1953 Fender Telecaster Blackguard Butterscotch Vintage Guitar w/ Case
$52,999.99
$52,999.99
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Up for sale, a 1953 Fender Telecaster in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original tweed “knucklebuster” hardshell case. An early Blackguard example, this Telecaster retains its original pickups, hardware, and black phenolic pickguard, with a nitro lacquer Butterscotch Blonde refinish and sympathetic aging courtesy of Riggio Custom Guitars.
Weighing 7lbs 5oz, this Telecaster is hyper responsive to picking dynamics with a lively natural acoustic bark, sustaining with a clear, ringing quality. Tonewoods comprise a two-piece ash body and a one-piece maple neck with a profile carve that splits the difference between a U and a very soft V. Metering 5.8k ohms with its original windings, the flat-pole bridge pickup delivers chewy twang and broadband punch, with a sparkling cut that doesn't lack for body and thickness, snarling when pushed. The neck pickup meters 7.2k ohms and is smooth and silky, and with the three-way switch wired for “modern” wiring (B, B+N, N), engaging both pickups yields an ideal blend of percussive sweetness and authoritative bark. This Telecaster has been professionally set up here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
- Wood: Maple
- Shape: Chunky soft V/U, measuring .915” 1st fret, .990” 12th fret
- Fretboard: Maple, 7 1/4” radius
- Frets: Slender (original), leveled/crowned with good meat remaining, light wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-5
- Scale Length: 25 1/2”
- Nut: 1 5/8” (original)
- Tuners: Kluson Deluxe "no line"
- Headstock: Vintage-spec replacement waterslide decal
Body Specs:
- Wood: Two-piece ash
- Pickups: Single coil x2, 5.8k (Bridge), 7.2k ohms (Neck)
- Harness: CTS pots date to 5th week of 1978 (replacement), vintage three-way switch
- Controls: Volume, Tone, three-way pickup selector
- Hardware: Serialized bridge with brass saddles, control plate, dome-topped knurled knobs, jack cup
- Plastics: One-ply black phenolic pickguard, ‘50s switch tip
- Factory Markings: Masking tape signed “Gloria” and dated 11/9/53 in control cavity
A vintage three-way switch and a pair of CTS 250k pots from 1978 were installed in this Tele’s lifetime, with both original pickups retaining their stock winding. A replica tone capacitor has been installed, and the “modern” wiring nixes the dark cap and ensures the neck pickup and Bridge + Neck pickup pairing allows for more tonal flexibility. The original finish and masking tape have been carefully preserved in the control cavity, signed "Gloria" and dated 11/9/53, bearing the name of Gloria Fuentes, one of Fender's final assembly workers of the era.
The nitro lacquer Butterscotch Blonde refinish via Riggio Custom Guitars was expertly executed on both the body and neck, with great transparency and particularly dynamic grain on the bass half of the body. Riggio's tasteful relic treatment adds subtle marks of sympathetic wear, with broad horizontal lacquer checking throughout, while the original wear on the fingerboard was retained. The original black pickguard has particularly unique wear through the lacquer, especially on the bass side, and the nitro gloss on the neck profile has an effortless, silky smooth feel.
The original tweed center latch “knucklebuster” case is included, with clean brown leather ends, a trio of functional latches, the original handle, and some vintage stickers on the exterior.
Weighing 7lbs 5oz, this Telecaster is hyper responsive to picking dynamics with a lively natural acoustic bark, sustaining with a clear, ringing quality. Tonewoods comprise a two-piece ash body and a one-piece maple neck with a profile carve that splits the difference between a U and a very soft V. Metering 5.8k ohms with its original windings, the flat-pole bridge pickup delivers chewy twang and broadband punch, with a sparkling cut that doesn't lack for body and thickness, snarling when pushed. The neck pickup meters 7.2k ohms and is smooth and silky, and with the three-way switch wired for “modern” wiring (B, B+N, N), engaging both pickups yields an ideal blend of percussive sweetness and authoritative bark. This Telecaster has been professionally set up here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
- Wood: Maple
- Shape: Chunky soft V/U, measuring .915” 1st fret, .990” 12th fret
- Fretboard: Maple, 7 1/4” radius
- Frets: Slender (original), leveled/crowned with good meat remaining, light wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-5
- Scale Length: 25 1/2”
- Nut: 1 5/8” (original)
- Tuners: Kluson Deluxe "no line"
- Headstock: Vintage-spec replacement waterslide decal
Body Specs:
- Wood: Two-piece ash
- Pickups: Single coil x2, 5.8k (Bridge), 7.2k ohms (Neck)
- Harness: CTS pots date to 5th week of 1978 (replacement), vintage three-way switch
- Controls: Volume, Tone, three-way pickup selector
- Hardware: Serialized bridge with brass saddles, control plate, dome-topped knurled knobs, jack cup
- Plastics: One-ply black phenolic pickguard, ‘50s switch tip
- Factory Markings: Masking tape signed “Gloria” and dated 11/9/53 in control cavity
A vintage three-way switch and a pair of CTS 250k pots from 1978 were installed in this Tele’s lifetime, with both original pickups retaining their stock winding. A replica tone capacitor has been installed, and the “modern” wiring nixes the dark cap and ensures the neck pickup and Bridge + Neck pickup pairing allows for more tonal flexibility. The original finish and masking tape have been carefully preserved in the control cavity, signed "Gloria" and dated 11/9/53, bearing the name of Gloria Fuentes, one of Fender's final assembly workers of the era.
The nitro lacquer Butterscotch Blonde refinish via Riggio Custom Guitars was expertly executed on both the body and neck, with great transparency and particularly dynamic grain on the bass half of the body. Riggio's tasteful relic treatment adds subtle marks of sympathetic wear, with broad horizontal lacquer checking throughout, while the original wear on the fingerboard was retained. The original black pickguard has particularly unique wear through the lacquer, especially on the bass side, and the nitro gloss on the neck profile has an effortless, silky smooth feel.
The original tweed center latch “knucklebuster” case is included, with clean brown leather ends, a trio of functional latches, the original handle, and some vintage stickers on the exterior.
