Fender Masterbuilt David Brown 'Lap Steel' Telecaster Walnut/Journeyman

We asked David Brown what a Tele would look like if it borrowed from Leo's lap steels, and this is the answer.

We've been having a blast spec'ing out builds with the Masterbuilders at Fender's Custom Shop, and specifically David Brown, whose work we can't say enough good things about.

For this one, we looked to Fender's early years for inspiration. The early early years: lap steels. Before the Telecasters, Stratocasters, Jazzmasters, and P Basses, there were Leo's lap steels. Aside from their gorgeous tones, there's some beautiful stuff happening aesthetically, and we thought a Tele with our favorite lap steel elements folded in would be pretty damned cool. We're biased, of course, but we have to say it is indeed damned cool.

We asked David to use lat steel inlay shapes for this build, along with the walnut color and metal accents. On the back of these lap steels you'd find a pad to keep them in place on your lap, which is where the pickguard color came from. The Fender logo plaque instead of the traditional sticker was another thing we wanted, and David nailed it. Small detail, but with builds like this the whole point is nailing those details. Otherwise just build another Tele.

None of that matters if the guitar itself isn't happening, and this is why we're big fans of David's work. Lightweight, perfectly balanced, effortless playability, classic Tele tones. This isn't just a pretty face.

In hand, we bonded with the neck profile quickly and appreciated the expertly installed frets. It all rolls together into a smooth, deluxe playing experience.

Plugged in, we were grinning from the first single note run. This guitar sounds exactly like you think it would from looking at it: bold, clear, twangy tones that respond to your lightest or heaviest touch, and enough sustain to support your faux lap steel licks no problem.

As big a Tele fan as we are, sometimes we want to spend time with a Tele that's a little off the beaten path. If that's you too, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.