Fender Custom Shop '65 Telecaster, Dakota Red

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Description

"Originally my work was design, modification, repair, and custom building. I guess you would say the objectives were durability, performance, and tone." - Leo Fender

We are very excited to welcome the Fender Custom Shop to The Music Emporium! Many of us started our guitar playing journey on Fender guitars - and we certainly noticed all of our idols playing them - so to be able to work with the Dream Factory in CA and spec out our perfect Fender guitars? A dream come true to be sure. 

Our goal with these builds was to, in essence, retell the Fender story while also tipping our hat to the players who made them famous. Each mark, ding, or worn spot telling a story of countless hours on the road or in the studio. There's a magic to that idea that we can't help but be inspired by, and as we all know, Leo and crew got it right from the start. Why mess with a great thing?

The inspiration for our '65 Custom Shop Tele came from one place: Muddy Waters. Not meant to be an exact replica, we simply wanted to capture the vibe of Muddy's famous Tele. Featuring a 2-piece Alder body, rift sawn maple neck, round laminate rosewood board w/pearl dots (narrow spacing @ the 12th)...this thing just screams cool. The aging is fantastic (Fender's Journeyman level of relic) and really gives the guitar a well-loved, well-played vibe.

Fender absolutely nailed all the details and the results are phenomenal. The vintage-style 3-way switch (bridge, neck, neck w/capacitor) sounds fantastic - open, raw, muscular, and the neck w/capacitor tone lets you get into 60s Clapton tones when some overdrive is added. Very, very cool.

Like all the guitars we've gotten from the Custom Shop, this Dakota Red beauty is very loud acoustically, lively, snappy, has tons of sustain...it simply sounds and feels right. Priced with hardshell case. 

Specs

  • Dakota Red, Journeyman Relic 
  • 2-piece Alder body, sorted for light weight
  • Maple neck, rift sawn
  • AAA Rosewood fingerboard, round laminate 
  • 60's Oval C neck carve (.82"-.89")
  • 1.65" nut width
  • 7.25-9.5" compound radius 
  • Mother of Pearl dots, narrow spacing 
  • 6105 Frets, 21
  • Mint Green pickguard 
  • '63 Tele Custom Shop pickups 
  • Vintage Tele wiring 
  • 10-46 Strings 
  • Fender Hardshell Case
  • SN R97577
  • 7lbs 6oz

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