The 1959 Telecaster is a transitional year, and this model keeps its quirks: a 1-piece rift sawn maple neck with a Large "C" back and a narrower 1.625" nut, a single-ply parchment pickguard, and a bridge that can be strung either top-load or through the body, so you can try both and pick the feel you like. The body is 2-piece select ash in Journeyman Relic aging.
Two Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele pickups sit in a standard modern three-way: bridge, both, neck. The 9.5" radius and narrow tall frets make it comfortable for bends, and the Large "C" fills the hand without the point of a V.
The 1958 Top-Load Telecaster Journeyman Relic is the year before, with a soft V neck and the old fixed-tone wiring. The Vintage Custom '59 Esquire is the single-pickup take on the same year. For an early '60s rosewood Tele, look at the 1961 Telecaster Heavy Relic.
Three finishes: Faded Aged Chocolate 3-Color Sunburst, Natural Blonde and Aged White Blonde, all with a maple neck.
The photos show one example. Wood grain and aging vary from guitar to guitar, so the one built for you will differ in the details.
SPECIFICATIONS
BODY
Country of Origin: USA
Body Material: 2-Piece Select Ash
Body Finish: Flash Coat Lacquer
Body Shape: Telecaster
Pickguard: 1-Ply Parchment
Aging: Journeyman Relic
NECK
Neck Material: 1-Piece Rift Sawn Maple
Neck Finish: Flash Coat Lacquer
Neck Shape: Large "C"
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)
Fingerboard Material: 1-Piece Rift Sawn Maple Neck
Position Inlays: Black Micarta Dot - 0.25"
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Narrow Tall (6105)
Truss Rod: Vintage-Style Heel Adjust
Nut Material: Bone
Nut Width: 1.625" (41.3 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
ELECTRONICS
Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele
Neck Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound Texas Special Single-Coil Tele
Pickup Configuration: SS
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Switching: 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
HARDWARE
Bridge: 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Tele, Top-Load or Strings-Through-Body with Threaded Steel Saddles
Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
Tuning Machines: Vintage-Style with Fender Logo
Control Knobs: Knurled Aluminum
Strings: Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges)
CASE
Case: Deluxe Hardshell