This Fender Custom Shop '59 Telecaster Custom in Aged Natural combines carefully selected vintage-inspired appointments with a number of player-focused Custom Shop choices, creating a Telecaster that feels rooted in the late 1950s while offering a more practical modern electronics layout.

At its core is a 2-piece ash body paired with a 5/4 quarter-sawn maple '59 Esquire-style neck, carved to a substantial 1959 “D” profile with a 9.5" radius and 21 frets. A pair of Custom Shop hand-wound Tele Texas Special pickups provide a powerful take on classic Tele tone, controlled through familiar modern Telecaster wiring.

The Aged Natural Relic finish gives the guitar the look and feel of a well-played vintage instrument, with intentional ageing forming part of its original Custom Shop specification.

At A Glance

Key Detail	Information
Brand	Fender
Range	Custom Shop
Model	'59 Telecaster Custom
Finish	Aged Natural
Aging	Factory Relic
Body	2-Piece Ash
Neck	5/4 Quarter-Sawn Maple
Neck Style	'59 Esquire
Neck Profile	1959 “D”
Fingerboard Radius	9.5"
Frets	21
Pickups	Hand-Wound Tele Texas Special Neck & Bridge
Wiring	Modern Tele Controls
Headstock Decal	'50-'62 Esquire
Condition	Pre-Owned – Factory Relic Finish
Main Appeal	Vintage-inspired Custom Shop feel with hotter hand-wound Tele pickups
Best For	Blues, rock, country, Americana, indie and professional live use

Condition Overview

Factory Relic Finish

This Fender Custom Shop Telecaster features a deliberately aged Relic finish package.

Finish wear, checking, aged hardware and other signs of simulated long-term use form part of the Custom Shop specification and are intended to give the guitar the visual character and broken-in feel of a much older instrument.

The Aged Natural finish allows the character of the 2-piece ash body to remain a major part of the guitar's appearance.

Fair Deal Quality Control Assessment

This pre-owned Fender Custom Shop Telecaster is assessed across the areas that matter most for regular playing and professional use.

Checks include:

• Hand-wound neck pickup operation
• Hand-wound bridge pickup operation
• 3-way pickup selection
• Master volume
• Master tone
• Output socket
• Neck condition
• 21-fret playing surface
• Tuning stability
• Bridge and saddles
• Hardware
• General structural condition
• Overall playability

Service / Setup Work

All pre-owned guitars at Fair Deal Music are checked for general setup and playability before leaving the shop.

Key areas include:

• Action
• Neck relief
• Fret condition
• Intonation
• Tuning stability
• Pickup operation
• Electronics
• Bridge setup
• Hardware
• General playing feel

Small setup changes can naturally occur as wooden instruments respond to differences in temperature and humidity.

What Makes This Fender Custom Shop '59 Telecaster Special?

This guitar is particularly interesting because it combines 1959 Esquire-inspired neck details with the full two-pickup versatility of a Telecaster. The 1959 “D” neck profile, 5/4 quarter-sawn maple construction and '50-'62 Esquire headstock decal provide a strong vintage visual and tactile reference, while the 9.5" radius gives the playing surface a more accommodating modern feel.

The electronics take a similarly balanced approach. Rather than a low-output vintage recreation, this guitar uses hand-wound Texas Special Tele pickups with modern Tele controls, giving it additional output and midrange presence while retaining the immediate attack and clarity that define a great Telecaster.

Key Features & Benefits

2-Piece Ash Body

The body is constructed from two pieces of ash, a timber closely associated with many of Fender's most desirable early solidbody guitars.

The transparent Aged Natural finish allows the ash grain to remain visible and makes the wood itself a central part of the guitar's appearance.

5/4 Quarter-Sawn Maple Neck

The neck specification calls for 5/4 quarter-sawn maple.

In Custom Shop terminology, 5/4 refers to the dimensional stock used to create the neck blank rather than suggesting that the finished neck is 1.25" thick.

Quarter-sawn grain orientation is prized for its strength and stability and is a premium Custom Shop neck specification.

1959 “D” Neck Profile

The substantial 1959 “D” profile gives the guitar a noticeably more vintage-inspired feel than a typical slim modern Fender neck.

It provides plenty of support in the fretting hand while remaining paired with the more contemporary 9.5" radius.

9.5" Radius

A 9.5" fingerboard radius offers a useful compromise between vintage Fender curvature and modern playability.

It remains comfortable for chords while allowing cleaner string bending than a more heavily curved traditional 7.25" radius.

21 Frets

The 21-fret format retains the traditional appearance and proportions associated with vintage Telecaster and Esquire designs.

Hand-Wound Texas Special Tele Pickups

Both positions use Fender Custom Shop hand-wound Tele Texas Special pickups.

These are designed for a stronger, more muscular Tele response, with additional output and midrange presence while retaining plenty of treble definition and attack.

Neck Pickup

The hand-wound Texas Special neck pickup provides the warmer side of the guitar, with fuller mids suitable for blues, rhythm playing and smoother lead sounds.

