This Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt 54 Telecaster Relic by Dale Wilson in Smoked Nocaster Blonde is astounding! With an Ash Body, Maple Neck, and the most legit looking aging job in the shop right now, this Tele is a show stopper!
Dale Wilson not only knows how to build a guitar, he knows how to age them to perfection. This Tele features a Smoked Nocaster Blonde that looks darker and dingier in spots as though it's spent many hours in smoke-filled saloons and bars. The tint and wear on the neck are especially on point. It looks about spot-on to the vintage guitar we see coming in for work. The Ash body looks like it's been sweat on, put away dirty, maybe fallen off an amp or two... and I can't stop looking at it! It's an exceptionally cool-looking guitar that is loaded with mojo and vibe.
The neck is made from a quartersawn piece of AAA flame maple. Think of wood this nice as the Private Reserve for the Masterbuilders. When you quartersaw Flame Maple, you tend to lose some of the figuring so this one is a little more subtle than some. On the plus, side, it's far more stable thanks to being quartersawn which is advantageous especially here in the mid-west. Less yearly truss adjustments mean more time playing. The neck profile is a full feeling Ultra-Soft V which could be considered a U to some hands. Either way, there is very little 'Spine' on the back of the neck. It measures in at .880" at the st fret and at .990" at the 12th fret. This is an exceptional neck, comfortable in all positions, and with a perfect taper. The neck is heavily aged with fingerboard wear on every fret. 7.25' fingerboard radius, 25.5" scale length, and 1.65" nut width sum up the details.
The pickups are both Handwound by Josefina. She took over for Abigail Ybarra a few years ago and is continuing to make the best pickups Fender can make. This guitar features a Twisted Tele in the neck position along with a Broadcaster in the bridge. This is the perfect combo in our eyes (ears) and is only made even better by the addition of a 4-way switch. This magic switch gives us one more tone in which the pickups are run in Series creating what sounds like a neck position P90 to my ears. A master volume and master tone control round out the controls.
This Tele smokes! Anybody looking for a spanky 50s Tele will certainly fall in love with this Masterbuilt Guitar. Dale Wilson creates masterpieces and this guitar shows that off in abundance!
The Music Gallery has been a Fender Custom Shop dealer since it's formation in 1987. We keep a bevy of Fender Custom Shop instruments in stock at all times. Whether you're looking for a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass, Jazz Basses, Jaguar, or Jazzmaster, we can help you design or find the special instrument you're looking for!
