Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster Blackguard Electric Guitar (Butterscotch Blonde)

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Just one year after launching the Broadcaster®, Fender received a cease-and-desist telegram from the Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co. and was faced with renaming its flagship electric guitar. Taking inspiration from the booming growth and expansive reach of television, the first blackguard Telecaster rolled off the line in 1951, and the model has been in continuous production ever since. Deceptively simple and totally groundbreaking, the Telecaster® brought the solid body electric guitar to the masses, inspiring countless musicians along the way. Characteristic of production in 1951, 12th fret face-dot spacing is narrow and the sole Phillips-head fastener on the guitar is at the truss rod nut. The triple brass saddle bridge, single-line "Fender Deluxe" tuners and Pure Vintage '51 Telecaster pickups deliver classic twang and authentic Fender style.

The instruments in the American Vintage II series are direct descendants of the original Fenders: designed for players with a fine appreciation for vintage Fender tone and feel and built with unmatched quality, down to the last screw. These are Fender electrics in their purest form: Fender American Vintage II, the stuff of legends.

Nitrocellulose lacquer, as used on ‘50s and ‘60’s Fender instruments, is a premium finish that reveals the instrument’s true tonal character. Ash is a warm-toned wood with clear, bright highs, defined midrange, focused lows, and a beautiful grain pattern. The 7.25”-radius fingerboard provides the comfortable playing feel of a vintage instrument, while vintage-tall frets make it easier to bend notes without fretting out. In vintage years, the shape and thickness of Fender guitar necks varied tremendously. The American Vintage II Series offers a variety of authentic neck profiles from Fender’s past. Specially voiced to reproduce the authentic sound and performance of individual model years, Pure Vintage pickups are constructed just like pickups from Fender’s golden years. Materials include cloth-covered wire, fiber bobbins and alnico magnets. From the bridge to the string tree and tuning machines, every piece of American Vintage II hardware is manufactured to look, sound and function just like it did on the originals. Much of the American Vintage II hardware is still manufactured on the original ‘50s and ‘60s era Fender factory machines.

SPECS

BODY

• Body Material: Ash

• Body Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer

• Body Shape: Telecaster

NECK

• Neck Material: 1-Piece Maple

• Neck Construction: 4-Bolt

• Neck Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer

• Neck Shape: 1951 "U"

• Scale Length: 25.5" (64.77 cm)

• Fingerboard Material: Maple

• Fingerboard Radius: 7.25" (184.1 mm)

• Number of Frets: 21

• Fret Size: Vintage Tall

• Nut Material: Bone

• Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)

• Position Inlays: Black Dot

• Side Dots: Black

• Truss Rod: Vintage-Style Butt Adjust

• Truss Rod Nut: Vintage-Style Butt Adjust

ELECTRONICS

• Bridge Pickup: Pure Vintage '51 Single-Coil Tele®

• Neck Pickup: Pure Vintage '51 Single-Coil Tele®

• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone

• Switching: 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup

• Configuration: SS

HARDWARE

• Bridge: Pure Vintage 3-Saddle Tele® with Brass Barrel Saddles, Serialized

• Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome

• Tuning Machines: Pure Vintage Single Line "Fender Deluxe"

• Pickguard: 1-Ply Black Phenolic

• Control Knobs: Knurled Dome

• Switch Tip: Barrel Style, Black

• Neck Plate: 4-Bolt

• Bridge Cover/Tailpiece: Includes Chrome “Ashtray” Bridge Cover

MISCELLANEOUS

• Strings: Fender USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250406

ACCESSORIES

• Case/Gig Bag: Vintage-Style Tweed (Crushed Red Interior)