2006 Fender Telecaster TL68-BECK Signature Model, Matte Blonde, Japan CIJ

Up for sale, a 2006 Fender Telecaster model TL68-BECK Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad signature in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original gigbag. This guitar is neither a signature model for Jeff Beck nor Beck Hansen, instead commemorating the Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Harold Sakuishi. The series (and its anime) follows Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka and his rock band's struggle to fame, and Koyuki plays a Tele just like this one in the series. This “Crafted in Japan”  Tele is quite rare, offered only within Japan and rarely seen outside its country of origin.Tonewoods include a sen ash body, maple neck, and rosewood fretboard, and this guitar weighs 7lbs 12oz with a bold and balanced acoustic response, qualities faithfully translated by the stock pair of Fender USA vintage-style single coil pickups. These alnico magnet pickups deliver chewy twangy and sparkle in the bridge position, and the neck has a throaty cut and bell-like roundness. This TL68-BECK has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.The maple neck has a medium C-shaped profile carve with generous shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .850” deep at the 1st fret and .955” at the 12th. The rosewood fretboard has a vintage-spec 7 1/4“ radius, and the stock medium fretwire is in great shape, with just a touch of wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-9 that becomes progressively lighter approaching the octave. This guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the nut measures 1.650” (42mm) in width. On the headstock, the Schaller-made Fender F-stamped tuning machines have flawless chrome plating and hexagonal buttons, functioning smoothly. On the back of the headstock, the “BECK” logo and dog graphic have been removed, and the “Crafted in Japan” text and R-prefix serial are present above the four-bolt F neck plate.All of the electronics function as intended, with the pickups wired to the stock harness and governed by a three-way pickup selector switch and Master Volume and Tone controls. Hardware comprises the flat-topped knurled knobs, chrome-plated control plate, and, “Pat. Pend” bridge with steel barrel saddles.The satin Aged Matte Blonde finish exhibits some modest buckle wear on the back, a handful of nicks along the lower bout body edge, and some scuffing on the bass side of the strum path. The neck profile retains its smooth ambered gloss, with a scant few shallow marks along the profile length that have no impact on playability.The original Fender-branded gigbag is included.