Bridge Pickup

The hand-wound Texas Special bridge pickup delivers greater bite and output, making it particularly effective for overdriven rock, country lead work and cutting rhythm parts.

Modern Tele Controls

Rather than period Esquire switching or early Telecaster wiring, the guitar uses a familiar modern Telecaster control layout:

• Master Volume
• Master Tone
• 3-Way Pickup Selector

This gives straightforward access to:

1. Bridge pickup
2. Bridge and neck pickups together
3. Neck pickup

'50-'62 Esquire Decal

The headstock carries a '50-'62 Esquire-style decal, reinforcing the vintage Esquire influence of the neck specification.

Importantly, this does not make the guitar a single-pickup Esquire: this Custom Shop build uses two Telecaster pickups and modern Telecaster controls.

Comparison Against Popular Alternatives

Custom Shop '59 Telecaster vs Standard Vintage-Style Telecaster

A conventional vintage-style Telecaster generally focuses on replicating one historical specification. This Custom Shop guitar takes a more personalised approach, combining late-'50s neck character with a flatter 9.5" radius, hotter hand-wound pickups and modern wiring.

Texas Special vs Lower-Output Vintage Tele Pickups

Traditional vintage-output Tele pickups emphasise openness and lower-output clarity. Texas Specials retain Tele attack but add extra output and midrange, making them particularly effective when pushing valve amplifiers and overdrive pedals.

Quarter-Sawn vs Conventional Maple Neck

Both can produce excellent instruments, but quarter-sawn maple is a premium specification valued for its grain orientation and structural stability.

Who Is It For?

Experienced Telecaster players – Particularly appealing if you want familiar Tele functionality with a much more individual neck and pickup specification.

Blues guitarists – Texas Specials provide the extra body and output that work particularly well through an edge-of-breakup valve amp.

Rock players – The bridge pickup has more muscle than a low-output vintage Tele pickup while retaining excellent articulation.

Country players – Plenty of snap and definition remain available, especially through the bridge position.

Custom Shop enthusiasts – The combination of Esquire neck details, quarter-sawn maple and hand-wound pickups makes this far more specialised than a standard production Tele.

Players who like relic guitars – The factory-aged finish provides a broken-in visual and tactile character from the outset.

Suitable Genres & Applications

Particularly well suited to:

• Blues
• Blues rock
• Classic rock
• Rock
• Country
• Americana
• Roots
• Indie
• Alternative
• Soul
• Pop
• Studio recording
• Professional live performance
• Rhythm guitar
• Lead guitar
• Pedal-based rigs

Why Choose A Fender Custom Shop Telecaster?

The strength of Fender Custom Shop guitars lies in the ability to combine historically inspired specifications with details chosen around actual player preference.

This guitar demonstrates that approach particularly well.

Rather than being restricted to a strict 1959 recreation, it combines a substantial period-inspired neck and Esquire styling with a flatter radius, hotter pickups and modern switching.

The result is a Telecaster that captures much of the feel and personality associated with vintage Fender instruments while remaining exceptionally practical for contemporary playing.

Custom Shop Specification Context

The specification of this guitar should be viewed as a Custom Shop interpretation rather than a strict reproduction of one original 1959 Telecaster.

Key vintage-inspired elements include:

• '59 Esquire neck specification
• 1959 “D” neck profile
• 21 frets
• '50-'62 Esquire headstock decal
• Ash body
• Relic finish treatment

Player-focused features include:

• 9.5" fingerboard radius
• Hand-wound Texas Special neck pickup
• Hand-wound Texas Special bridge pickup
• Modern Telecaster wiring

This blend of eras and specifications is one of the principal advantages of a Fender Custom Shop build.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product Type	Solid Body Electric Guitar
Brand	Fender
Range	Custom Shop
Model	'59 Telecaster Custom
Finish	Aged Natural
Aging Package	Relic
Body Shape	Telecaster
Body Material	Ash
Body Construction	2-Piece
Neck Material	Maple
Neck Blank	5/4 Quarter-Sawn Maple
Neck Style	'59 Esquire
Neck Profile	1959 “D”
Fingerboard Radius	9.5"
Number of Frets	21
Scale Length	25.5"
Pickup Configuration	SS
Neck Pickup	Custom Shop Hand-Wound Tele Texas Special
Bridge Pickup	Custom Shop Hand-Wound Tele Texas Special
Electronics	Passive
Wiring	Modern Tele
Controls	Master Volume, Master Tone
Switching	3-Way Blade
Headstock Decal	'50-'62 Esquire
Condition	Pre-Owned – Factory Relic Finish

Neck Specification Note

The unusual 5/4 Quarter-Sawn Maple / '59 Esquire / 1959 “D” combination is an important part of this guitar's Custom Shop specification.

The 5/4 designation relates to the neck blank used in manufacture, while the finished carve is defined separately by the 1959 “D” profile.

