Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe Rosewood Fingerboard Dakota Red Electric Guitar

Quick Product Summary

The Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe in Dakota Red is a powerful Artist Signature electric guitar built around the demands of high-volume rock performance, combining vintage Fender styling with a much more muscular pickup voice and modern playing geometry.

Developed with Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett, the Cleaver uses a resonant alder Telecaster body with a comfortable rear belly cut, finished in gloss nitrocellulose lacquer and matched with a painted Dakota Red headstock. The large '70s-style headstock, mint-green pickguard and pearloid block inlays give the guitar an immediately distinctive identity.

The maple neck uses Shiflett's custom Oval “C” profile, paired with a slab rosewood fingerboard, flat 12-inch radius and 21 medium-jumbo frets. This gives the Cleaver a much more lead-friendly feel than a traditional vintage-spec Telecaster.

The real centrepiece is a pair of Custom Chris Shiflett “Cleaver” Noiseless CS-90 pickups. Designed to deliver the strong midrange, attack and harmonic bite of a hot single-coil-style pickup without traditional mains hum, they make this guitar particularly effective for rock, punk, alternative, country-rock and gain-heavy stage work.

At A Glance

Feature	Details
Brand	Fender
Series	Artist Signature
Model	Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
Finish	Dakota Red
Condition	New
Body	Alder with Belly Cut
Body Finish	Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Fingerboard	Slab Rosewood
Neck Profile	Custom Oval “C”
Fingerboard Radius	12"
Frets	21 Medium Jumbo
Pickups	2 x Chris Shiflett “Cleaver” Noiseless CS-90
Bridge	6-Saddle String-Through Hardtail
Included Case	Signature Vintage-Style Brown Hardshell Case
Main Appeal	Powerful noiseless pickup voice with fast modern playability
Best For	Rock, punk, alternative, hard rock, country-rock and professional live use

What's In The Box?

• Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe in Dakota Red

• Vintage-style brown Chris Shiflett signature hardshell case with amber interior

• Chris Shiflett signature guitar strap

• Saddle-height adjustment wrench

• Truss-rod adjustment wrench

Why Choose The Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe?

Custom Cleaver CS-90 Noiseless Pickups

The two Custom Chris Shiflett “Cleaver” Noiseless CS-90 pickups are the defining feature of this guitar. They are designed to produce strong output, pronounced midrange and singing high-end detail while dramatically reducing the hum normally associated with traditional single-coil pickups.

12-Inch Slab Rosewood Fingerboard

A flat 12-inch radius gives the Cleaver a noticeably more modern feel than a traditional Telecaster. Wide bends, aggressive vibrato and fast upper-register lead work feel natural, particularly when combined with the 21 medium-jumbo frets.

Custom Oval “C” Neck

Shiflett's custom Oval “C” maple neck is designed around comfort and speed rather than strict vintage reproduction. It offers enough substance to feel stable in the hand without becoming overly bulky.

Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish

The alder body is finished in gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, while the neck uses satin nitro with a gloss matching Dakota Red headstock. The combination gives the Cleaver a premium Fender feel and reinforces its blend of vintage visual influence and modern performance.

Hardtail Stability

Instead of a Telecaster bridge plate or tremolo system, Fender uses a six-saddle string-through-body hardtail Stratocaster-style bridge with bent-steel saddles. Individual saddle adjustment gives precise intonation while the fixed bridge keeps operation simple and stable.

Comparison Against Popular Alternatives

Chris Shiflett Cleaver vs Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe

The earlier Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe uses conventional signature humbuckers and a more traditional Tele Deluxe-inspired design. The Cleaver is a more specialised premium instrument, adding CS-90 Noiseless pickups, nitro finish, custom neck shaping and the distinctive block-inlaid slab rosewood fingerboard. Choose the original model for straightforward humbucker power; choose the Cleaver for Shiflett's more developed modern signature specification.

