New Fender Custom Shop Jazz Telecaster

[RyanM]

[jads57]

Saw this, but wonder if the price is exorbitant due due the pedigree ?

I believe Tim Bram luthier offers the same thing for way less as well?

I'd just stick with the trad design for my tastes.

[Lobomov]

Saw this, but wonder if the price is exorbitant due due the pedigree ?

I believe Tim Bram luthier offers the same thing for way less as well?

I'd just stick with the trad design for my tastes.

It's a one off ... Not having to sell 500 of these allows the price to be bonkers


I liked this one the best

[Jimmy Mack]

I think it's very cool, even desirable. But I just can't call it a "Telecaster". Not much "T" about it, but for the body dims! Marketing!

What if Gibson made a Strat shaped body, Gibson neck and headstock, Gibson P90's, and electronics, with a TOM bridge and Jazzmaster Tailpiece. Would you call it a "jazz Strat" ???? Maybe, and I might think it cool. But......

I'm J Sayin'

[JGinNJ]

I'd love one with a Jazzmaster body, and it doesn't even have to be Brazilian rosewood.

[Ray175]

Certainly presses my buttons!
Won't sell many outside of the US with brazilian rosewood.......
Do you think the "tortoiseshell" references concern plastic parts or could they be (unlikely, I know) the real thing?

[guavajelly]

I wonder how you intonate that fixed wood bridge if you change strings gauge ...

[cmajor9]

Everything about the Jazz Telecaster is way cool! Too bad it will be so expensive.

[Tal_175]

The fact that they used Brazilian rosewood suggests they are gonna market this as a very luxury model.
It's basically a semi-hollow Eastman Romeo. Spruce top, mahogany back, humbucker. I'm more curious about the Romeo.
Romeo - Eastman Guitars

[ruger9]

I wonder how you intonate that fixed wood bridge if you change strings gauge ...

Yeah, that's the only thing I'd change: I would have done a TOM bridge with a wood base.

[DMgolf66]

He said "wood bridge or Tune-o-matic"

[ruger9]

He said "wood bridge or Tune-o-matic"

Right... but the bridge BASE is metal studs screwed into the guitar in both cases. I'm talking about a true floating (but I'd pin it) arch top bridge base, with a TOM on it.

[339 in june]

If this is a Telecaster, you can call me the Pope !
Headstock shape
Mahogany neck
Rosewood fretboard
Spruce top
Mahognay body
Humbucker
Wood bridge
Neck angle
Tailpiece
....
All that swear Telecaster !

Maybe a nice guitar, but why call it a Telecaster ?

[kris]

If this is a Telecaster, you can call me the Pope !
Headstock shape
Mahogany neck
Rosewood fretboard
Spruce top
Mahognay body
Humbucker
Wood bridge
Neck angle
Tailpiece
....
All that swear Telecaster !

Maybe a nice guitar, but why call it a Telecaster ?

body shape...?

[ruger9]

body shape...?

1 out of 10? LOL

[Hep To The Jive]

I'm waiting now for a Shred L5 Custom Shop. It should have only bridge pickup, flat skinny neck, and Floyd Rose.

[cmajor9]

If this is a Telecaster, you can call me the Pope !

Nice to meet you, your Eminence!

IMO most of those Custom Shop guitars are ridiculously gaudy - too gaudy to be seen onstage with.

But the Jazz Tele succeeds in looking elegant.

[lammie200]

He doesn't say if it is a bolt on or set neck. Personally I am unmoved by it. For me, a Tele headstock and no rear route would have been better aesthetic choices.

[kris]

1 out of 10? LOL

Tele or not Tele..if it will be good I can give 10

[Tal_175]

No tone control. Jim Hall would've hated it. Not to mention Ed Bickert.

[Lobomov]

The fact that they used Brazilian rosewood suggests they are gonna market this as a very luxury model.
It's basically a semi-hollow Eastman Romeo. Spruce top, mahogany back, humbucker. I'm more curious about the Romeo.
Romeo - Eastman Guitars

They're not going to market it at all. Each of their masterbuilders has makes a one off unique instrument every year. They command a sick price and once sold then They're gone. No more.

It's a yearly event
The Fender Custom Shop 2021 Prestige Collection reveals 11 stunning guitars | MusicRadar

[Jim Soloway]

I think it's lovely. A nice statement guitar for a retiring builder.

[kris]

No tone control. Jim Hall would've hated it. Not to mention Ed Bickert.

Have you seen Jim Hall playing on any Tele?

[Tal_175]

Have you seen Jim Hall playing on any Tele?

I don't think so, but the joke was meant to be about the lack of tone control.

[kris]

I think it's lovely. A nice statement guitar for a retiring builder.

I like guitar builders experiments.

[Lobomov]

No, the joke was meant to be about the lack of tone control.

