1988 Fender American Standard Telecaster Black 100% Original & Near-Mint w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1988 Fender American Standard Telecaster in near-mint, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original molded hardshell case. With reverence for Fender's past and a host of modern, player-friendly features, this early example of the American Standard model has a host of tweaks to Fender's traditional platform, with a 9 1/2" radius on the 22 fret slab rosewood fingerboard, medium jumbo fretwire, a TBX Tone control, and Schaller hardware including premium tuning machines and a six-saddle bridge.At 9lbs, this Tele dishes out plenty of natural sustain and sonic authority, and the classic tonewood complement of an alder body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard results in a balanced acoustic platform with ample treble sparkle. These qualities are faithfully captured by the stock pair of single coil pickups which yield twang and snap at the bridge and fuller, throaty warmth in the neck position. The TBX control, unique to early American Standard models, is a center-detent passive Tone knob, functioning as a standard treble cut from 1-5, while providing a treble/bass boost for added richness and punch from 5-10. This American Standard Telecaster benefits from a professional setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.The maple neck has a very slender C-shaped profile carve with just enough shoulder and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .775” deep at the 1st fret and .845” at the 12th. The thick slab rosewood fretboard has a modern 9 1/2“ radius, and the stock medium jumbo fretwire is practically perfect, playing cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The stock nut measures 1 11/16” in width, and on the headstock, the original set of Fender-stamped Schaller-made tuning machines turn very smoothly and hold accurate pitch, with clean chrome plating. The neck heel and pocket retain the factory stamps, and the heel is pencil dated to 06-28-88.The stock electronics work as they should, with a three-way pickup selector switch and Volume and TBX Tone controls. Solder joints are untouched, and the CTS pots date to ‘88. The chrome control plate, flat-top knurled knobs, and bridge base all shine like new, and the six individual steel block saddles allow for precise intonation. Plastics include the three-ply parchment pickguard, which has some requisite light scuffing along the strum path.Exceedingly clean, the gloss Black finish exhibits just a handful of faint scratches in the clear coat on the body as a whole, largely relegated to the back. The flawless satin finish on the neck profile highlights subtle flame figuring in the maple at the upper registers.The original Fender-branded molded hardshell case with black plush interior is included. The case is missing its handle, and all four latches are functional.