1968 Fender Esquire Electric Guitar

Overview: This stunner is a 1968 Esquire that appears to have been refinished to gold in its first year alive (look at how killer that finish crackle looks) and then modded like crazy in 1969 and then afterwards. The tuners are period but perhaps not original. The pots, switch and control plate appear to be original but I've changed the wiring as it had been swapped to Tele-style switching at some point. The pickup is a proper 1968 Tele bridge pickup but it looks like it may have been rewound. The bridge is older but not period (I think) and it has relic'd, modern, compensated brass saddles. 

Tone: Well -- straight-through it sounds like a Tele at the bridge with a little more sustain and bite. In the neck position (fixed cap) it almost sounds like a mid or bridge-placement humbucker with a little "quack" to it. It's a classic, straight-up, old-country sort-of guitar.

Feel: It has the standard, 1 5/8" nut, medium-C, curvy-board thing of the late '60s going on.

Interesting features: The finish is killer and the honest wear and tear on the neck looks amazing. After that -- it's an Esquire! If you like Teles but want the springier, more acoustic-like tone of a bridge-only-pickup guitar, this is the thing to get. You will never miss your neck pickup once you get used to pulling neck-like tones from the various positions on the switch.

Repairs included: I repaired the wings of the bridge pickup cavity so there are no visible holes under it anymore. I then fit the replacement pickup, bridge, and wired it all up to Esquire-style wiring (a fixed low-value tone cap in the "neck" position, overall tone control added in the "middle" position, and straight-to-jack in the "bridge" position). After that it got a refret with modern mediums, a replacement (relic'd) pickguard, and setup work. It now plays bang-on and is ready to serve.

• Weight: 7 lbs 5 oz
• Scale length: 25 1/2"
• Nut width: 1 5/8"
• Neck shape: medium C
• Board radius: 7 1/4"
• Body width: 12 3/4"
• Body depth: 1 3/4"
• Body wood: alder
• Bridge: replacement traditional (comp'd brass saddles)
• Fretboard: maple
• Neck wood: maple
• Pickups: original 1968 Tele bridge pickup
• Action height at 12th fret: 1/16” overall (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 46w-10
• Truss rod: adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium modern

Condition notes: The finish is legitimately old but more than likely not original considering all the leavings and markings inside the body. As noted above, the pickguard, bridge, nut, and switch tip are not original. The pickup is a '68 original Telecaster bridge pickup. The wiring harness has much of its original bits but I've rewired it back to Esquire-style switching. The frets are new medium stock. If, of course, has a ton of wear and tear -- but that's what we want, right? It's what I'm always looking for...

It comes with: No case, sorry.

Consignor tag: DCHP -- unfortunately, the owner took this home after trying it out!