Leo Fender was continually tinkering with his designs, making adjustments and minor improvements all the time. As his guitars garnered increasing popularity he started noticing that the lacquered fretboards of the one piece maple necks tended to look shabby with continual playing, in particular on the television. So, in 1959, rosewood fretboards were introduced, initially as a slab that was radiused and then as a veneer although maple cap necks were still (unofficially) available as an option.

What we have here is a first rate example of Leo’s vision. Refinished in sonic blue and aged by eminent guitar builder Neil Ivision of Ivision Guitars, this guitar really looks the part. Great care has been taken to match the wear on the body to the neck, with great attention to detail. On stripping the body of its original finish, Neil found that the guitar had been extensively routed. These have all been filled and a veneer placed over the front to cover them over.

The maple capped neck has definitely seen some action. The back is worn smooth, making for a very comfortable playing experience. The fretboard has been sanded and refretted, both of which have been done sympathetically. The decal is quite worn but is original. 

The pick guard is a genuine Clive Brown aged repro. The chrome plating on the hardware still holds its sheen with no sign of coming away. The tuners are good reproductions.

The electronics are correct though the solder joints have inevitably been disturbed and the guitar has been wired for post ‘67 configuration. 

The guitar comes with a non original hardshell case.

This guitar certainly defines twang. The combination of ash and maple in the construction married to the mid-60’s pickups makes for a bright and responsive combination. The neck pickup has a grunt to it that's quite often lacking. The bridge pickup lifts us into twang-heaven with all the bite without getting too brittle. There is no way this guitar wouldn’t cut effortlessly through a mix.

We love these mid-60s white guard Teles and this one's a killer with looks to match. If you're in the market then this is a must have…