Up for sale, a 2016 Fender American Vintage ‘52 Telecaster left-handed model in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original tweed G&G hardshell case, hangtags, and case candy. A more vintage-correct iteration of the '52 Tele only available for a few short years at the tail end of the original American Vintage line, this discontinued model rivals Custom Shop quality and was reimagined in '13 with numerous period-correct details. Stunningly well-executed, features of this '52 Tele include a "flash coat" thin nitro lacquer Butterscotch Blonde finish, revoiced American Vintage pickups, a thicker, more vintage-correct U shaped neck profile carve and a bone nut.

Thanks in part to the "flash coat" thin lacquer finish, this Tele is very resonant, with a rich, dynamic natural acoustic sound with impressive clarity, midrange complexity, and treble-centric definition. At 8lbs 6oz, this Tele has a distinctive natural heft and rich sustain, chiming with the best and delivering quintessential sinewy snap and chewy twang via the bridge pickup. The neck pickup has a bell-like roundness and percussive cut. This Tele 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 chunky U-shaped profile carve with generous shoulders and rolled fretboard edges, measuring .905” deep at the 1st fret and 1.005” at the 12th. The gloss-finished fretboard has a 7 1/4“ radius, and the vintage-spec slender fretwire is pristine. 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” in width, carved from bone for optimal clarity and sustain. On the headstock, the Fender Deluxe Pure Vintage single-line tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch.

All of the electronics work as they should, with a modern Tele control configuration (no dark cap). The chrome control plate, domed knurled knobs, and neck plate are positively gleaming, along with the serialized bridge base which has its trio of brass saddles. This guitar used all flathead screws to match vintage spec, and the five-screw one-ply black pickguard is flawless.

The Butterscotch Blonde finish has good transparency, highlighting the uniform grain of the ash body, and cosmetic wear is limited to one finish chip on top (very common with the lightly applied Flash Coat finishes) and sparingly little additional wear on the body as a whole. The gloss lacquer finish on the neck profile is immaculate.

The original Fender G&G tweed hardshell case is included, along with all hangtags and factory paperwork, plus case candy including the “ashtray” bridge cover and a strap.