Model #: 9215008517

MORE ABOUT LIMITED EDITION TERRY KATH TELECASTER® Terry Kath has been praised by fans and guitar greats alike for his brilliance as an absolute guitar powerhouse. Kath, who Jimi Hendrix once cited as his favorite guitarist, fused sophisticated songwriting ability with his soulful vocals to launch Chicago Transit Authority in 1967. The band shortened its name to Chicago in 1969, achieving worldwide success and 2016 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A consummate innovator, Kath created mind-blowing, never-before-heard guitar tones by experimenting with unorthodox guitar/amp configurations. His instinctive command of his completely original tone is heard on memorable tracks such as “25 or 6 to 4”, “Free Form Guitar”, “Introduction” and others.

His main guitar—the one with which he is most identified, and which accompanied him on the journey to cult status—is a most unusual 1966 Telecaster, completely customized and plastered with stickers. Kath was so attached to the guitar that he’d buy a seat just for the instrument when traveling by air, rather than entrusting it to airline baggage handlers or even Chicago’s road crew. The Tele® was an amalgamation of highly personalized modifications, including a sawed-off Tele bridge with a synchronized Strat® tremolo, a humbucking neck pickup, custom body routes, a reverse control plate, custom tuning machines and three “wing” string trees. Adorned with Pignose stickers and other intricately placed regalia, the guitar has become legendary in of itself and is synonymous with Kath and his enduring musical legacy.

The Fender Custom Shop is distinctly honored to pay tribute to such an acclaimed pioneer by recreating Kath’s amazing custom instrument—which truly embodied the notion of “custom” long before the Fender Custom Shop was founded. Master Builder Dennis Galuszka has recreated the guitar in exacting scratch-for-scratch detail, from the Pignose stickers to the gaff-tape-sealed rear body route and every other exacting element. In a special 50-piece run, the Limited Edition Terry Kath Telecaster is an instrument for the ages and a meticulously crafted homage to one of the true guitar greats of our time.

Limited Edition Series Each Custom Shop Limited Edition instrument is only available for a short time, which makes it eminently collectible and adds to its investment value. Crafted with many features reserved only for certain artists and master built instruments, they are just what the name says they are: highly anticipated limited-edition models that go very quickly.

DENNIS GALUSZKA Like Fender itself, Dennis Galuszka is a Southern California native. Combining his dual passions for music and woodworking, he began building high-end acoustic guitars during his 13 years as a cabinetmaker. As a working drummer, it was a 1999 audition with one of the Fender Master Builders that led to a job interview and a new kind of steady gig—as an apprentice at the Fender Custom Shop.

After only eight months there, Galuszka was promoted to Master Builder. He has since built finely crafted instruments for influential players including Paul McCartney, Andy Summers, Johnny Marr, Patrick Stump, Mike Dirnt, Sting and many others. He has lent his expertise to a number of truly distinctive instruments, including double-neck guitars and unusual takes on classic Fender designs, and several artist model designs. “It’s all about the feel and sound of an instrument,” Galuszka said. “Those things are number one with me, above everything else.”

• Model: Fender Custom Shop Dennis Galuszka Masterbuilt Limited Edition Terry Kath Telecaster
• Builder: Fender Custom Shop - Dennis Galuszka
• Year: 2023
• Body Type: Solid Body
• Body Wood: Ash
• Finish Type: Nitro Lacquer
• Finish Color: Aged Vintage White
• Aging: Heavy Relic
• Neck Wood: Flat Sawn Maple
• Fingerboard: Round-Laminated Rift Sawn Maple
• Neck Carve: Terry Kath Custom
• Scale Length: 25.5" (64.77 cm)
• Neck Dimensions: .830'' - .920''
• Neck Radius: 7.25" (184.1 mm)
• Frets: 21 - 45085 Vintage Upgrade
• Nut Width: 1.650''
• Nut Material: Bone
• Neck Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Inlays: Black Dot
• Neck Pickup: Curtis Novak® Custom Terry Kath Humbucker
• Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound '67 Single-Coil Tele®
• Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
• Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo with Block Saddles and Tele® Bridge Plate
• Tuners: Schaller® M6 Chrome-Plated Die-Cast Mini Tuners
• Controls: Volume, Tone, 3-Way Blade Switch
• Case: Fender Custom SHop / G&G Tweed Hardshell Case
• Weight: 8.25 Pounds (8 lbs 4 oz)