2018 Fender American Vintage 1964 Telecaster w/Bigsby Electric Guitar


Update: this got a bump in the shop and I have yet to take fresh overall photos, but here's the (small) ding as-of (10/4) a few days ago:


Now back to the original description...

How's about them apples? Them Tele-shaped apples? This is a classy guitar -- that's what I mean by that. It's late, I'm tired, and I will compare this to a bushel of perfectly-crisp honeycrisps.

This particular guitar was part of the Wildwood Guitars (not me, but that other Wildwood shop) "Thin Skin" series and it's a standard American Vintage '64 Tele but with a very hip Inca Silver paintjob (nitro finish, of course) and all the usual AV specs copycatting actual old Fenders. It's quality through and through.

I took this in trade from its owner and when he'd bought it, a Bigsby had been installed along with a cutaway vintage-style Fender bridge plate and brass, compensated saddles. These are all good things! The Bigsby is nice but definitely wants to be played-in a bit more, too -- so here's your change to strong-arm it, no?

While it's more-or-less basically a new guitar (it doesn't have much real wear and tear and the frets are fresh), it does have some small finish chipping along the edges of the sides -- all of which has been documented in the photos. I really like the look of the silver finish against the mint-green pickguard, too. It's subtle and --as stated -- classy.

Playability is spot-on after a good setup and mild adjustments here and there.

Repairs included: restring and setup.


Body wood: ash

Bridge: vintage-style with rear cuts for Bigsby

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: maple

Pickups: Custom Shop Twisted Tele single coils


Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast)
String gauges: 46w-10

Neck shape: medium C

Board radius: 9 1/2"

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium


Scale length: 25 1/2"

Nut width: 1 5/8"

Body width: 12 5/8"

Body depth: 1 3/4"

Weight: 8 lbs 5 oz


Condition notes: it's almost new save for minor usewear on the body almost entirely confined to some finish chipping on the edges of the sides. There may be an errant tiny ding or scratch here and there.


It comes with: an original G&G hard case with brown tolex, original sales and ephemera materials, a cable, vintage-style strap, and other odds and ends.




























Comments

CM said…
Doctor Wildwood,

I have a build going with a Hallmark (vintage style) vibrato tailpiece on a solid body (shaped from a super hard, close grain doug fir blank). I wanted to use a Tele type bridge but didn't think there was enough string break given the low profile of a tele style bridge and the surface mount Shade/Hallmark vibrato unit Following the lead of some of the old G&Ls I have inletted the guitar body to lower the vibrato base about 3/16". (Blasphemy!) I have a roller bridge setup I can use but the idea of using tele style bridge is intriguing. With the compensated saddles however it just sounds like trouble. Your thoughts? -chris m Corvallis OR
Jake Wildwood said…
Slot the saddles and no problem. 😎