You never know .. Maybe it lacks a volume control?

[kris]

No, the joke was meant to be about the lack of tone control.

Extra tone control can always be added.
Some hollow-body guitars only have volume control, I know Jim Hall liked very dark tones.

[mr. beaumont]

Original tele was a snakehead.

I like it. But I could probably piece one together from Warmoth for under $1500.

hmmmmmmm....

Every tele is a jazz tele to me

[kris]

Original tele was a snakehead.

I like it. But I could probably piece one together from Warmoth for under $1500.

hmmmmmmm....

Every tele is a jazz tele to me

Jeff,
Every guitar is a jazz guitar to meooo sorry most of them after my set up

[Tom Karol]

... I like it. But I could probably piece one together from Warmoth for under $1500 ...

Yep, that's what I was thinking, too. Still, I agree that it's lovely.

[Hammertone]

Many small and custom builders have been offering guitars very similar to this for years.
And it's certainly possible to put together something very similar from parts at, easily, 1/10 the cost of this one.
I agree with Jim - it does make a lovely statement.
Here's just one version - great guitars.

[omphalopsychos]

I thought this was a Jazz telecaster?

[Hammertone]

It's a one off ... Not having to sell 500 of these allows the price to be bonkers. I liked this one the best

Nothing like a nice hardtail strat! I have a 3.1 pound slab-body white limba HT strat in the oven right now, courtesy of Erik Hansen (great custom builder near Toronto) - pix to come when it's fully baked.

[pingu]

scale length ?

[mr. beaumont]

I thought this was a Jazz telecaster?

Nah, that's a swing telecaster.


Joking aside, I do think people forget what teles were invented for. It wasn't "twang."

[Hammertone]

Nah, that's a swing telecaster.
Joking aside, I do think people forget what teles were invented for. It wasn't "twang."

C'mon, man!
It was invented for country.
AND western.

[Woody Sound]

He doesn't say if it is a bolt on or set neck.

There's a pretty good view angle at :27.

[Woody Sound]

I like it.

[Doctor Jeff]

Looks nice, and hits a lot of the right buttons.

It's a Tele because of the body shape.

That said, I think one could make one's own Tele and incorporate a lot of these features for a lot less. It would be hard to put on a new tailpiece or change the neck angle without some major work, though as I recall Steve Morse's FrankenTele used a cheap trapeze with a TOM bridge.

There's also this for $799:

FENDER CLASSIC SERIES 60s STRATOCASTER Road Worn White Faded Strat – Still Kickin Music

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

There's a pretty good view angle at :27.

And the narrator is talking about the angle in the neck pocket ==> bolt on. But, hey, it's a Tele!

[wyndham]

I think it looks fantastic. The pickguard is a nice look. I'd prefer a P90, but I think it's a great idea. At least somebody at Fender is aware of the Telecaster connection to Jazz. Too bad he's retiring.

[waltf]

Looks nice altough I would go for the flamingo tele

[Stefan Eff]

That’s a cool guitar and everything but a Telecaster.

[Tal_175]

Am I the only one who is wondering why the lack of f-holes?

I mean f-holes aren't a necessity, but it seems like he thoughtfully designed the guitar to include all the characteristic symbols of an archtop jazz guitar (neck angle, wood bridge, pickguard styling etc) So why not the f-holes?

The practical purpose of f-holes is, with the f-holes you wouldn't need to have the rear mounting ugliness. The back would be one smooth surface.

My guess is, Fender already has thinline tele's with f-holes and he didn't want this guitar to be perceived as another thinline tele.

[cmajor9]

Here’s a somewhat different take on an archtop-Tele hybrid from Maryland luthier Tim Bram:

Tim Bram Tribute Archtop Carved Spruce Mahogany B Stock - The Fellowship of Acoustics

[Jim Soloway]

Fir those who are concerned about the price, there are a lot of very high end luxury features on this. Probably none of them are really necessary but just as an example, a set of the most basic Waverly tuners start at around $180 and go up from there. So yes, it could be done pretty well with Warmouth parts (very well in fact) but other than the pickup (?), they really did spare no expense on this thing. Now why he used a Duncan pickup on a guitar is a bit of mystery to me. There's nothing wrong with them but they don't have any of the cachet that's gone into some of the other appointments.

[cmajor9]

I wonder if they would consider making a non-Custom Shop version with the same basic construction, but without the BRZ and other luxury appointments. They could use one of their own humbuckers. Could be an interesting guitar.

[Spook410]

Beautiful guitar. Don't care what they call it though I realize old men often have trouble with creative deviation. Tailpiece is a nice touch. Very elegant for a solid body.

[neatomic]

for that kinda $cratch, i'd look into a toru nittono



cheers

[marcwhy]

for that kinda $cratch, i'd look into a toru nittono



cheers

Now we're talkin'!