Fender Telecaster Deluxe, made in USA 1973, natural finish. It's very unusual to find one of these beauties on this side of the Earth, but here we are! The Tele Deluxe launched in late 1972 as a 'top of the line' model with a couple of notable departures from the regular Tele. Firstly, and most notably, Fender hired Seth Lover, inventor of the PAF humbucker, to design the then-new Wide Range pickups; this is blessed with an original set of these beauties. The "Cunife" (Copper/Nickel/Ferrite) magnets in the pickups deliver a sparkle, transparency and articulation that puts the tone almost closer to a single coil than a traditional Gibson-style humbucker, although there's still a lovely fat, warm rounded bass response and a delightful singing midrange when plugged into a driven amp. This one got the big headstock and belly carve, taking cues from the Strat of the day. The body is a hefty piece of 70s ash; it's not as heavy as some other examples but certainly has a reassuring weight to it, as well as the corresponding assured, thick tone. The neck feels superb: it's a lovely piece of lightly flamed maple that's arrow-straight and very friendly in the hands. It's crazy to see a guitar of this age in this kind of condition, it's seriously tidy and a worthy collector piece. This beauty will turn 50 in a few years and is a pretty safe bet to creep up steadily in value, but even aside from all that, it's an absolutely brilliant guitar with a whole lot of playing left in it.

Model: Fender Telecaster Deluxe
Made: Fullerton USA, neck date 1973 (serial 520756)
Finish: gloss natural, 3-ply black guard
Body: ash
Neck: maple w/ maple board, 9.5" radius, 25.5" scale
Weight: 4.180kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Fender Wide Range Humbucker x2 (Seth Lover era, CuNiFe magnets)
Case: original hard shell case and manual

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. Headstock has a couple of very minor dimples on the back and some very slight discolouration on the edge of the board from play; it's in great shape. The back has some very light scuffs around the body but no major marks. The sides are also clean, just a couple of little dimples near the rear strap pin and near the jack. The front is tidy too, just the start of some finish checking and light play scratches on the guard and top horn. Overall: excellent condition (9/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets are original and in good shape with plenty of height, 7/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10/52 Moonshiners strings.