1980s Fender/Fernandes Partscaster Electric Guitar

While my buddy Phil checked-out his other guitar in for repair, I snagged a few shots of this one. These are the sorts of guitars I usually don't even get to show-off because of time constraints -- but it's pretty hip for a cobbled job, so why not?

The neck is an older ('80s, I think) Fender reissue Tele-style type and shows a ton of wear and tear. Mixed with the '80s Japanese Fernandes body with its '50s-style burst and you have a nice throwback-looking guitar. I'm pretty sure the body and its pickups are all original to themselves, too, and I have to admit that they're among the best-sounding Strat pickups I've heard in a couple years. The neck was just glorious.

As in all cobbled projects, though, the mated neck doesn't really fit so right -- a more proper install would be to recut the pickguard and neck route to match the heel profile. That'd let the saddles ride a little farther aft, too, so they're not riding so close to the bridge-mounting screws at the front of the bridge.

The classic Tele headstock with its single string-tree, smaller profile, Kluson-style tuners, and rounded "bass" edge is still my favorite Fender cut.