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Description

Step back into the golden era of rock 'n' roll with the Fender Esquire, a guitar that embodies the pioneering spirit of the early 1950s. This legendary instrument is more than just a piece of history; it's a dynamic tool for modern musicians seeking that unmistakable vintage sound. With its distinctive single-pickup design, the Esquire offers a unique tonal palette through a custom-wired 3-way switching system. This setup allows you to explore everything from bright, shimmering highs to rich, mellow lows by simply flicking a switch.

The Esquire is crafted with a solid ash body, providing a resonant and balanced tone. Its comfortable C-shaped maple neck and 21 vintage-style frets make it a joy to play, whether you're strumming open chords or bending notes in a soaring solo. The vintage-style 3-saddle string-through-body bridge ensures stable tuning and a clear, bell-like sustain that has made this guitar a favorite among iconic players over the decades.

Whether you're drawn to its historical significance or its raw, unfiltered sound, the Fender Esquire is a formidable choice for any guitarist looking to capture the essence of the early electric guitar era. Its timeless design and versatile capabilities ensure that it's not just a relic of the past, but a continuing legend in the world of music.

Key Features:

  • Solid ash body for resonant tone
  • C-shaped maple neck with 21 vintage-style frets
  • Vintage-style single-coil Telecaster pickup with alnico magnets
  • Custom-wired 3-position blade switching
  • Vintage-style 3-saddle string-through-body bridge
  • Maple fingerboard with 7.25" radius
  • Fender/Ping vintage-style tuning machines
  • Includes deluxe gig bag

Product specs

Brand Fender
Model Classic Series '50s Esquire
Finish 2-Color Sunburst, Black, White Blonde
Year 2005 - 2016
Made In Mexico
Categories Solid Body Electric Guitars
Body Material Ash
Body Shape T-Style
Body Type Solid Body
Bridge/Tailpiece Type String-Through
Color Family Black, Brown, White
Finish Pattern Sunburst
Finish Style Gloss
Fretboard Material Maple
Fretboard Radius 7.25"
Model Family Fender Esquire
Neck Construction Bolt-On
Neck Material Maple
Number of Frets 21
Number of Strings 6-String
Nut Width 1.625"
Offset Body Non-Offset Body
Pickup Configuration S
Right / Left Handed Right Handed
Scale Length 25.5"
Series Fender Classic Series

FAQs

What makes the Fender Esquire different from a Telecaster?

The Fender Esquire is unique due to its single pickup design, whereas the Telecaster typically has two pickups. This configuration gives the Esquire a distinct, raw tone and relies on a 3-way switch to modify the single pickup's output.

Can the Fender Esquire handle a variety of music genres?

Yes, the Fender Esquire's versatile single-coil pickup and tone control options make it suitable for genres like rock, blues, and country, offering a bright, punchy sound.

What is the neck profile like on the Fender Esquire?

The Fender Esquire features a classic '50s "U" shape neck profile, providing a comfortable grip suitable for both rhythm and lead playing styles.

Is the Fender Esquire suitable for beginners?

While the Fender Esquire's single-pickup setup is straightforward, its vintage-style features and unique tone control may be more appealing to players with some experience looking for a specific sound.

How does the 3-way switch on the Fender Esquire work?

The 3-way switch on the Fender Esquire modifies the tone of the single bridge pickup, offering different tonal options by routing the pickup's output through various circuit paths.

Normans Rare Guitars

Normans Rare Guitars

1955 Fender Esquire White Guard | Guitar of the Day

Video thumbnail for 1955 Fender Esquire White Guard | Guitar of the Day by Normans Rare Guitars

1955 Fender Esquire White Guard | Guitar of the Day

Normans Rare Guitars

Normans Rare Guitars

Video thumbnail for The Fender Esquire: A Short History by five watt world

The Fender Esquire: A Short History

five watt world

five watt world

Video thumbnail for What Is An Esquire For? by StuartRyanMusic

What Is An Esquire For?

StuartRyanMusic

StuartRyanMusic

Video thumbnail for 1958 Fender Esquire VS 70th Anniversary Fender Esquire. (Brand New vs Brand Old) by Robert Baker

1958 Fender Esquire VS 70th Anniversary Fender Esquire. (Brand New vs Brand Old)

Robert Baker

Robert Baker

Video thumbnail for Fender 1963 Esquire | Guitar of the Day - RARE GUITAR!!! by Normans Rare Guitars

Fender 1963 Esquire | Guitar of the Day - RARE GUITAR!!!

