This Telecaster Delivers High-End, Boutique Style on a Budget!
When Leo Fender introduced the world to the original Telecaster in 1950, nobody could have possibly imagined just how this $169 "plank" body electric guitar would change the world of contemporary music. Even more surprising is the fact that after more than a half century, the "Tele" still looks as modern - maybe even radical - as it did when it was first introduced. Considering the fact that Leo Fender wasn't even a guitar player, you have to wonder just how this "magic" happened. Were the planets aligned just right? Was the design beamed into Leo's head by weird space aliens? No matter. The Tele is quite simply a truly inspired design. Now along comes this stunning Special Edition, with a beautifully figured, exotic koa top and a birdseye maple neck. Looking at it, you'd think it would have an astronomical price tag. But it doesn't. If you've drooled over Custom Shop Teles, but could never afford one, here's your chance to own an extraordinary guitar without taking on a second job.
Fender Special Edition Koa Telecaster Features at a Glance:- Solid alder body with a figured koa top and pearloid pickguard
- Vintage Style bridge with three brass saddles
- Two special design Seymour Duncan pickups
- Birdseye maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with modern "C" shape and satin polyurethane finish
Solid alder body with a figured koa top and pearloid pickguard
Koa is the largest endemic tree in Hawaii, and it grows nowhere else on the planet. Talk about rare tone wood! Naturally, demand for koa exceeds the supply (they just can't seem to get those trees to grow faster) and it's highly prized for its remarkable grain, which has a stunning three dimensional look to it. So naturally you'd expect Fender to put this rare wood on a guitar that's been ordered by some big name guitar player, right? Actually, no. In what has to be an unprecedented move, the company has built a Special Edition Telecaster with a koa top on the more traditional basswood body. The pearloid pickguard is the perfect accent for this shockingly affordable "boutique style" guitar.
Vintage Style bridge with three brass saddles
While Fender has continued to refine the hardware on all their instruments, many guitarists simply love the older vintage styles, so for this Special Koa Tele, they've gone back to the original style stainless steel bridge with the three adjustable brass saddles. Smart choice.
Two special design Seymour Duncan pickups
When you decide to make a guitar this special, a lot of thought has to go into the selection of pickups. In a rather surprising move, Fender decided to go with a set of special design Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro pickups. How do they sound? Well, you can let us know what you think when your new Koa Tele arrives at your door via FedEx.
Birdseye maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with modern "C" shape and satin polyurethane finish
Leo Fender wasn't a guitar player. In fact, he got his start repairing radios. So he had no idea that guitars weren't supposed to have maple necks. In time, those blond maple necks and fingerboards became a Fender trademark, though the company eventually offered rosewood fingerboards on most of its models. Sometimes maple comes with an interesting grain pattern that's called birdseye. For this Special Edition Koa Tele, Fender decided to go with a wonderful birdseye maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. In keeping with contemporary tastes, the maple neck has a satin polyurethane finish.
- Color: Light Burst
- Body Type: Solidbody
- Finish: Polyurethane
- Neck Wood: Birdseye maple
- Neck Shape: Modern "C" shape
- Top Wood: Koa
- Back Wood: Basswood
- Machine Heads: Cast/sealed tuning machines
- Scale Length: 25 1/2"
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- No. of Frets: 22
- Position Markers: Pearl dot
- Pickups: Two special design Seymour Duncan pickups with Alnico Pro magnets
- Controls: Master volume, master tone
- Pickup Switching: Three-position blade
- Bridge/Tailpiece: Vintage style bridge with three adjustable brass saddles
- Hardware: Chrome
