One of the Most Attractive Telecasters Ever Produced by the Fender Custom Shop

2021 Fender Color Chart Telecaster

This is one of just two Fender Custom Shop 'Color Chart' 1963 'Slab Board' Telecaster's ever produced. The guitar is a perfect weight at just 7.60 lbs and features a solid alder body finished in Olympic White with the most remarkable and (almost) unique 'Color Chart' top (which continues under the pickguard). One-piece maple neck with a nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches, a scale length of 25 1/2 inches and a wonderful medium profile. 'Slab' rosewood fretboard with 21 original medium frets and pearl dot position markers. Headstock decal with "Fender" 'spahetti' logo in silver with black trim. Back of headstock with Fender 'Custom Shop' decal in black. Individual vintage-style "no-name" Fender [Kluson] Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons. Single "butterfly" string tree. Four-bolt neck plate with serial number "R109689" stamped between the top two screws. Two hot single-coil pickups: one plain metal-cover pickup at neck with an output of 6.95k and one black six-polepiece pickup angled in bridgeplate with an output of 6.58k. Three-layer black over white plastic pickguard with eight screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) plus three-way selector switch with 'round' tip, all on metal plate adjoining pickguard. Chrome knobs with flat tops and knurled sides. Fender combined bridge/tailpiece with three 'threaded' adjustable steel saddles. This guitar is in brand new, mint (9.50+++) condition. Complete with all the original case-candy including the black wallet containing the Certificate of Authenticity (signed by Ron Thorn and dated 01/13/2021) and the original order sheet dated 01/06/2021. Housed in the original Fender Custom Shop (G&G) three-latch rectangular black 'center pocket) hardshell case with black leather ends and burgundy plush lining (9.50+++)
The story behind the Color Chart Telecaster:
In the mid-to- late 2000's Dave Swartz of California Vintage was attending a NAMM show where he saw on the Fender Custom Shop stand a 'color-chart' Stratocaster - which he purchased. Three other 'Color-Chart' Stratocasters were subsequently produced. Some years later Dave asked the Fender Custom Shop if they would make two 'Color-Chart' Telecasters - one with a maple fretboard and the other with a 'slab' rosewood fretboard. The Telecaster has twenty-three of the most famous custom colors together with their matching chart number. The colors are: Firemist Gold (#53); Sherwood Green Metallic (#46); Ice Blue Metallic (#83); Burgundy Mist Metallic (#66); Gold Sparkle (#18); Dakota Red (#54); Ocean Turquoise (#08); Vintage White (#41); Firemist Gold (#53); Race Red (#70); Desert Sand (#89); Candy Apple Red (#09); Olympic White (#05); Sea Foam Green (#49); Inca Silver (#24); Shell Pink (#56); Graffiti Yellow (#63); Lake Placid Blue (#02); Daphne Blue (#04); Surf Green (#57); Fiesta Red (#40); Sonic Blue (#72) & Black (#06). Apparently no more of these will be produced.