The Used 2023 Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt 52 Telecaster Heavy Relic by Andy Hicks in White Blonde is here on consignment. The neck is straight, the frets are still crowned, and the truss rod functions properly. Included with the guitar are the original hardshell case and certificate of authenticity.
Andy Hicks built this beautiful Masterbuitl Tele Relic! Andy has a great back story that began with the Guitar Craft Academy in 2009. He went on to work in the Jackson Custom Shop, then to the Gretsch Custom Shop as Stephen Stern's assistant. He then ventured away from Fender with another boutique builder, leveling his skills up further as Lead Builder and Production Manager. He returned to Fender in 2022 as a Masterbuilder, and his guitars truly are masterpieces!
The roasted, rift-sawn maple neck is as dimensionally stable as one could reasonably expect any piece of wood to be under tension. Our shop is near Chicago and we experience each season in all its glory. The roasted maple necks need far less adjusting and don't seem to suffer from such severe fret sprout despite or seemingly endless and dry winters. The neck features a C Profile that measures .860" at the 1st fret and .955" at the 12th fret. It has a fantastic full feel that isn't too much to handle. A 9.5" fingerboard radius and 6105 frets combine for a modern feel on an otherwise vintage-looking guitar.
The pickups are a set of Handwound 51 Nocaster by Josefina. They nail the tone of the era and have incredible touch sensitivity and dynamic response. The bridge barks, bites, and stings while the neck pickup has that classic, muted, dark tone. The middle position captures the best of each pickup and blends them together perfectly. A master volume, master tone, and 3-way pickup selector are all installed.