Normans Rare Guitars

Normans Rare Guitars

Video thumbnail for 1955 Fender Esquire | Guitar of the Day - From Norm's Warehouse! by Normans Rare Guitars

1955 Fender Esquire | Guitar of the Day - From Norm's Warehouse!

Normans Rare Guitars

Normans Rare Guitars

Video thumbnail for 1957 Fender Esquire played by Tyler Bryant by Carter Vintage Guitars

1957 Fender Esquire played by Tyler Bryant

Carter Vintage Guitars

Carter Vintage Guitars

Video thumbnail for The Ultimate Rock Guitar? Fender Esquire by The Studio Rats

The Ultimate Rock Guitar? Fender Esquire

The Studio Rats

The Studio Rats

Video thumbnail for This Vintage '56 Fender Esquire is DISGUSTING!! by NEO Guitar Concepts

This Vintage '56 Fender Esquire is DISGUSTING!!

NEO Guitar Concepts

NEO Guitar Concepts

Reviews

PROS

  • Unique single-coil sound distinct from Telecaster bridge pickups

  • Excellent build quality and playability, praised even by Custom Shop users

  • Lightweight design, often under 7 lbs, enhances playability

  • Classic 50s aesthetic with vintage finishes and features

  • Versatile tonal options with modifiable wiring schemes

  • Comfortable neck profiles, praised for rhythm playing and overall comfort

  • Reduced string pull from single pickup adds distinctive tonal character

  • Offers customization potential for enthusiasts looking to tweak their instrument

CONS

  • Stock wiring scheme may not appeal to everyone

  • Finish can be too glossy for some, affecting comfort

  • Smaller frets may not suit players used to larger ones

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Fender Esquire.

Features and functionality

  • A 4-way switch on the Esquire offers "Volume only," "Volume & Tone," and "1/2 and 1/4 cocked wah" options for varied tonal versatility.

    Source
  • Variations in Esquire wiring and pot configurations can impact sound, indicating not all models produce identical tones.

    Source
  • The 3-position switch includes different capacitors for varied tones, allowing users to switch between bright and darker presets.

    Source
  • One popular Esquire circuit includes a dark circuit, standard tone, and the bridge pickup wired directly to the output jack for clarity.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • Some owners convert their Esquires by adding pickups with coil taps, allowing for multiple coil options and unique tone settings.

    Source
  • Owners suggest using a Seymour Duncan Secret Weapon pickup under the guard to enhance tonal options while maintaining the Esquire's aesthetic.

    Source
  • Some owners use an EMG Tele bridge pickup for low tunings, suggesting versatility for baritone Esquire setups.

    Source
  • Some owners explore adding humbuckers with coil-splitting to expand tonal options while maintaining the Esquire's minimalist setup.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Users find that having an Esquire encourages focusing on technique, as the single pickup setup limits distractions from switching settings.

    Source
  • Exclusive use of bridge pickups can still achieve desired tones if paired with a suitable amp, highlighting amp compatibility as key.

    Source

Comparisons

  • An Esquire configured with a Seymour Duncan Broadcaster pickup and minimal settings is favored for jazz and practice, highlighting its simplicity in tone exploration.

    Source
  • The lack of a neck pickup route in MIJ Art Canvas Esquires contrasts with traditional Telecasters, influencing tone options.

    Source

User experience

  • Owners with varied Esquires report satisfaction, even using hidden pickups for stealthy tonal expansion without altering aesthetics.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Fender 70th Anniversary Esquire Review | GuitarPlayer

guitarplayer.com

The Fender 70th Anniversary Esquire is a nostalgic nod to a classic design, capturing the essence of Fender's groundbreaking single-pickup guitar. Praised for its light and resonant nature, the Esquire offers a broad tonal range thanks to its old-school electronics, despite having just one pickup. The flawless nitro finish adds to its charm. However, the necessity to remove the neck to adjust the truss rod is a minor inconvenience. Overall, this guitar stands as a fitting tribute to a historic model, celebrated for its vibrant sound and vintage appeal.

