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Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster Electric Guitar - Prototype White

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Ash Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, and 2 Single-coil Pickups - Prototype White
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Item ID: TeleAV251PW
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Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster Electric Guitar - Prototype White
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Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster Electric Guitar - Prototype White
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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 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-in. 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
  • Model American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster
  • 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 Prototype White
  • Neck
  • Neck Material Maple
  • Neck Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
  • Neck Shape 1951 U
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 7.25"
  • Fingerboard Material Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay Dots
  • Number of Frets 21
  • Fret Type Vintage Tall
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Nut Width 1.650"
  • Nut Material Bone
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece Fender Pure Vintage 3-Saddle Tele with Brass Barrel Saddles
  • Tuners Fender Deluxe Pure Vintage
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Fender Pure Vintage '51 Tele Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup Fender Pure Vintage '51 Tele Single-coil
  • Controls 1 x volume, 1 x tone
  • Switching 3-way blade pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings Fender USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel, .010-.046
  • Case/Gig Bag Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0110312880

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

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Reviews

Oh, Yes!
What a fantastic instrument this is! The tone is absolutely amazing, the look is stunning and the feel is even better than I had hoped. I was mildly nervous about getting a guitar with a neck being described as "chunky" because my hands aren't huge. Turns out this neck is PERFECT and now my favorite neck shape. It feels substantial to the point that it makes my Strat's modern-C feel like a toy but it's so comfortable to play - and has sustain for days. The neck pickup has a nice warm tone and that bridge pickup is just inspiring to play - super twang without getting ice-pick-like. I could not be more pleased with this Telecaster. It makes me happy every time I open the case and smell that nitrocellulose goodness!
Almost perfection
Serious dream tele. Pickups sound hugee for traditional tele singles. Perfect sound and look is drop dead gorgeous. I thought I could live with the chunky 50s neck but turns out I'm gonna have to replace it. The neck is obviously serious caliber of quality but the sheer thickness, ridiculously sticky finish, and modest vintage tall frets are just not my vibe. Once I get an adequate replacement this will b my favorite guitar ever. Minor complaint the inside of the case reeks of chemicals and the velvet interior sheds a little. Other than that simply a dream guitar.

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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