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Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster Electric Guitar - Butterscotch Blonde

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Ash Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, and 2 Single-coil Pickups - Butterscotch Blonde
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Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster Electric Guitar - Butterscotch Blonde
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A Spot-on Re-creation of a First-gen Tele

The Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster is a spot-on re-creation of the '51 Tele, which was the first electric guitar to roll off Fender's assembly line bearing the "Telecaster" name. Built from a slab of solid ash, this axe delivers a bright, sustaining acoustic tone, which is complemented by a set of year-specific Pure Vintage '51 Telecaster single-coil pickups. You'll be blown away by the substantial playability of the '51 Telecaster's "U"-shaped hard-rock maple neck, while its vintage-radius fingerboard ensures inspiring, comfortable fretting. The American Vintage II 1951 Tele is chock-full of period-correct appointments, including knurled dome knobs, a 3-barrel bridge, vintage-style tuning machines, and an eye-grabbing nitrocellulose lacquer finish on the body and neck. The American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster represents an important piece of Fender history — it's a must-have for every Tele connoisseur.

Loads of period-accurate appointments

The American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster is a spot-on re-creation of a Fender classic. This electric guitar features a solid ash body. This resonant wood offers a bright acoustic tone with excellent sustain and loads of midrange "pop," plus it boasts a gorgeous gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The 1951 Tele's nickel/chrome hardware includes a 3-barrel bridge with brass saddles, vintage-style tuning machines, and knurled dome knobs. Year-specific '51 Pure Vintage pickups, a period-correct neck shape, and vintage-radius fingerboard round out the American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster's classic appointments.

Year-specific Pure Vintage pickups

When you plug the Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster into your favorite amplifier, you'll be transported straight back to '51. This solidbody electric guitar's Pure Vintage '51 Telecaster single-coil pickups churn out the tight lows and balanced mids you'd expect from an old-school Tele. And its bridge pickup twangs like it's nobody's business. The American Vintage II 1951 Tele comes complete with master volume and tone knobs, plus a 3-way pickup selector switch.

Substantially playable neck

When we first picked up the American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster here at Sweetwater, we were blown away by its epically substantial playability. The '51 Tele's 1-piece, "U"-shaped, hard-rock maple neck offers baseball-bat-like dimensions — thick, beefy, and resonant — for a hand-filling playing experience. You also get a maple fingerboard with a vintage 7.25-inch radius and 21 vintage-tall frets. The neck features a vintage tint, and it's finished with eye-catching gloss nitrocellulose lacquer.

Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster Electric Guitar Features:

  • A spot-on re-creation of a 1951 Telecaster
  • Solid ash body offers a bright acoustic tone with excellent sustain and loads of midrange "pop"
  • Pure Vintage '51 Telecaster single-coil pickups provide jangly, smooth, sparkling tones with a distinct twangy bite
  • Knurled dome master volume and tone knobs; 3-way pickup selector switch
  • 1-piece, "U"-shaped hard-rock maple neck offers a hand-filling playing experience
  • Maple fingerboard with a vintage, 7.25-inch radius and 21 vintage-tall frets
  • 3-barrel bridge with brass saddles; vintage-style tuning machines
  • Eye-catching nitrocellulose lacquer finish on the body and neck

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape Telecaster
  • Body Material Ash
  • Body Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
  • Color Butterscotch Blonde
  • Neck
  • Neck Material 1-piece Maple
  • Neck Shape 1951 U
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 7.25"
  • Fingerboard Material Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay Black Dots
  • Number of Frets 21, Vintage Tall
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Nut Width 1.650"
  • Nut Material Bone
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece Pure Vintage 3-saddle Tele with Brass Barrel Saddles
  • Tuners Fender Deluxe Pure Vintage
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Pure Vintage '51 Single-coil Tele
  • Bridge Pickup Pure Vintage '51 Single-coil Tele
  • Controls 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone
  • Switching 3-way blade pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings .010-.046
  • Case/Gig Bag Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0110312850

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Couldn’t be happier

This guitar looks and sounds stellar! I will say I wasn't entirely impressed with the setup it had out of the box. I made some adjustments, and this sounds good and plays like butter. The packaging was good, it was double boxed with tons of thick foam, and also said fragile, so great job Sweetwater on that. The customer support was great too, I couldn't figure out how to open the case and was able to get someone who told me the locks get pushed outward. Case popped open and boy did it look good. Photos don't do justice, the guitar is a beautiful butterscotch, and the neck is gorgeous too. I purchased a beautiful Levy's Leather thin black leather strap to go with it. One last note, neck is just a bit sticky, should be fine in no time.
Music background: Church Guitarist
Rated 5/5

A fine musical instrument

I had to put it down to write this and thats not easy... I'm blown away by the detail and craftsmanship of this fine instrument. My first telecaster, and I am not disappointed. The neck is fantastic and i love the tall frets. Both pickups are awesome. The nitro finish is gorgeous, I hope I'm around long enough to see some age on it. Playing through a tone king gremlin - tasty tones! Now to think up a name for it - Land 'o Mcallen(butterscotch, get it?). I knew what I wanted and Grant made the order happen seamlessly.
Music background: Musical hack
Rated 5/5

An absolute beast!

Traditionally I'm a Gibson guy. I love Juniors and specials. I've had countless teles searching for one that spoke to me but the neck was always too thin or the tone was too thin. Not anymore. Finished with Nitro. Chunky neck. Ballsy tone much thicker than the players series teles. Frets are vintage style so no fighting the jumbo frets or knocking myself out of tune due to by heavy hands. Superb in every way with an outstanding fit and finish.
Music background: Playing for 27 years
Rated 5/5

American vintage ii dream

There was nothing to prepare me for the look (and the smell)of this butterscotch beauty when that case first opened up...no photo, review or video comes close to in person. That,I would soon find out, even paled in comparison to what happened when I had it in my hands and plugged her in. Wow...If you are considering it, just do it. You will not be disappointed.
My sales rep Mike Conyers has guided me through several purchases now and has to be the best around! I'm one happy dude!
Music background: Worship band member. Singer, guitarist in a classic rock band
Rated 5/5

That’s exactly what a Telecaster is supposed to be!

I have this guitar since last October and I'm extremely impressed with the quality and sound. I have 3 Teles Custom Shops 50's and a real one from 56 and this new American Vintage series is in the same level. I love the big U neck, vintage frets, finish, and the stock pickups sound like it should be. If you love vintage Tele's this is a serious instrument for all the Telecaster's lovers. I also got mine with a really good weight 7.2 lb. Sounds great and looks great! Thank you Leo Fender! You got it right since the first day!
Music background: Amateur musician

It’s impossible to imagine a world without Fender guitars, and if you’re like many of the guitarists at Sweetwater, then Fender not only made the first guitar you ever bought " they made the last one too! From building the first mass-produced solidbody electric guitars and basses in the 1950s to creating some of the most influential amplifier designs in history, it’s no wonder why Fender is one of the biggest names in the business. As one of the world’s largest Fender dealers, we have countless guitars, basses, amps, effects pedals, and accessories in stock and ready to ship, whenever you need them. We’re always getting our hands on their latest creations, and there’s nothing we love more than to tell our customers all about them! So, whether you’re looking for your first axe or a Custom Shop creation, make sure to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.

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