positive

Fender’s 70th Anniversary Esquire | Vintage Guitar® magazine

vintageguitar.com

Fender's 70th Anniversary Esquire is a masterful blend of homage and innovation. It retains the iconic single-pickup charm of the 1950 original but modernizes it with a roasted pine body for improved resonance and stability. The beefy maple neck and vintage-style frets offer a nostalgic playing experience, while the Tim Shaw-designed pickup delivers a unique, punchy sound. However, purists might seek thicker strings for that truly vintage tone. The nitrocellulose finish and vibrant color options add to its allure. Overall, it's a fitting tribute to a classic, with a few modern twists.

positive
Add

5.0 out of 5

Based on 4 Reviews and 35 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
jimmarchi1

Pretty solid stock guitar fr the buck.

This is a Mexi-made Esquire. Swamp-ash body, maple neck, etc. Pretty much a classic 50s telecaster with 1 pickup and the esquire's wonky wiring. But the wiring scheme is part of the charm of an esquire as is the reduced string pull from just 1 pickup that makes these guitars just a touch meaner than their big brothers. This guitar has a well-applied Polyurethane white-blonde finish that is too glossy for my taste. Feels weird under my forearm. The neck is finished in vintage tinted poly and is fairly glossy, but in a good way. I never seem to stick to it even when I get sweaty.

My 3 star review is based on how I got this esquire stock. Its really a 4.5 star after some tweaking. An Angeltone 1950B pickup went in the bridge and I switched the stock steel barrels for a set of Hipshot compensated brass saddles. That seemed to bring the guitar to life plugged in. I didn't feel that the stock parts put forward its midrangey voice unplugged.

She doesn't have an official name but I often refer to her as Mary (as in Mary Kaye cosmetics, even though she is not truly Mary Kaye) or the Deathsquire (mine has a black bakelite pickguard installed by the previous owner) because she wears more black than any of my other guitars. Tré funereal, Baron Samedi!

From Gear Setup
andrew_moran

I had one of these and of course I regret selling it now - like half the gear I have had.

skylinerr

Are all your teles maple necked?

jimmarchi1

no, 2 maple, 1 rosewood I think... at one point I had like 3 or 4 maples and 2 rosewoods? I forget.

skylinerr

great

a 2000s mexi esquire refinished in black modded from stock with kluson tuners a white 7 hole pickguard with 2 strat single coils (neck and middle position) making a 3 pickup esquire/tele/strat and I had to get it a 5 way selector

Genres:
weepo
weepo

3565

My favorite guitar!

I have a custom build of the Esquire with a snakehead neck. I love the bright tone of this pickup. And the minimalism!

otto_van_carr

Custom Esquire. No knobs. Rio Grande P90 wired straight to output jack.

Go-to guitar. Beautiful simplicity. Comfortable chunky neck. Flat wounds.

otto_van_carr

Syd Barrett influence

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Matt Sweeney uses Fender Esquire

Matt Sweeney

Guitarist

The Desert Sessions

...
Verified via Premier Guitar

According to an article by Luke Ottenhof in Premier Guitar titled "Meet the Hard Quartet, the New Malkmus-Led Supergroup," Matt Sweeney uses a Vintage Fender Esquire as part of his guitar setup for The Hard Quartet.

See how Luther Perkins uses Fender Esquire

Luther Perkins

Guitarist

Tennessee Three

...
Verified via Christies

Fender Esquire was Luther Perkins' main guitar model. He had many of those, but he was most commonly seen with a blonde 1955 Esquire.

See how David Grissom uses Fender Esquire

David Grissom

Guitarist

Storyville

...
Verified via Premierguitar

"I got to Austin and everybody was playing a Strat, me included. I traded a 1959 Esquire for an all-mahogany Sea Foam Green PRS in ’85. I thought it would be something different. I met Paul Reed Smith at a guitar show in ’87, and he gave me the Gold Top that became my main guitar for many years."

See how Rob Cantor uses Fender Esquire

Rob Cantor

Singer, Guitarist

Tally Hall

...
Verified via YouTube

An Esquire is visible behind Rob at 1:31 in this video. It's unknown if this guitar was ever used however it is visible in the background of several Tally Hall videos. It's unknown who actually owned it but it was likely shared by Rob and Joe as several other guitars they used were.

