History of sunburst Telecasters and Esquires

[theprofessor]

Here is my Fender Custom Shop 54 Tele that I got from Dave's at the Arlington Guitar Show back in 2007 or 2008.

When I first got it home with the white PG, then after I put a black PG on about a year ago.
It's my favorite Sunburst finish that I've ever seen.

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Wow, telex76! What a nice looking guitar! I'd be very, very happy to have that one myself. Just perfect (and not over-relic'd). That first photograph is a really, really good picture. Though I can't help but notice the brown Tolex Princeton in the second one...

 

[Ebidis]

Thanks, Ebidis! Heavy for a Tele (unloaded body is 7 lbs) but gorgeous!

Wow, that is a bit on the heavy side. My whole guitar is only 6.8 lbs, but I have a Strat made of ash that is heavy like yours.

 

[theprofessor]

Wow, that is a bit on the heavy side. My whole guitar is only 6.8 lbs, but I have a Strat made of ash that is heavy like yours.

Yes, I guess it's a heavier specimen of ash. The whole guitar weighs 9 lbs 12 oz. I have another Tele that is just under 7 lbs.

 

[theprofessor]

Here's a picture from a fantastic new book that's just been released, Fender: The Golden Age: 1946-1970, by Martin Kelly, Terry Foster, and Paul Kelly. A 1957 in two-tone sunburst on p. 47. It's the look I'm going for on mine.

In that book, they note that the change to a white guard on Teles (which coincided with the more white/translucent blonde finish) occurred in 1954 to bring the Teles in line with the newly released Stratocaster.

Then further on p. 52: "...it wasn't until 1957 that a second standardized finish would be offered. Limited numbers of Esquires and Telecasters were produced, like the Stratocaster, in attractive two-color sunbursts during '57 and '58, and rare examples of these are highly prized today."

In light of this fact, it makes sense that the earliest Esquires and Teles in the two-tone burst in this thread are from 1957 and that Joe Bonamassa's collection from 1955 is so prized.

But there is the 1951 two-tone Esquire that was turned into a two-pickup guitar for a visitor to the Fender factory who insisted on having it. I think it was a bench/test guitar, and he just had to have it and just had to have two pickups (they did not have any Teles available at the moment, or at least ones he liked). That is exceedingly rare, not only because it's a two-pickup Esquire, but also because it's a two-tone burst from '51, which was not a finish either on Esquires or Telecasters at the time. It must have been some kind of experimental guitar, but boy did it turn out pretty!

 

[smartsoul72]

Here is my partscaster that has a '78 three color burst body. I fell hard for the body when I came across it. Whatever you folks may think of my other accessory choices, I hope you enjoy the burst

 

[theprofessor]

Here is my partscaster that has a '78 three color burst body. I fell hard for the body when I came across it. Whatever you folks may think of my other accessory choices, I hope you enjoy the burstView attachment 515553

Nice! Thanks for posting. I bet it sounds great!

 

[Mike Simpson]

I prefer the 2 color burst, I think they look great. It is a classic finish.
Just a personal opinion but I can't, in a nice way, express how much I dislike the 3 color burst.

 

[theprofessor]

...I can't, in a nice way, express how much I dislike the 3 color burst.

Wow! Isn't it interesting how one can, for example, really like a two-color sunburst and really dislike a three-color sunburst? I wouldn't put it as strongly as you, but I'm of a similar mind.

 

[Mike Simpson]

I assume you know what many call the red 3 color burst?

(Trying to be nice.)

 

[theprofessor]

I assume you know what many call the red 3 color burst?

(Trying to be nice.)

Maybe not. Can you post a pic of it (as much as it may pain you to do so )?

 

[Stratohacker]

My number one is a 2015 CS 60 Custom Reissue. She's a 3 tone chocolate sunburst. I think the CS did a really good job of blending the colors in the sunburst on these.




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[Hiker]

My number one is a 2015 CS 60 Custom Reissue. She's a 3 tone chocolate sunburst. I think the CS did a really good job of blending the colors in the sunburst on these.

Minimal black, 3T, and grain is visible very close to edges of body.

My favorite characteristics, combined in one guitar!

 

[tweedman2001]

My number one is a 2015 CS 60 Custom Reissue. She's a 3 tone chocolate sunburst. I think the CS did a really good job of blending the colors in the sunburst on these.

Just awesome.

 

[tce63]

My number one is a 2015 CS 60 Custom Reissue. She's a 3 tone chocolate sunburst. I think the CS did a really good job of blending the colors in the sunburst on these.

Looks fantastic !

 

[Ira7]

My number one is a 2015 CS 60 Custom Reissue. She's a 3 tone chocolate sunburst. I think the CS did a really good job of blending the colors in the sunburst on these.

That, my friend, is a thing of real beauty.

Stunning.

 

[Larmo63]

1960

 

[theprofessor]

1960View attachment 515611

Holy smokes, that's awesome!

 

[Ira7]

1960View attachment 515611

If I owned that, I would keep it in a bank vault.

 

[ifallalot]

I almost forgot: Here is a not-so-good picture I took a while back of a 1951 two-pickup Esquire in two-tone burst. It's one of eight two-pickup Esquires in existence. One of the others is a blonde one from 1950 in the case right next to it. I really like how much black this one has around the edges. In fact, I like this color scheme best of all of them.

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I like this look, my Les Paul 60s is like this

 

[adjason]

Lot of beauties here- I love two tone burst on ash