The story of these is well documented and I will only give some brief details for fuller history read one of the many books on the subject such as Tony Bacon's "The Telecaster Guitar Book" or many others. Even the Wikipedia page is quite good. So very briefly this was Fenders first production guitar it started being sold in April 1950, there was a brief stop in 1951 whilst they concentrated on the Broadcaster etc but production soon resumed and continued in various forms until 1969.
The guitar was originally a slab single cutaway Pine black body with a fretted maple neck the guitar was the first modular guitar ever sold
making for easy repairs. After about a year changed to Ash with a Blonde finish
It featured a single black 6 polepiece pickup which was a re purposed Champion lap steel guitar pickup slanted in the bridge
The bridge was a through body ashtray style bridge with 3 brass saddles some later had steel saddles
The neck was originally fretted maple 21 vintage frets no separate fretboard 7.25" radius
It had one volume and one tone with a three way switch operating as follows
Position 1 Bypass the tone pot
Position 2 Routed through Volume and Tone
Position 3 Again bypass tone but routed through a treble bleed capacitor
Nut was 1.625"
Neck plate plain except for serial number later ones F stamped
Changes included Neck fretted Maple 1950-1959 and 1960 Maple with Rosewood board 1959-1960 and Maple with a Maple board option
1967-1969
Originally Blonde only later Sunburst or colours
Single ply 5 screw black plastic pickguard white from 1954 8 screw from 1959 laminated plastic from 1963
Top loader bridge in 1958 to 1960
The early ones had no truss rod
Custom Version from 1959 to 1969 just a bound body no other differences
Most contain routing for a neck pickup so one can be added. Bruce Springsteen's famously has the second pickup in but not connected.
The second pickup was often put in and not connected to supposedly alter the magnetic pull on the strings
Note about serial numbers
They are all over the place they presumably start at 0001 though the lowest I have seen is 0013. They progress right up to 70000 plus in the
late 60s but are far from in order 1720 is a 1950 and 0210 a 1951 so as so often the serial numbers are no guide to the date.
015-3002 NOS New Old Stock as if the guitar was bought new in its respective year and brought forward in time to the present day.
015-3102 Closet Classic As if the guitar was bought new in its respective year played perhaps a dozen times a year then
put carefully away. Has a few small dings lightly checked finish, oxidised hardware and aged plastic parts
015-3202 Relic shows natural wear and tear of heavy use, nicks, scratches, worn finish, rusty hardware and aged plastic parts.
Available in Black or Vintage Blonde
This is according to Fender an Exact duplicate of the 59 Esquire, including the Top loader bridge, available in the three
finishes shown above.
Body Premium Ash with NCL finish
Neck Maple 50s C shape NCL finish
Rosewood Board 21 Vintage Frets
Single Ply white Parchment Pickguard
Single Vintage Tele Pickup angled at Bridge
Top loader Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles*
Chrome Hardware
Original Style case see pictures above
*Frontlines says brass but I have seen threaded steel saddles said to be original see below
This is the 2006 Diamond Anniversary Model not to be confused with the other 60th Anniversary models in 2010. Fender
has so many anniversaries. Only 93 made only available in Europe. Hence not in the 2006 Frontline.
Body: Premium Ash NCL Finish
Neck: 1-Piece Maple, “U” Shape, NCL Finish
Fingerboard: Maple, 7.25” Radius (184 mm) 21 Vintage Style Frets
Nut: 1.650” (42 mm)
Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
Pickup 1 single coil Broadcaster pickup
Machine Heads: Fender Gotoh Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Bridge: Original Vintage Style Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles
Pickguard: 1-Ply Parchment
Pickups: 1 Broadcaster® Single-Coil Bridge Pickup
Pickup Switching: Custom-Wired 3-position Blade:
Position 1. Volume Control with Cap. Only, No Tone Control
Position 2. Volume Control with Cap. and Tone Control with Cap.
