A Tele Bound to Stand Above the Rest
The Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition Reverse ’50s Telecaster Custom Journeyman Relic meets at the crossroads of early-era Telecaster style and Tele Custom elegance, boasting a handsome double-bound 2-piece select ash body. But besides the double-bound detour, this guitar largely falls within the time-tested mold of a classic early-1950s Telecaster from the 1-piece rift-sawn maple neck to the ’50–’51 Blackguard Telecaster pickups. Players who favor a slightly more modern playing feel will surely love this Tele’s 9.5-inch radius and narrow-tall frets, counterbalanced against the vintage-correct chunk of the chunky 1957 soft “V” neck profile. You also get vintage-style Fender tuning machines and a reversed Nocaster bridge with brass RSD compensated saddles. A perfectly worn-in nitrocellulose lacquer Journeyman Relic finish seals the deal, adding up to a superb 6-string that seamlessly merges two of the Tele’s most iconic eras.
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Blackguard sought-after sonics
In order to capture the timeless tone of this Tele’s hand-selected woods, the Custom Shop loaded in their ’50/’51 Blackguard pickups. Period-precise construction ensures vintage tone with dynamic string response, and each pickup was hand-wound by the Custom Shop to replicate the construction of Fender’s golden era. These pickups deliver signature Tele twang in spades, and flipping up the neck position unlocks a dark, jazzy flavor that’s perfect when you’re looking for a mellower tone. Moreover, as the bridge pickup is flipped from the traditional position, Sweetwater guitarists find that the treble strings feature a slightly rounded-over response, while your bass strings sport a brighter, more defined edge.
Figured and finished to perfection
Sporting a 2-piece body of hand-selected ash, this Custom Shop Tele lays a proper foundational feel that harkens back to Fender’s early days. It comes adjoined by a single piece of quartersawn maple topped with a matching maple fingerboard of 21 narrow-tall frets. This guitar’s 1957 soft-“V” neck profile delivers a grasp that channels a more comfortable version of that classic ’50s Fender “V” shape. Finally, from stem to stern, this Limited-edition Reverse ’50s Telecaster Custom Journeyman Relic has been treated to a remarkable relic’d finish that showcases a display of outstandingly accurate road wear that tributes years of dedicated playing.
Handsome double-bound body
From the 1-piece maple neck to the ’51-style pickups, the Limited Edition Reverse ’50s Telecaster Custom Journeyman Relic is, by and large, inspired by the Tele’s first decade of production. Well, until you get to the beautifully double-bound body anyway! This guitar’s 2-piece select ash body combines the Tele’s most common 1950s-era tonewood with the double stripes of the later rosewood-equipped Telecaster Custom. Some of the very earliest Telecaster Customs of the late 1950s did, in fact, feature ash bodies, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an original Tele Custom sporting a maple fingerboard. All in all, the Limited-edition Reverse ’50s Telecaster Custom Journeyman Relic’s combination of early-era Fender aesthetics and the double-bound elegance of the Telecaster Custom results in a truly eye-catching 6-string that stands apart from the legions of vintage-accurate recreations.
Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition Reverse ’50s Telecaster Custom Journeyman Relic Electric Guitar Features:
- Lightweight 2-piece select ash body fit with beautiful Telecaster Custom double binding
- 1-piece rift-sawn maple neck in a full-feeling 1957 Soft “V” profile
- Modern 9.5-inch radius and 21 narrow-tall frets supply an easy-playing foundation for big bends and comfortable chording
- Reverse Nocaster bridge with Brass RSD compensated saddles provides superior intonation accuracy
- Custom Shop Hand-wound ’50–’51 Blackguard Tele pickups deliver all the twang and treble-tinged bite of the Telecaster’s very first models
- Reversed bridge pickup gives you slightly sharper-sounding bass strings and a warmer response to the treble strings
- Vintage-style Fender tuning machines for quick string changes with no excess string poking out
- Modified Nocaster wiring with bridge/neck blend for enhanced tone-shaping capabilities
- Journeyman Relic lacquer finish will continue to wear in the more you play