The neck also uses a 9.5" radius and 21 frets, giving it a blend of traditional proportions and more contemporary playability.

Pickup Specification Note

This guitar uses a matched pair of Fender Custom Shop hand-wound Texas Special Telecaster pickups.

Hand winding introduces the subtle coil variation traditionally associated with early pickup production, while the Texas Special voicing is deliberately stronger than a typical low-output vintage Telecaster set.

The resulting response is particularly effective for:

• Dynamic clean sounds
• Edge-of-breakup blues
• Driven rhythm guitar
• Country lead work
• Classic rock
• Pedal-based rigs

Power Requirements

No battery or external power supply is required.

The hand-wound Texas Special pickups and modern Telecaster electronics are completely passive.

Fair Deal Music Verdict

★★★★★ 5/5

This Fender Custom Shop '59 Telecaster Custom in Aged Natural Relic offers exactly the kind of specification that makes Custom Shop guitars so appealing.

The 2-piece ash body and relic finish provide classic Fender visual character, while the 5/4 quarter-sawn maple neck, 1959 “D” profile and Esquire detailing give the guitar a distinctive vintage-inspired personality.

At the same time, its 9.5" radius, hand-wound Texas Special pickups and modern Tele controls ensure it remains a highly practical player's instrument rather than simply a historical recreation.

For someone looking for a premium Telecaster with strong vintage character, increased pickup output and a genuinely individual Custom Shop specification, this is a compelling choice.

Why Buy Pre-Owned From Fair Deal Music?

Custom Shop guitars are highly specification-dependent, so understanding the individual instrument is particularly important when buying pre-owned.

Every pre-owned guitar at Fair Deal Music is individually assessed so important construction, electronics and condition details can be represented clearly.

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.

Fair Deal Music is Birmingham's largest independent music store, combining a major showroom with nationwide ecommerce and decades of experience buying, selling and part-exchanging new, used, pre-owned and specialist musical equipment.

When you buy from us, you benefit from:

• Family-run independent retailer established in 1987
• Birmingham's largest independent music store
• 6,000+ Trustpilot reviews
• Expert musician-led advice
• Extensive experience with premium and Custom Shop guitars
• Pre-owned instruments individually assessed
• Clear condition and specification information
• Secure ordering
• Fast UK delivery
• Large Birmingham showroom
• Friendly support before and after purchase

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Your existing guitar could help towards the cost of this Fender Custom Shop Telecaster.

Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects, keyboards and a wide range of other musical equipment.

Contact our team for a no-obligation valuation and find out what your current equipment could be worth towards this Fender Custom Shop '59 Telecaster Custom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a Fender Custom Shop guitar?

Yes. This is a Fender Custom Shop '59 Telecaster Custom with a specialised combination of vintage-inspired and player-focused specifications.

What is the finish?

It has an Aged Natural Relic finish.

Is the wear intentional?

Yes. Relic ageing is applied deliberately by the Fender Custom Shop to recreate the look and feel of a well-used vintage instrument.

What is the body made from?

The guitar has a 2-piece ash body.

What does 5/4 quarter-sawn maple mean?

It describes the dimensional maple stock and grain orientation used to manufacture the neck. The finished neck dimensions are determined by the separate 1959 “D” profile specification.

What neck shape does it have?

It uses a 1959 “D” neck profile.

What is a '59 Esquire neck?

It refers to the vintage Esquire-inspired neck specification used as the basis for this Custom Shop build.

Does that mean this guitar is actually an Esquire?

No. Although the neck and decal use Esquire-inspired details, the guitar is equipped with two Telecaster pickups and normal modern Tele controls.

What decal does the headstock have?

It uses a '50-'62 Esquire-style decal.

What fingerboard radius does it have?

It has a 9.5" radius.

How many frets does it have?

It has 21 frets.

What pickups are fitted?

It uses Custom Shop hand-wound Tele Texas Special pickups in both the neck and bridge positions.

What do Texas Special Tele pickups sound like?

They offer more output and midrange than many traditional vintage-output Tele pickups while retaining strong attack and high-frequency definition.

Are the pickups hand wound?

Yes. Both pickups are specified as Custom Shop hand-wound units.

What controls does it have?

It uses a modern Telecaster layout with master volume, master tone and a 3-way pickup selector.

What does the middle switch position do?

It combines the neck and bridge pickups.

Does the guitar require a battery?

No. The electronics are entirely passive.

Is the relic finish suitable for regular gigging?

Yes. Many players particularly like relic-finished guitars for live use because additional small signs of genuine playing wear blend naturally with the existing factory-aged aesthetic.

Can I request a video demo?

Yes. Our Request a Video Demo service is ideal for seeing the Aged Natural finish, relic treatment and individual Custom Shop details more closely.

Can I part-exchange another guitar against it?

Yes. Fair Deal Music considers trade-ins and part exchanges across a wide range of premium, vintage and Custom Shop guitars and other musical equipment.