Fender Custom Shop '52 Telecaster Journeyman Relic | Nocaster Blonde
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This is exactly what you want from a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster. Built as part of the 2022 Time Machine Collection, this ’52 Tele pairs an Aged Nocaster Blonde finish with a sorted two piece ash body and Journeyman Flash Coat lacquer. The heavy checking gives it the character of a Tele that has been played for decades, without taking the aging so far that it distracts from the guitar itself.
The neck is where this build gets especially good. Fender used rift sawn maple with a substantial ’57 Style Soft V profile, measuring .880" at the first fret and .990" at the twelfth. Instead of staying completely vintage correct, the Custom Shop gave it a 7.25" to 9.5" compound radius and 6105 Narrow Tall frets, retaining that unmistakable early Fender feel while making it considerably more comfortable for modern playing.
A pair of Hand Wound ’50 to ’51 Blackguard pickups sits at the heart of the guitar, paired with traditional three way switching and a ’51 to ’54 style Tele bridge. The ’51 Nocaster relic pickguard, aged chrome and nickel hardware, slot head screws and vintage appointments complete the early Blackguard aesthetic.
There is a reason the early Telecaster remains one of the most important electric guitar designs ever made. This build captures everything people chase in those original instruments, then quietly improves the areas that matter to a modern player. Nocaster Blonde, ash, a big maple neck and hand wound Blackguards. This is the Custom Shop doing a ’52 Tele exactly the way it should be done.
| Serial | CS100202 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 7lbs 7oz |
| Model | Fender Custom Shop ’52 Telecaster Journeyman |
| Collection | 2022 Time Machine |
| Finish | Journeyman Flash Coat Lacquer with Heavy Checking |
| Color | Aged Nocaster Blonde |
| Body | 2 Piece Sorted Ash |
| Neck | Rift Sawn Maple |
| Neck Shape | ’57 Style Soft “V” |
| Neck Thickness | .880" at 1st Fret / .990" at 12th Fret |
| Fingerboard | Maple |
| Fingerboard Radius | 7.25" to 9.5" Compound |
| Frets | 21 Narrow Tall 6105 |
| Nut | Bone |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.625" |
| Neck Pickup | Hand Wound ’50 to ’51 Blackguard Tele |
| Bridge Pickup | Hand Wound ’50 to ’51 Blackguard Tele |
| Controls | Master Volume, Master Tone |
| Switching | 3 Way Pickup Selector |
| Bridge | Vintage ’51 to ’54 Tele |
| Pickguard | ’51 Nocaster Relic |
| Hardware | Chrome/Nickel Relic |
| Strings | .010 to .046 |
| Case | Fender Custom Shop Strat/Tele Tweed Case |
| Orientation | Right Handed |
Note: Mint condition with original hardshell case, spec sheet, and case candy.
What our collectors say.
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