Chris Shiflett Cleaver vs American Professional II Telecaster Deluxe

The American Professional II Telecaster Deluxe is the more general-purpose professional Fender, with modern neck ergonomics and conventional Fender humbucker architecture. The Cleaver has a more individual personality through its flatter 12-inch board, CS-90 pickups, hardtail Strat-style bridge and artist-specific styling.

Chris Shiflett Cleaver vs American Vintage II 1975 Telecaster Deluxe

The American Vintage II 1975 Telecaster Deluxe concentrates on period-correct '70s Fender design and vintage-style Wide Range humbuckers. The Cleaver takes the visual influence of that era but adapts it around a modern touring guitarist. Choose American Vintage II for historical feel; choose the Cleaver for faster playability and more aggressive contemporary performance.

Chris Shiflett Cleaver vs Standard Telecaster

A conventional Telecaster uses two traditional single-coils, a narrower control layout and a classic Tele bridge. The Cleaver delivers a thicker, more forceful response with separate volume and tone controls for each pickup, flatter neck geometry and noiseless operation. It is better suited to players who love the Tele silhouette but need considerably more output and flexibility for rock.

Who Is The Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe For?

This guitar is particularly well suited to:

• Rock and hard-rock guitarists

• Foo Fighters fans

• Punk and alternative players

• Touring musicians

• Studio and session guitarists

• Players who prefer noiseless pickups

• Guitarists using medium and high gain

• Telecaster players wanting a thicker sound

• Country-rock and roots players

• Guitarists who prefer flatter fingerboards

• Players who value hardtail tuning stability

• Musicians looking for a distinctive Artist Signature Fender

It makes particular sense for players who want Telecaster immediacy and Fender clarity without the thinner response or hum of a traditional vintage single-coil setup.

Playing Styles & Applications

The Cleaver is naturally at home across rock, hard rock, punk, alternative, indie, country-rock and roots-oriented styles.

Its bridge pickup has the bite and focus required for dense rhythm guitars, while the neck pickup provides a thicker and smoother alternative for lead work and cleaner passages.

Both pickups together produce a balanced middle position that works well for open chords and layered recording parts.

Because each pickup has its own volume and tone control, you can also preset contrasting sounds and move between them using the three-way toggle — especially useful during live performance.

What Makes The CS-90 Pickups Different?

The Cleaver's pickups were developed because Shiflett needed a guitar capable of cutting through the three-guitar arrangement of Foo Fighters without simply becoming harsh or overly compressed.

Rather than using conventional Tele single-coils or full-size humbuckers, the CS-90 design aims for strong midrange punch and the harmonic character associated with a powerful single-coil-style voice while remaining noiseless.

That makes them particularly useful with distortion and high-gain amplification, where traditional single-coil hum can quickly become distracting.

Compatibility And Practical Pairing Advice

Guitar Amplifiers

The Cleaver pairs naturally with both clean and driven guitar amplifiers.

High-headroom clean amps highlight the definition of the CS-90 pickups, while British-style valve amplifiers are an especially strong match for punk, alternative and hard-rock tones.

High-gain amplifiers also benefit from the pickups' noiseless architecture.

Effects Pedals

Useful pairings include:

• Boost

• Overdrive

• Distortion

• Fuzz

• Compressor

• Chorus

• Phaser

• Delay

• Reverb

Because the pickups already provide substantial output and midrange presence, start with lower-gain pedal settings before adding more saturation.

Strings

The factory specification uses Fender USA 250R nickel-plated steel .010-.046 strings.

This medium gauge suits the Cleaver's 25.5-inch scale and hardtail bridge particularly well, providing enough resistance for aggressive rhythm work while remaining comfortable for bends.

Case And Transport

Fender supplies the Cleaver with a distinctive vintage-style brown Chris Shiflett signature hardshell case with amber interior, making it well protected for storage, rehearsals and professional transport.

