Fender American Vintage '52 Telecaster, butterscotch blonde, made in USA 2004. The American Vintage series replicated the original famed models of Fender's golden era instruments with religious fervour, including thin nitro finishes, period correct alnico pickups, cloth wiring as well as cosmetic touches like the spaghetti decals. These '52 style models are among the best USA production Teles ever made, it's a really well executed instrument. The ash body is lightweight and shows off plenty of grain under the butterscotch finish. It looks great, but it's true beauty is it's excellent natural resonance: the thing rings like a bell. The neck is a relatively hefty U-style shape, carved from a gorgeous piece of golden maple and contributing yet more natural volume and responsiveness. All that translates very well plugged in: the sound is big. The neck pickup is sparkly and chiming, with a percussive plonky bass response that adds a certain vocal quality to lead lines. The bridge pickup is gonna pay the bills: Tele twang in spades, but the fat, thick, harmonically rich, full variety, with a gorgeous breathy top end and a mile-wide midrange. Plug straight into a tweed-style amp with a dash of reverb and you're away. If you're only going to buy one Tele, you may as well do it right, and this one officially counts as 'doing it right' in my books.

Model: Fender American Vintage '52 Telecaster
Made: 2004, Corona USA (serial 47033, neck date 2004)
Finish: butterscotch blonde thin-sin nitrocellulose, 1-ply matte black guard
Body: ash, 2-piece
Neck: one piece maple inc board, 25.5" scale, 7.25" radius
Weight: 3.6kg approx
Mods: none
Pickups: Fender American Vintage '52 single coil x2
Case: Fender branded tweed hard case by G&G, includes original case candy

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some minor dimples on the end. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back and fretboard only. The back has some minor scuffs on the bottom horn, bottom corner and elbow area, no major marks. Note the dark spot near the ferrules on the back is a grain marking, rather than damage. The sides have a minor crack in the finish only near the front strap pin, a small chip in the elbow area, another minor finish crack near the rear strap pin, dimples near the jack and some light scuffs on the bottom horn. The front has a minor finish crack near tone knob end of the control plate, some scuffs near the switch, dimples in the elbow area and some light scuffs on the guard and top horn. Overall: very good condition (8/10). 

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets are in great shape with minor wear only, 8/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.