#5937 – Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 63 Relic Tele – 2017 – shoreline gold

£3190

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Weighing in at only 7lbs and 1oz, this used Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 63 Relic Tele looks mighty cool with an aged shoreline gold finish  – Many of us migrate towards the popular classic Tele finishes, like sunburst, blonde, or some form of off white, so it is nice to see a different cool colour from time to time – Check out the matching headstock finish as well, to add more individuality to the overall package – Part of a small run commissioned for the 2017 NAMM Show in LA, so note the ‘Limited Edition’ engraved neck plate, along with the 30th anniversary decal on the rear of the headstock – It is used, but with an aged finish it is almost impossible to detect if it has been played enough to acquire any additional bumps and grazes – I suspect not – No fret wear – Complete with the blonde vintage style Custom Shop case, along with the appropriate certificate and a copy of the Shop Floor Traveler spec sheet – As per all used guitars I sell, it has spent some time on my bench in order for me to offer additional details, see below, plus re-strung with a set of 10-46 gauge strings and set-up with a sensible easy action

Full products details for Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 63 Relic Tele :-

Feel/playing performance :-  Whatever magic that is in this Tele regarding the playing experience can’t be seen – You feel it – The ’63’ C profile instantly feels comfortable, somehow familiar and very much old school from the golden era, with just an extra ounce of meat on it – Take the classic 60’s C profile, then add a gnats whisker of meat and this is the result – It can’t be considered fat, (certainly a touch slimmer than the 50’s black guard Tele/Nocaster models ) yet it possesses a touch more meat than the regular 60’s C profile  – Spec’d with a thin nitro finish, that has been cut back just enough, for more of a silky smooth satin vibe – To further enhance a slick playing performance, you’ll find a set of medium/jumbo 6105 frets, along with a 9.5″ fingerboard radius – As such you can still dig in and attack those big pentatonic blues bends, but equally a slick playing actions awaits without any choking out – All in all, such modern tweaks, allow for a slick and user friendly playing experience

Light-ish Relic  Character :-   I fully appreciate that not all guitar players buy into the seriously aged vibe that you’ll find on many  Custom Shop Tales – With this in mind,  this Tele takes on more of a  lightly aged approach, that some might say is more authentic – The supa cool shoreline gold finish possesses a worn and faded character, with far less scars, nicks and grazes than you’ll see on many other Relic models  – You’ll find no shortage of lacquer checking, yet overall it receives far less dings and dints, with very little in the way of a worn finish that reveals the alder body – Aged, but not abused, might be a fair remark – At least the aged character means you can  buy it and play it, without having to give it the kids gloves treatment, then getting upset regarding any nicks and grazes that it will inevitably acquire

Tonal character :-   I start of any evaluation with an un-plugged test – It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that ring, is a phrase I will often quote – This Tele has a big vibrant acoustic voice – You can both feel and hear it when you play a big open E chord – So a great place to commence any test drive – I then sit down with the amp and select a clean voice, a light overdriven voice and a hi-gain overdriven voice – Then play around with a few licks, chords, different styles – Then tweak the  volume + tone controls to see how the Tele responds to subtle tweaks on the pots – This Tele has no shortage of character and expression – The issue was I was enjoy the test drive so much, for so long,  I probably forgot what I was going to write about, as I heard so much variation – Many more ‘affordable’ Teles have to much of a clangy thin character, that is brash, especially on the bridge pick-up – Not so this Tele – It shows why a good Tele can work, so well, in so many different genres of music – From chilled out jazz, to aggressive punk and a host of options in between – On a clean amp setting, the neck pick-up is clear, full and crisp – Roll off the tone pot as required for a chilled out smooth jazz voice, that still retains good string/note definition and articulation  – The bridge pick-up has plenty of depth to it, as it delivers that classic throaty Tele twang – Tight, with bite, body and balls – Great for country, rock n roll etc where it only needs a touch of gain to add character and start to sing

Playing around with a hi-gain amp setting, or a low gain amp setting obviously produces different results – Yet now bring into play the guitars volume pot and roll it off as required – So a hi-gain amp setting, with the volume pot rolled off, will still deliver a different voice, compared to a lower gain amp setting and the Tele now back on full volume – Subtle tweaks on the volume and tone pot are effective and this helps to deliver so much soul, expression and emotion – So from a chilled out voice to a more dynamic voice, that has more bite and energy, this Tele delivers the goods – On overdriven amp settings, the neck pick-up puuurrrrrs – Robben Ford smooth with good articulation – Less gain and the bridge pick-up is great for the raw blues styles of Muddy Waters, boogie style riffs and chords or rock a billy twang – Add more gain as required for bone crunching power chords or  hot lead licks – As I mentioned earlier I never got bored with this Tele during the test drive and evaluation – Not all Teles are as good as this Tele

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For additional product info, to arrange a showroom visit + viewing, or indeed any other questions, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Call: 01335 345777 or email: mark@guitars4you.co.uk. Please note that showrooms visits are strictly by appointment only.

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Guitars4You is not another corporate high street guitar store - My selection of premium grade guitars is about quality not quantity. Every guitar has been selected, inspected and approved by me, with particular attention to the set-up and playing performance. Every sale, phone call, email and mail order transaction is handled by me. A journey that is now over 40 years old, has fuelled my knowledge, experience, love, devotion and passion for exceptionally fine guitars.