Fender Telecaster, Blonde (1957)

This. This guitar, folks.

We're not quite sure what else you could possibly want in a Telecaster that this ash-bodied knockout couldn't give you.

Hailing from March 1957, this late 50s Telecaster oozes vibe and mojo, with pure unbridled tele tone that only a great vintage Fender can deliver. It's got a gorgeous Ash body with a beautifully aged and naturally relic'ed Blonde finish that's turned into almost a dark cream color. The single-ply 5-hole pickguard represents the quintessential Telecaster 2.0 look, moving on from the original "Blackguard" aesthetic of the early 50s.

We have a thing for V necks around here, and the neck on this puppy doesn't disappoint. In fairly typical early '57 fashion, this is a bit of a transitional V carve, with a slightly softer midpoint and a touch more roundness in the shoulders. We wouldn't call it a Soft V, but it's not as dramatic of a V profile often seen later on in the year. Given the play wear, the neck has also broken in perfectly and plays addictively smooth with the original frets.

Acoustically, this Telecaster has great richness and sustain in its resonance, where both chords and single notes ring out with strong fundamental projection. It's no wonder that these guitars sound the way they do plugged in - all of that acoustic energy is brought to life in an exceptional sounding set of pickups.

The original stagger-pole bridge pickup is another period change from the early 50s flat pole style, adding a bit more push on those D and G strings to balance out the response. Plenty of twang with strong treble and a snappy bass, but more than capable of delivering the goods through a cranked 5E3 or the like with some midrange definition. The original neck pickup has been expertly rewound by Lindy Fralin, and puts out some great strat-like neck position tone thanks to its slightly higher output. The original 50s circuit remains, with the "dark" circuit intact, leading to a neck pickup in position 2, and finally the bridge pickup in position 3. The potentiometers present as original Stackpoles, with solder conveniently placed over where the date codes reside. 

Historically marked as one of the best Fender years, it's no surprise that this 1957 Fender Telecaster can hang with the best of them. This is an amazing Golden Era Fender that has the sound with the looks and originality to match.

Priced with vintage tweed hardshell case, including original ash tray bridge cover and instrument cable.

• Ash body with Blonde nitrocellulose lacquer finish - 3/57 pencil body date
• Maple neck with V profile and original frets - 3/57 pencil neck date
• Profile Measurements: .89" @ 1st / .97" @ 12th
• Original Kluson "Single Line" tuners
• Original wiring harness with factory "dark" circuit
• Original bridge pickup: 6.28k ohm
• Original neck pickup rewound by Lindy Fralin: 7.33k ohm
• Original Pat Pend bridge w/ steel saddles
• Weight: 7lb 7oz