Fender Telecaster Custom
| Fender Telecaster Custom | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Fender |
| Period | 1959-1981 (original production) |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Bolt-on neck |
| Scale | 25.5" |
| Woods | |
| Body | Alder |
| Neck | Maple |
| Fretboard | Maple/Rosewood |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Fixed |
| Pickup(s) | Two Single-coils (1959-1972) One single-coil (bridge) and one Fender Wide Range humbucker (neck) (1972-1981) |
| Colors available | |
| Black, 3-Color Sunburst | |
The Fender Telecaster Custom is a model of electric guitar made by Fender. The Custom debuted at the 1959 NAMM Convention as a more ornate alternative to the standard Telecaster, with binding, a sunburst finish, and a rosewood fretboard option. Following the introduction of Fender's Wide Range humbucker, the Custom was redesigned, replacing the neck single-coil with the brand's new pickup (mimicking a popular modification), while adding tone and volume controls for each pickup and removing the binding. This new version launched alongside the similar Telecaster Deluxe in 1972, and while the Custom found fans in notable players like Keith Richards and Peter Buck, neither guitar proved popular and both were discontinued in 1981. Fender has since reissued the two models multiple times to take advantage of renewed interest in them that began in the 1990s.