Looking for advice on choosing between the Cleaver, a conventional Telecaster Deluxe or another premium Fender? Our experienced team of musicians can help by phone, online or in-store.

Story & Context

Chris Shiflett's relationship with the Telecaster Deluxe stretches back to his long-standing appreciation for 1970s Fender guitars and his need for an instrument capable of handling everything from punk and country to the enormous rock arrangements of Foo Fighters.

Shiflett's earlier Fender signature Telecaster Deluxe was influenced by his own modified 1972 Tele Deluxe, but the Cleaver represents a more extensively developed version of his preferred touring instrument.

The model first existed as a high-end Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt design before Fender introduced this production Artist Signature version, bringing the concept to a broader group of players.

Its name comes directly from the pickup concept: Shiflett needed a guitar that could cut through a dense three-guitar mix, leading to the development of the powerful CS-90 pickup set.

The Dakota Red finish has its own personal connection too, chosen as a nod to Shiflett's enthusiasm for Arsenal Football Club, while the matching painted headstock adds the kind of 1960s-inspired visual flourish he wanted on the instrument.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Brand	Fender
Series	Artist Signature
Model	Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
Model Number	0117450754
Orientation	Right-Handed
Colour	Dakota Red
Body Material	Alder
Body Shape	Telecaster
Body Style	Solid Body
Body Contour	Rear Belly Cut
Body Finish	Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Material	Maple
Neck Shape	Custom Oval “C”
Neck Construction	4-Bolt
Neck Finish	Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer with Gloss Matching Headstock
Headstock	Large '70s Style
Fingerboard Material	Slab Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius	12" / 305 mm
Scale Length	25.5" / 648 mm
Number Of Frets	21
Fret Size	Medium Jumbo
Position Inlays	White Pearloid Block
Nut Material	Bone
Nut Width	1.650" / 42 mm
Truss Rod	Bullet Style
Bridge Pickup	Custom Chris Shiflett “Cleaver” Noiseless CS-90
Neck Pickup	Custom Chris Shiflett “Cleaver” Noiseless CS-90
Pickup Configuration	SS
Controls	Neck Volume, Bridge Volume, Neck Tone, Bridge Tone
Pickup Selector	3-Position Toggle
Position 1	Bridge Pickup
Position 2	Bridge And Neck Pickups
Position 3	Neck Pickup
Bridge	Pure Vintage 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Hardtail
Saddles	Bent Steel
Bridge Mounting	3-Screw Vintage-Style Hardtail
Tuning Machines	Pure Vintage Fender “F” Stamped
Hardware Finish	Nickel / Chrome
Pickguard	3-Ply Mint Green
Pickup Covers	Black
Control Knobs	Skirted Black Plastic with Numbered Indicators
Switch Tip	Aged White
String Tree	Single-Wing with Nylon Spacer
Neck Plate	4-Bolt with “F” Logo
Strap Buttons	Vintage-Style
Strings	Fender USA 250R Nickel-Plated Steel .010-.046
Case	Vintage-Style Brown Chris Shiflett Signature Hardshell Case with Amber Interior

Power Requirements

The Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe uses passive noiseless pickups and does not require a battery.

Connect the guitar to a suitable guitar amplifier, pedalboard, modeller or audio interface using a standard instrument cable.

Fair Deal Music Verdict 🎵

★★★★★ 5/5

The Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe is an excellent example of an Artist Signature guitar where the specification genuinely offers something different from Fender's standard range.

The CS-90 Noiseless pickups are the headline feature, giving the Cleaver a forceful, mid-forward voice that works beautifully for distorted rhythm guitar while retaining enough clarity for cleaner playing.

The flat 12-inch rosewood board, medium-jumbo frets and hardtail bridge also make it considerably more performance-focused than a traditional vintage Telecaster.

Best suited for: Rock, punk, alternative and touring players wanting powerful noiseless tones from a premium Fender with fast, straightforward playability.

