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2012 Fender Custom Shop '58 Telecaster Relic Sunburst Ash Body w/ Tweed Case, Tags & COA

$3,779.99

+ shipping

Up for sale, a 2012 Fender Custom Shop '58 Telecaster Relic in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original tweed hardshell case, COA, and hangtags.

Lightweight at 7lbs 4oz, this Tele delivers the complex midrange character, detailed note attack, and glassy articulation inherent in a '50s tonewood complement, with a solid ash body and one-piece maple neck with a substantial V-shaped profile carve. The pair of Custom Shop '51 Nocaster pickups are faithful to the original design with black fiber bobbins, flat Alnico III magnets, a tin-plated copper baseplate on the bridge pickup, and cloth-covered leads. Unplugged, the guitar offers a dry, woody percussive snap and a very lively, broad character which translates faithfully through the pickups with ample chewy twang and sparkling cut. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, this '58 Tele is dialed in with 10-46 strings, low action and solid intonation.

The maple neck has a soft V-shaped profile with notable heft and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .905" deep at the 1st fret and 1.005" at the 12th. The slender fretwire shows moderate wear beneath the G and B strings on frets 1-5, with wear growing fainter and extending to fret 8. The guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut measures 1.650" in width, and the headstock features Fender Deluxe Kluson-style single line tuners that turn smoothly and hold pitch well. The Fender waterslide decal is flawless, as is the Custom Shop chevron.

The electronics function as intended, and the original pickup pair is present, wired to a three-way switch with "modern" Tele wiring (Bridge, Bridge+Neck, Neck). Shielding paint has been added to the control cavity and pickup routes, with a couple additional ground wires run to ensure the lowest possible noise floor. The underside of the pickguard also has been shielded with aluminum tape. Hardware includes the three-saddle bridge with R-prefix serial number, and the chrome plating shows factory aging as part of the relic process. The "Relic" stamp is present beneath the pickguard, and there's a subtle tan line contrasting the exposed finish and that which is beneath the one-ply pickguard.

The three-tone Sunburst gloss finish was applied very lightly at the Custom Shop for maximum resonance, and the nitro lacquer has settled into the prominent wood grain of the ash body. While it's always a challenge to separate natural playwear from Fender's Custom Shop Relic treatment, we can safely say that this Tele exhibits some buckle rash beyond the factory relic at the bass-side waist on the back (closely mirroring the area of simulated wear). There is also prominent "shattered glass" lacquer checking on the body in-line with Fender's factory aging. The nitro lacquer gloss on the neck profile is clean and smooth, and there is light rack rash through the gloss on either side of the headstock.

The original tweed G&G Deluxe hardshell case is included, along with the COA, factory paperwork, and case candy.