Fender American Vintage Reissue 52 Hot Rod Telecaster with Glaser B BENDER, VELVET HAMMER PICKUPS and Hardshell Case *Ready for Broadway* Late 2000’s - Butterscotch

This is a very special guitar. Another beloved instrument I am selling because my family is just getting rocked lately: a tragic death, financial problems — you name it.

Well, now that that’s out of the way, maybe you can tell by now that I truly don’t want to sell it.

This is a late-2000s Fender “Hot Rod AVRI ’52 Tele.” What does that mean? Simply, it came stock with the mini humbucker in the neck. Additionally, this special-edition model has a thinner, flatter-feeling neck than standard production-line AVRI ’52s. I think it’s quite fast for a Tele. It makes it unique.

This has the best pickups on the planet: a Velvet Hammer in the bridge and one in the middle. It’s upgraded to a 5-way switch, and it has the mini toggle for the boost of the bridge pickup, which I always leave on. Just like James Burton and Clarence White. Red Rhodes’s granddaughter, Sidney, wound ’em herself, just for me. And they live up to the hype.

The pickguard was custom-made for me. It’s awesome. It’s olive green and black. I know my phone is kind of weird with the lighting — I need a new one.

Additionally, the guitar’s nitro body is naturally relic’d from years of playing, and it’s actually awesome. Really awesome. Not at all a fake Custom Shop job. I did have the back of the neck naturally relic’d, though — professionally. That’s the only thing, and it feels great. Otherwise, the nitro is too sticky.

The guitar weighs approximately 7.5-ish pounds on my scale.

Naturally, I tried to picture every last ding and divot. There’s some checking — it’s got it all. People pay top dollar to have a fake job of that shit. Not right here. This is a magic Tele. So please know what you’re getting. This is not some closet queen. It’s a ripper. Full disclosure: when you get the guitar, there is plenty of nice, cool, naturally "relic’d" wear, dings, and dents. The neck has its share of these too. There is fretboard wear and even some little divots, none of which affect functionality or playability. Like I said, it’s a magic Tele. It's all natural - and fully functional. It fact, it enhances feel and functionality.

I just had a professional refret done six months ago by one of the most renowned luthiers around. I went with taller frets, and they are awesome. It plays great. So: brand-new frets. Some might think they are slightly sharp — just ever so slightly. Going into the summer, maybe they poked out just a hair, but a little filing would fix that in no time. It doesn’t bother me a bit. They are great, perfectly done new frets, and an upgrade over the vintage low frets, so there is no need to worry about getting that redone.

I am just trying to be as descriptive as possible so you know what you’re getting. The guitar is magnificent. It has the Glaser B-Bender, which is pristine and was installed at Joe’s shop. It can be flipped to a G-Bender at a moment’s notice. These are worth $750–$1,100 alone, plus shipping.

So the guitar is conditioned Good to Very Good, depending on your interpretation. I think it’s pristine personally.

It kind of has the Brent Mason setup with the three pickups. When I initially got this beauty, I saw that and saw the potential, and we created this magnificent machine for honky-tonk sorcery by adding the two Velvet Hammers. I’m throwing in the cool strap pictured.

I might be forgetting some things because I’m a little bewildered, and selling this guitar — one that is so close to me, such a part of me — really hurts. But if you’re a musician, you know how it is. Our guitars hold value, and if we go through something, they can provide relief.

If you have any questions, please ask, and I will try to keep updating the post as the days go by. The guitar is sold AS IS with the case and all included case candy. If you buy this, you are helping out a hurting working musician in a dire time of need and providing relief. I do not do returns, as I travel a lot and it is difficult for me. This is not a large shop.

Get the guitar of a lifetime. And please be nice to her. I want it to go to a good home. No money can replace this. It’s invaluable.

If you want a no-bullshit, killer shit-kicker ready to hit Broadway and slay ’em all, this is it. I’ll be rooting you on. 😢 Take care.

SPEC SHEET / DETAILS

Model: Fender American Vintage Hot Rod ’52 Telecaster
Era: Late 2000s (I haven't had the neck off in a while, but I believe it's either '09 or '11)
Made In: USA
Series: American Vintage / Vintage Hot Rod Series (Special Edition)
Finish: Butterscotch Blonde thin-skin nitrocellulose lacquer
Body: Premium ash
Body Style: Telecaster solid body
Scale Length: 25.5"
Neck: One-piece maple
Neck Profile: Special-edition thinner "C"-type shape; flatter-feeling than a standard AVRI ’52 Tele (exact factory profile unknown)
Fingerboard: Maple
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5"
Frets: 21; professionally refretted approximately six months ago with taller frets
Nut Width: Approximately 1.650"
Bridge: Vintage-style Tele bridge with compensated brass saddles
Tuners: Fender/Gotoh vintage-style tuning machines
Hardware: Nickel/chrome-style vintage hardware
Weight: Approximately 7.5 lbs on my scale
Case: Included
Case Candy: Included
Strap: Cool strap pictured is included

Stock Pickup Configuration:
Originally, the Vintage Hot Rod ’52 Tele came with a Custom Vintage Tele bridge pickup and a Seymour Duncan Vintage Mini Humbucker in the neck position.

Current Pickup / Electronics Setup:
Velvet Hammer bridge pickup
Velvet Hammer MIDDLE pickup
Brent Mason-style three-pickup setup WITH MINI HUMBUCKER (SEYMOUR DUNCAN) IN NECK
Upgraded 5-way switch
Mini toggle for bridge pickup boost
Bridge boost is the setting I personally leave on
Wound by Sidney, Red Rhodes’s granddaughter
Built for James Burton / Clarence White-style snap, bite, and country Tele fire

Major Upgrades / Modifications:
Glaser B-Bender installed at Joe Glaser’s shop
Can be flipped to a G-Bender at a moment’s notice
Professional refret done approximately six months ago
Taller frets installed as an upgrade over the vintage low frets
Custom olive green and black paisley pickguard
Professionally relic’d back of neck for a smoother, less-sticky feel
Naturally relic’d nitro body from years of real playing

Condition Notes:
Listed as Good to Very Good, depending on interpretation (cosmetic preference)
Naturally relic’d from years of playing
Visible dings, dents, checking, divots, and honest play wear
Neck also shows wear
Fretboard has wear and some small divots
None of the wear affects functionality or playability
Not a closet queen
Not a fake relic job
A real-deal working musician’s Telecaster

Included:
Guitar
Case
Case candy
Pictured strap
Glaser B-Bender already installed
One absolute magic Telecaster