Pricing and availability

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Average Price: $3,784

High-end/Boutique

$400

$1001+

Price Tier

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

Step into the vintage vibe of the early '50s with the Fender Custom Shop 1951 Heavy Relic Telecaster. This remarkable electric guitar brings an authentic retro aesthetic and sound, crafted by Fender's renowned Custom Shop. With a heavy relic finish, it showcases a well-loved, road-worn appearance, delivering a unique visual and tactile experience. The guitar is fitted with hand-wound '50-'51 Blackguard pickups, meticulously designed to replicate the rich, articulate tones of the original Telecasters, perfect for those seeking that iconic twang and versatility.

Constructed with an ash body and a one-piece maple neck, the 1951 Heavy Relic Telecaster offers a comfortable playing experience reminiscent of the golden age of electric guitars. The guitar's neck is sculpted with a '10/56 V' shape, providing a familiar yet distinct feel. It features a vintage-style Tele bridge with brass saddles that enhance sustain and tuning stability, while the period-correct wiring ensures every nuance of your playing is captured with clarity.

Whether you're a vintage guitar enthusiast or a player looking to add a piece of history to your collection, the Fender Custom Shop 1951 Heavy Relic Telecaster delivers an authentic vintage experience with modern reliability and craftsmanship.

Key Features:

  • Heavy relic finish for a vintage, road-worn look
  • Ash body with a one-piece maple neck
  • '10/56 V' neck profile for a comfortable grip
  • Hand-wound '50-'51 Blackguard pickups for authentic Telecaster tones
  • Vintage-style Tele bridge with brass saddles
  • Period-correct wiring for classic tone and response

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Fender Custom Shop 1951 Heavy Relic Telecaster.

Value and pricing

  • A buyer acquired the guitar for $2500 locally, significantly below its typical $5000+ listing on Reverb, highlighting potential for good deals in personal sales.

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  • It's possible to negotiate discounts with retailers; asking for 15% off can yield significant savings on new purchases.

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User experience

  • Owners gravitate towards playing relic'd versions more frequently due to lower stress about damaging an already worn-looking guitar.

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  • The relic'd model is preferred by some for its worn-in feel and stress-free playability compared to mint-condition guitars.

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Build quality

  • The neck of the Fender Custom Shop 1951 Heavy Relic Telecaster is praised for its raw, unfinished feel, described as "soft, oily" by an owner.

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Features and functionality

  • The guitar's heavy relic finish is designed to mimic extreme wear, with the finish worn down significantly, yet frets remain in perfect condition, indicating minimal actual play.

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Use cases and applications

  • Owners appreciate the heavy relic finish for gigging, as it reduces the worry of cosmetic damage during performances, aligning with its rugged appearance.

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Other

  • The relic process includes custom shop identifiers on the neck, such as small color-coded stickers with initials, indicating specific craftsmen involved in its production.

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5.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 1 Rating

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jpgarcia

AMAZING!

This is a Fender Custom Shop '51 Telecaster Heavy Relic Nocaster Blonde Tele Guitar. Featuring Fender's heavy relic treatment, the Tele Nocaster has the look of many years of hard use on the road. Thid Telecaster also features the Nocaster Blonde finish, premium lightweight ash body wood has great tone and is lightweight for playing comfort weighing in at only 6.6 lbs. The maple neck sports the classic '51 Nocaster Fat "U" Neck Profile. A traditional maple fingerboard sports black dot inlays, 21 Medium Jumbo 6105 frets and heavy wear but a flatter fretboard radius of 9.5" for more comfort and a bone nut. The pickups are Handwound Fender Custom Shop Nocaster Pickups with three-way switching has the sought-after sound of yesterday with the benefits of modern wiring with the Greasebucket Tone circuit which allows you to roll off highs without adding additional bass. It is a very versatile and usable tone knob. The Fender guitar has vintage hardware, a black 1-ply pickguard and Original Vintage Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Compensated Saddles complete the dream.

Fender Custom Shop '51 Telecaster Heavy Relic Nocaster Blonde Tele Guitar Specifications:

Series: Time Machine? Series Model Name: '51 Telecaster® Heavy Relic® Colors: Nocaster Blonde, (Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish) Body: Premium Lightweight Ash Body Weight: 6.6 lbs Neck: 1-Piece Tinted Maple, ??51 Fat Nocaster "??U" Shape, (Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)

Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5 Radius (241 mm) No. of Frets: 21 Dunlop® 6105 Narrow Jumbo Frets Pickups: Handwound Fender Custom Shop Nocaster Pickups, (Modern Wiring Circuit) Controls: Master Volume, Master Greasebucket Tone Control Pickup Switching 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups Position 3. Neck Pickup (Modern Wiring Circuit)

Bridge: Original Vintage Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Compensated Saddles Nut: Bone Machine Heads: Fender®/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines Hardware: Nickel/Chrome Pickguard: 1-Ply Black Bakelite, (5-Hole) Scale Length: 25.5 (648 mm) Width at Nut: 1.650 (42 mm) Strings: Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel, Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046), P/N 073-0250-006 Accessories: Deluxe Tweed Hardshell Case (Red Crushed Velvet Interior with Logo), Strap, Cable, Polishing Cloth, Certificate of Authenticity Case: Deluxe Center Pocket Tweed Hardshell Case

Artist usage

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See how joe++ uses Fender Custom Shop 1951 Heavy Relic Telecaster

joe++

Singer, Guitarist

...
Verified via Photo

His go-to electric guitar is a Fender Custom 1951 Nocaster. He can be seen using it at most live performances, and in studio.

Genre Usage

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    jpgarcia
    jpgarcia

    Gear IQ 116