See how Christian Lembach uses Fender Esquire

Christian Lembach

Guitarist, Singer

Whores

...
Verified via Photo

"My main guitar in the band is a reissue MIM 1952 Fender Esquire, and the pickup is a really hot single coil that is wound one way for half of the turns and reverse-wound for the second half. I’m not entirely sure what this means, but I know that it sounds incredible. The forward position on the selector switch on the Esquire (the equivalent of the neck position on a Telecaster) pulls the tone control out of the circuit and also adds a bass boost. I use this position a lot."

Source:

http://www.metalsucks.net/2013/11/11/rigged-whores-guitaristvocalist-christian-lembach/

See how Matt "Guitar" Murphy uses Fender Esquire

Matt "Guitar" Murphy

Guitarist

The Blues Brothers

...
Verified via Photo

The image from Mysticbluesfestival shows Matt "Guitar" Murphy playing a Fender Esquire guitar.

See how David Bazan uses Fender Esquire

David Bazan

Composer

Pedro the Lion

...
Verified via YouTube

David Bazan is confirmed to use a Fender Esquire-style guitar, which he affectionately refers to as "Benny Davis" in honor of his maternal grandfather. This customization includes the addition of a Lollar soapbar P90 pickup. This information is supported by a video on the official Pedro the Lion YouTube channel titled "Meet Benny Davis (Rig Rundown)," where Bazan introduces and discusses the modified instrument.

See how Alexander Pushnoy uses Fender Esquire

Alexander Pushnoy

Singer, Guitarist

...
Verified via YouTube

In this video Alexander playing on American Fender Esquire Replic Custom Shop

See how Lu Edmunds uses Fender Esquire

Lu Edmunds

Guitarist, Bassist

Public Image Ltd

...
Verified via Photo

Edmonds states in this interview that he uses a Fender Esquire.

See how Mick Ralphs uses Fender Esquire

Mick Ralphs

Guitarist

Bad Company

...
Verified via Discogs

The Discogs page for Mick Ralphs features a photo of him with his white Fender Esquire, distinguished by its black pickguard and maple neck and fretboard.

In 2001, Ralphs mentioned having a 1957 Fender Esquire in Vintage Guitar interview.

I’ve got an old Fender ’57 Esquire I used to play all the time, then I stopped playing it and I had it hanging around. When I started playing it again I realized it’s a really great guitar.

He elaborated on the guitar in 2013 Music Radar interview.

"This is my old '57 Esquire, which I've had for years and years. I love it to bits. I found it in a shop in LA for $75 or something like that, during the Mott days. But somebody had put a humbucker in the neck position, so when I got it home I took that out and put a plain Fender Esquire plate in to cover up the hole. A '57 Esquire should have an off-white pickguard, but I've got a black one because I thought it looked cooler, like Jeff Beck or whatever. And I've used that ever since. When I first started working with Paul Rodgers it was just him and me initially, writing songs. I played him Can't Get Enough and I'd written it in an open G tuning, which is quite standard. But he said, 'Well, I like the song, but can you change the key?' So we figured out what key was good for him and it ended up being C, and I thought, 'Bloody hell - how do I do this?' I'd tuned the guitar up really high so the open chord was C. And, of course, I was popping strings. Even now it's quite a tight guitar to play, but it just had a certain ring, a certain sound. I used that on Movin' On and Can't Get Enough particularly.

See how Emmett Kelly uses Fender Esquire

Emmett Kelly

Guitarist

Ty Segall and The Freedom Band

...
Verified via Premier Guitar

According to an article by Luke Ottenhof in Premier Guitar titled "Meet the Hard Quartet, the New Malkmus-Led Supergroup," Emmett Kelly uses a 1957 Fender Esquire as part of his guitar setup for The Hard Quartet.

See how Ronnie Montrose uses Fender Esquire

Ronnie Montrose

Guitarist

The Edgar Winter Group

...
Verified

As stated on page 87 of the March 1980 issue of International Musician and Recording World, an Esquire was Montrose's main guitar for Open Fire. He later sold it to Carlos Santana in early 1980.

"On my solo LP I just used a little amp and a fuzz (tone). The main instrument I used was a Fender Esquire that I just sold to Carlos Santana." Montrose shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not into flash," he emphasizes.

Used With

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Community setups

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