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2006 Fender Custom Shop Jeff Beck 1954 Esquire -Masterbuilt by John English - MAKE AN OFFER

Regular price $ 13,000.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $ 13,000.00 USD
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For your consideration, Garrett Park Guitars presents this 2006 Fender Custom Shop Jeff Beck 1954 Esquire -Masterbuilt by John English

Another perfect work of art and perfection by the Fender Custom Shop's John English. 

The Telecaster has a rich history from the 1949 prototypes to its initial release as the "Broadcaster" and later changed to "Telecaster" after it was discovered Gretsch already used the first name on a drum set. The single-pickup Fender Esquire, however, remains a much more mysterious beast. But of all the trivia one might gather about it, the Esquire's most significant claim to fame is that it was the first guitar to be recorded spewing forth white-hot feedback in the hands of Jeff Beck on his original recordings with the Yardbirds.

    This one is made by the late, great John English and absolutely oozes his signature style. The edges are so smooth you may just never want to put it down. The body is a particularly light piece of Ash. 

    Bought by Beck for just $60 in 1964 from the original owner, it already had a contour carved into the White Blonde ash body to try and give it somewhat of the look and feel of a Stratocaster (though not very successfully). Jeff destroyed several necks while the guitar was in his possession. The current neck is a '57 with a soft "V" shape, but the body is pure '54. Beck presented this guitar as a gift to pickup guru Seymour Duncan in 1974, who smartly kept it in its original condition.

In 2006 Fender's Custom Shop released a limited run of only 150 spot-on Masterbuilt replicas (75 made for the USA), with no dealer allowed more than one guitar! This alone guarantees that the Jeff Beck Esquire will become one of the most collectible of all Fender's limited run Tribute Series guitars.

The White Blonde, lacquer-finished ash body has been meticulously "distressed" until it looks (to any human eye) to be an exact clone of Jeff's original, down to the smallest scratches and dings (even the unsuccessful attempt to "Stratify" the feel with a body cutout). Pure mojo of the highest degree!

    Even if you never thought you'd look at a Fender Esquire more than once, this one has some special vibes. Beck's White Blonde ash body Esquire came with a lacquer finish, but by the time he bought it, the previous owner had tried to carve the upper rear bout of the guitar to give it a more "Strat"-style contour. He was not successful, of course, but it's all part of this amazing instrument's look and feel. The lacquer finish is period-accurate and is topped with the '50s-style black, single-ply "bakelite" pickguard. The Relic touches look absolutely authentic, down to the last nick, scratch, and ding. Amazing! 1957-style maple neck and fingerboard with soft "V" shape. Jeff destroyed several necks while the original Esquire was in his possession. The best guess is that the maple neck on it now is either a '56 or more likely a '57 with the slightly chunkier soft "V" shape and a period-accurate lacquer finish (properly distressed, but playable). Special 1951 "Nocaster" bridge pickup and vintage hardware. The pickup on this stunning recreation is a 1951 "Nocaster" bridge pickup.

    For those who don't know the story: Telecasters were originally called Broadcasters, but Gretsch had already used the name on a set of drums. So for a short time, Telecasters came off the assembly line without any name on the headstock, these models are called "Nocasters." Those '51 bridge pickups were all wound by hand, and Beck's has a particularly aggressive sound which is captured by the '51 Nocaster pickup.

    All the hardware is vintage style and period-accurate, including the brass saddles. It even looks like it was used and abused daily for about two decades. If you're going to own this guitar, you deserve a little something extra, so Fender crafted a Limited Edition flight case along with a vintage-style gig bag. Then they filled it with great "case candy"; like a Jeff beck boxed CD set, an 8x10 glossy photo, a Certificate of Authenticity, a Custom Shop decal and finally, a DVD interview with Jeff Beck. Plus all the usual hang tags and so forth.

This piece is in absolute mint condition, and sports NO wear whatsoever

Specs:

  • Color: Blonde
  • Body Type: Solidbody
  • Weight: 5.6 pounds
  • Finish: Lacquer with special "relic" detailing
  • Neck Wood: Maple
  • Neck Shape: '57 style soft "V" shape with lacquer finish
  • Nut width: 0.655"
  • Neck depth: 0.915" at 1st / 1.000" at 12th
  • Fretboard radius = 7.25"
  • Top Wood: Ash
  • Machine Heads: Vintage style
  • Scale Length: 25.5"
  • Fingerboard: Maple w/lacquer finish
  • No. of Frets: 21 vintage style
  • Position Markers: Black dot
  • Pickups: Single '51 "Nocaster" bridge pickup
  • Controls: Volume and tone control knobs
  • Pickup Switching: Three-position blade
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: Vintage w/brass saddles
  • Hardware: Vintage-accurate
  • Case: Limited Edition flight case plus vintage gig bag

Includes: Flight case; Custom Shop leather strap; all original Custom Shop materials (polish cloth/cables); special edition leather gig bag

This mint guitar comes with the original certificate, custom shop DVD, Yardbirds CD, Jeff Beck flag, Jeff Beck photo, custom anvil case, and custom gig bag.   A nice set for the collector or player. 

Serial Number: JE106

Case: Custom Gig Bag/Flight case

Condition: Mint

Photos are of actual guitar and are not stock photos.

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