RS Guitarworks Old Friend Blackguard,O.C. Duff pickups,6.5 lbs.,Glendale saddles, awesome pine Tele

I am offering for sale an early-'50s style blackguard Tele, the Old Friend Slab Blackguard made by RS Guitarworks in Winchester, Kentucky. It has an amazing big but not too big maple neck, with some nice flame to it. The body is sugar pine, the Fralins were swapped out for O.C. Duff pickups (Guardsman bridge, White Guard neck; awesome), and the RS saddles for Glendale compensated brass saddles (the RS didn't really compensate true with 9s, but I'll include them if you want them). The guitar weighs in at a very comfortable 6 lbs 9 oz. It's super resonant unplugged, and the O.C. Duff pickups are amazing; I'd describe them as twangy and chimey . Nice tall frets for the folks who don't like the skinny vintage-style frets. See photo of the spec sheet for all details (accurate except for the pickups and the saddles, both of which I have replaced). I would say the finish leans a lot harder towards blonde than butterscotch. I'm also including a five-hole 3 ply white pickguard, if you prefer that look; it works well with the blonde I think. This is equal in every way and superior in some FCS guitars I have owned and played. Enjoy Custom Shop quality for several hundred dollars less!

List price on this model is almost $3500 new, plus this guitar has a significant pickup upgrade. It's not guaranteed to transform you into Roy Buchanan or Danny Gatton, but it's a step in the right direction. It is strung it up with a fresh set of Stringjoy 9s and it's ready for the gig; no jank, no funny business. I'll ship the guitar in the hard case it came with when I purchased it.