Customers usually upgrade from: Fender Player Telecaster Deluxe models, conventional Telecasters and mid-range dual-pickup rock guitars.

Most commonly paired with: British-style valve amplifiers, boost, overdrive, distortion, delay and reverb.

Our tip: Take advantage of the independent pickup controls. Set the bridge pickup for your main aggressive rhythm tone and roll the neck pickup back for a cleaner or warmer alternative, then switch instantly between them using the three-way toggle.

Showroom feedback: The 12-inch slab rosewood fingerboard gives the Cleaver a noticeably flatter and faster feel than a vintage Telecaster, while the CS-90 pickups have enough output and midrange to make the guitar feel immediately suited to a full-band rock mix.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

From our Birmingham showroom, our knowledgeable musician-led team helps customers choose guitars, basses, amplifiers, keyboards, drums, studio equipment and much more.

When you shop with Fair Deal Music, you can buy with confidence thanks to:

• Expert advice from knowledgeable musicians

• Carefully checked new, used, pre-owned and ex-display equipment

• Competitive prices on leading music brands

• Secure UK-wide delivery

• Friendly support before and after your purchase

• Secure online ordering

• A large Birmingham showroom

• Decades of experience with new and pre-owned musical instruments and equipment

Considering a premium Telecaster Deluxe or Artist Signature Fender and want help comparing the options? Speak to our team by phone, online or in-store for friendly, practical musician-to-musician advice.

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Thinking about upgrading? Your next piece of gear could cost less than you think.

We're always happy to consider part exchanges and trade-ins on a wide range of musical instruments and equipment. Whether you're looking to upgrade your guitar, bass, keyboard, amplifier, drum kit or studio gear, your existing equipment could help reduce the cost of your next purchase.

Simply get in touch with our team for a no-obligation valuation, and we'll be happy to discuss the options available.

It's an easy way to unlock the value of the gear you no longer use while making your next instrument even more affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Chris Shiflett Cleaver CS-90 pickups humbuckers?

They are Fender's Custom Chris Shiflett “Cleaver” Noiseless CS-90 pickups. They are designed to provide the punch, midrange presence and harmonic character associated with a powerful single-coil-style sound while cancelling traditional mains hum.

Does the Cleaver require a battery?

No. The CS-90 pickups are passive and the guitar requires no battery.

Is the Cleaver suitable for high-gain rock?

Yes. This is one of the areas where it particularly excels. The strong pickup output, focused midrange, noiseless design and hardtail construction make it well suited to gain-heavy rock and punk tones.

What does a 12-inch fingerboard radius feel like?

It is considerably flatter than vintage Fender radii such as 7.25 inches and flatter than the 9.5-inch radius found on many modern Fender guitars. This makes it particularly accommodating for bends, vibrato and faster lead work.

Does it have a normal Telecaster bridge?

No. The Cleaver uses a six-saddle string-through-body hardtail Stratocaster-style bridge with bent-steel saddles, rather than a traditional Tele bridge plate.

Why does the guitar have four control knobs?

Each pickup has its own dedicated volume and tone controls. This allows you to preset different sounds for the neck and bridge pickups and switch between them using the three-way toggle.

Is the Dakota Red headstock painted to match the body?

Yes. The Dakota Red version has a matching painted headstock, helping give the guitar its distinctive premium Artist Signature appearance.

Is it only suitable for Foo Fighters-style rock?

No. Although clearly designed to perform exceptionally well for rock, its clean clarity and independent pickup controls make it useful for punk, alternative, country-rock, roots, indie and studio work.

Should I choose this or an American Professional II Telecaster Deluxe?

Choose the American Professional II if you want a broader mainstream professional Fender specification. Choose the Chris Shiflett Cleaver if the 12-inch rosewood board, CS-90 Noiseless pickups, hardtail bridge and artist-specific rock-focused design are more relevant to your playing.