Position 3. Volume Control Only No Cap. , No Tone Control
Controls: Volume, Tone
(703) 2-Colour Sunburst only,
Intricate Multiple Wood 60th Anniversary Diamond Emblem Inlaid into the Body Behind the Bridge
Custom 60th Anniversary case Silver with red lining
In 2006 the Custom shop launched a Jeff Beck Esquire model 015-0061-801 Jeff had recorded Heart Full of Sole with the
Yardbirds on a modified Esquire. He bought it from John Maus (The Walker Brothers) who had re-shaped the body to a Strat like contours.
Jeff made a few additional modifications. Jeff later gave this to Seymour Duncan who then worked with the Custom Shop
to map out the guitar and make a faithful replica.
Features
Extremely light 2 piece offset body with the custom contours
Maple 10/56 shape neck with rolled edges and faithful wear pattern.
Bridge has 3 brass saddles
Pickups faithfully re-created by Abigail Ybarra
Correct control wiring
Black pickguard with chipped edges
1056 serial number on the bridge
Master builders signature and correct serial number back of the headstock
I have seen a statement that only 150 were made if that's the case why the serial numbers in the picture below
Said to be modelled on Seymour's own 1954 Esquire. It has some fairly non 1954 features
Body is Lightweight solid Ash with 100% NCL Finish
Neck is Hard Rock Maple with light NCL finish with 9.5" Radius 21 Vintage Frets
Neck is thin and wide around 1.75"
Neck Pocket routed slightly deeper about 1/8" to change the neck angle and space between strings and pickup
Pickup: 1 Tapped Custom Seymour Duncan® Bridge Single-Coil Pickup
Pickup Switching: Custom-Wired 3-position Blade:
Position 1. Full Output, Around 7.6K -- Punchy, Gutsy, Tele Lead Tone.
Position 2. Tapped Output, Around 6.0K -- Brighter with Less Output.
Position 3. Tapped Output with .022 Cap to Filter Out High-end -- Great for Rhythm.
2 Colour Sunburst only
Launched in 2003 and in catalogues until 2008. Reverb says 2003 to 2010 but its not in the 2009 or 2010 vaults
Note the CN serial number these were widely used by the Custom Shop in the 90s often leading to confusion because
of Korean serial numbers, creating cries of fake.
2 limited Editions were made in 2007 both relics but not heavy relics
Limited Edition Esquire Relic 927-5000-477
100 Made
Lightweight Ash Body
Mid 60s Oval C shaped Maple tinted neck
Rosewood board 9.5" radius American Standard Frets
Flat Pole hot Nocaster Pickup
Chrome Hardware
Parchment 3 ply pickguard
Bone Nut
Custom Wiring
Limited Edition case and COA
3 Colour Sunburst only
Limited Edition 1959 Esquire Relic 927-0000-285
100 Made
Ash Body
Fretted Maple light tinted neck 9.5" radius American Standard Frets
Parchment pickguard
HLE Gold Only
Almost no other info about and no pictures I can find
There were 3 models in the Esquire range made by the Custom Shop in that year the first two are
The Limited Edition 60th Anniversary Esquire 923-5000-011 and the 2 pickup version 923-5000-012
This is part of the "Telebration Series" both guitars have very similar specs except for the Electronics
Each was limited to 60 units and featured 100 year old Pine Bodies
Neck Fretted Maple one piece described as U or fat V No Truss Rod 21 Vintage frets 7.25" radius
Nut 1.625"
Pickups Vintage style single coils around 6.9k ohms
Black only
The third one is the
Limited Edition 50s Relic Esquire
Time Machine Series Model Number 921-5000-005
This one is apparently a Limited edition of 30 guitars.
Lightweight Ash Body
Fretted Maple light tinted 10/56 V shaped neck 9.5" radius 21 6105 Frets
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Billy Gibbons BG1400 Stacked Bridge Pickup
Vintage 1-Ply Black Pickguard
Esquire Wiring with Eldred Greasebucket Tone Circuit
Vintage Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles
3-Way Esquire Voicing Switch, 1 Volume, 1 Tone
Nocaster Blonde only
Fender Burgundy Hardshell Case Certificate of Authenticity Ashtray Cover
This is yet another limited edition again of 30 guitars Model 150-5302-899 (Nocaster Blonde)
Not in the 2011 US catalogue so maybe another one for Europe only. Almost no information available
some pictures of one that has had the saddles changed originally threaded but over aged.
