Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Stephen Stern 60's Telecaster Custom Heavy Relic 3-Tone Sunburst

Here at Truetone Music, we are fortunate to have close relationships with some of the most prolific guitar builders.  One that stands above the rest is the legendary Stephen Stern, Senior Masterbuilder at the Gretsch Custom Shop.  Over the years, he was also responsible for D'Aquisto, Benedetto and Fender Custom Shop builds.  During his career, he amassed an impressive collection of gear.  Now, select pieces have become available for the first time, exclusively through Truetone Music.  

A main feature of the collection is this Telecaster Custom built by Stern himself.  During his career, he built very few Fender-branded instruments, as he was primarily focused on Gretsch Custom Shop.  However, he did a small number of Telecasters, including this one, which was for himself.  In a unique partnership, he had it relic'ed by veteran Fender Masterbuilder Dale Wilson, adding a serious level of pedigree to the guitar.  Now, for the first time, this guitar is for sale.  It's truly a rare find.

For any fan of 60's Telecaster Customs, this guitar takes the cake - it's incredibly resonant, easy to play and perfectly worn in.  Stern particularly likes the early 60's Teles with the double-bound bodies and rosewood fretboards.  The guitar has a super comfortable 60's Oval C neck shape and is loaded with vibe.  It has a modern 9.5" radius and Dunlop 6230 frets, making it easy to play.  The color is a rich sunburst, almost a Chocolate 3-Tone Sunburst.  Dale Wilson's relic work is amazing, as expected - not only does it look unbelievably cool, but it also makes it a blast to play.

The pickups are Custom Shop Josefina Campos Handwound 60's Tele pickups, wound to recreate the iconic sound of a Tele from that era - warmth on the low end, with enough bite to still bring the twang, and very well balanced across the tonal spectrum.  We knew this guitar would sound amazing but were blown away when we plugged it in.  Also, the guitar is lightweight, coming in at just 7.1 lbs.

Other features include vintage tuners, a vintage 60's style bridge, a period correct winged string tree and a 3-ply parchment pickguard.  The guitar comes with a blonde Custom Shop case, and has been setup to play perfectly.

Included is a Certificate of Authenticity, signed by Stephen Stern.  It also includes the Custom Shop COA, which has also been signed by Dale Wilson on the back.

This isn't just an amazing instrument, it's also a piece of history, and truly collectible.  Any Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt instrument is special, but this one lands on its own level.  There is only one Tele built by Stephen Stern and relic'ed by Dale Wilson - and this is it.

 

Serial # CZ547689

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