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Product information

1968 Fender Esquire in original Blonde finish just in on consignment, featuring one of the most intensely figured Birdseye Maple necks we've ever seen come out of Fullerton.

With the popularity of the Esquire waning a bit near the end of the decade, it's surprising to see this early 1968 example equipped with just an exquisite neck!

This single-pickup tone monster has been through some changes but remains a killer player's example. It's outfitted with a vintage 50s Fender Champ lap steel pickup modified to mount in the original bridge, bringing some Blackguard-spec flavor to the table.

It's also been refretted with jumbo fretwire, and while it's not vintage-correct, it adds a modern playing experience that is not often found on these guitars. The work was done by 30th Street Guitars in NYC, who also managed to keep the fretboard planing to a minimum, showing off a very nice dark Rosewood veneer fingerboard.

The early '68 neck features the transitional decal often found on Fenders in 1967. It's been through a few tuner sets and is currently running with some aftermarket F stamp tuners. The string tree has also been replaced, and there's evidence of a second string tree having been added in the past.

Under a period-correct Esquire pickguard lies a large humbucker rout, likely done at the hands of a prior owner. While we recognize the newfound opportunity to hot rod the guitar and install a great HB or P90, the Esquire format remains for the next owner to decide. Vintage-correct electronics wired up for vintage Esquire functionality are also loaded into the guitar.

Coming in at just a tick under 8lbs on our scale, it's a nicely balanced and lively sounding Esquire with some serious vibe!

Body
Style
Solid Body
Body
Ash
Color
Blonde

Hardware
Pickup
Vintage Champ Lap Steel
Controls
Volume / Tone / 3-Way Switch
Electronics
Vintage Non-original pots / Original switch
Bridge
Original
Tuners
Repro F Stamp

Neck
Neck
Maple (3FEB68B Neck Stamp) / finish sanded off the back
Frets
Jumbo (Refret)
Carve
Late 60s Oval C: .83"-.90"
Scale Length
25 1/2"
Finish
Original Lacquer

Other
Serial #
246257
Weight
7lbs 15oz
Case
Vintage/Original Hardshell