Fender Esquire, Blonde (USED, 1957)

When the Esquire model first burst on the scene in 1950, it solidified itself as one of the most influential guitar designs in history. Fast forward a few years, and it becomes an almost inescapable fixture of the rapidly growing electric guitar landscape, making its presence felt, seen, and heard on radio broadcasts and television shows, and in the bedrooms of aspiring young musicians. If you're playing guitar in the 50s, you know the Esquire.

Well guess what? 70+ years later and we're still singing its praises, and for good reason! Much like its Kalamazoo counterpart - the Gibson Les Paul Junior - the Fender Esquire represents the epitome of simplicity in form and function, primarily aimed at the student market. If you want to keep it simple and get right to the tone, there's no better example than an Esquire quite like this '57.

Not only does this January 1957 gem sing like a bird plugged in, it's got some of the best acoustic resonance and pure vibratory volume of any slab bodied electric we've heard. No kidding! A beautifully carved maple neck featuring the highly desirable Soft V to C profile of its day rings almost effortlessly along with the one-piece Blonde finished ash body.

Condition: Excellent. Super clean example of a late 50s Esquire. Essentially unfaded Blonde finish with halo edge. Very minimal lacquer checking. Light fingerboard wear from frets 1-7. Original frets are low but well dressed. Notably, the 'Esquire' portion of the decal is missing, and edges of the decal below 'Fender' indicate it may have gotten damaged at some point. It appears to have flaked off, as the shadow lines of 'Esquire' still remain as seen in the photos.