Model number 923-5000-073. This is an interesting story. In 2003 the "Hot Rod pin-striper" Dennis Ricklives
called into the custom shop and hand painted the front and back of Esquire CN94877. It is from this that the
2012 LE was born.
Where CN94877 is now I don't know.
Again only 30 made. Each one hand Pin-striped by Dennis so all are different
Body: Lightweight Ash
Neck: AA Birdseye Maple, “C” Shape,
Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5" Radius 21 6105 Style Frets
Nut: 1.650” (42 mm)
Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
Pickup 1 single coil Abby Ybarra signed pickups
Machine Heads: Fender Gotoh Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Bridge: Original Vintage Style Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles
Pickguard: 1-Ply Parchment
White Blonde only
This is in the Fender literature and is model 150-3200-865 there is no information on how many were made.
Body: Hand selected Alder NCL
Neck: Maple, 60s Oval “C” Shape,
Fingerboard: Dark Rosewood, 9.5" Radius 21 6105 Style Frets
Nut: 1.650” (42 mm)
Hardware: Nickel
Pickup 1 single coil twisted tele
Machine Heads: Fender Gotoh Vintage Style Tuning Machines
1 Volume 1 Greasebucket tone and the Eldred Esquire Wiring
Bridge: Original Vintage Style Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles
Pickguard: 3-Ply White
Faded 3 colour sunburst only
Model 923-5000-102 I am told 60 produced worldwide. Slightly unusual specs this one
Body Lightweight Ash Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Material AAA Bird's-Eye Maple Nitrocellulose Lacquer Large "C"
Fingerboard Maple Radius: 9.5" (241 mm) 21 Narrow Jumbo Frets
Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
Neck Plate: Chrome-Plated Usual Custom Shop logo etc
Pickup Fender "Wide Range" Humbucking
Controls Master Volume, Master Greasebucket™ Tone Circuit
Bridge Vintage–Style Non-Tremolo Hard-Tail 6 saddle
Hardware Finish Nickel/Chrome
Tuning Machines Vintage-Style
Pickguard: None
Colour Blonde
Model 151-0044-899 and 803
An interesting feature on this model is that it includes a kit to convert to a 2 pickup model in the Custom Shop Vault
it says available in Dirty Blonde or 2 Colour Sunburst, but in the Invitation to Custom Shop Roadshow it features a
Red Sparkle model and the included pdf shows what appear to be dealer options with different model numbers and colours but exactly
the same specs.
Lightweight ash body with thin lacquer Relic finish
Quartersawn maple neck with “Soft V” profile and Heavy Relic treatment
Maple fingerboard with modern 9.5” radius and 21 6105 frets
Single hand-wound ’55 Telecaster bridge pickup; includes neck pickup conversion kit with ‘55 Telecaster neck pickup,
pickguard and control assembly
American Vintage tuning machines
Custom Shop Limited Edition neck plate
Includes Blonde Limited Edition case with 1955 Fender Downbeat catalog insert reproduction.
From the Fender pdf
151 0044 803 2 COLOR SUNBURST Available to all FCS Dealers $3,900
151 0044 899 DIRTY WHITE BLONDE Available to all FCS Dealers $3,900
923 0050 806 AGED BLACK $3,900
923 0050 840 FADED FIESTA RED $3,900
923 0051 805 AGED OLYMPIC WHITE $3,900
923 0052 872 AGED LAKE PLACID BLUE $3,900
923 0050 882 FADED CANDY TANGERINE $3,900
923 0050 857 FADED SURF GREEN $3,900
923 0050 812 FADED RED SPARKLE $3,900
923 0050 813 FADED BLUE SPARKLE $3,900
923 0050 818 FADED GOLD SPARKLE $3,900
