My new Build: '59 Esquire Top-Loader Recreation/Variation

[tomprincipato]

I would like to share with everyone a guitar build I just completed. It's a 1959 Fender Esquire "Top-Loader" Recreation/Variation. When I was playing in the band Powerhouse in the 1970's, I was loaned a 1959 Blonde finish "Top-Loader" Fender Telecaster for a possible purchase. I played the guitar for a couple weeks and fell in love with it, however the asking price in 1977 was $500 which I couldn't afford, so I passed on the purchase. Just as a frame of reference, the 1965 Gibson ES-335 which I was playing at that time in Powerhouse I bought for $200 in 1967 from Willie Downing. That 1959 Tele would be worth well over $25,000 on today's Vintage Guitar market.

Here's what I decided to put together:
Fender black alder wood body weighs about 5.5 lbs.
Fender '50s Esquire U-Shape Maple Neck With 21 Vintage Frets, 7.25" Radius. The one-piece maple neck has an early '50s U profile--a nice big, fat neck that even though I have rather small hands fits nicely into the palm of my hand. Because there is so much wood to this neck it has a nice big resonant sound. The stock Fender plastic nut has been upgraded to a bone nut.
Wilkinson WTB steel bridge plate with "Top-Loader" stringing ability.
True Custom Shop® Stainless Steel Saddles: nickel finish steel saddles to increase the "Twang Factor". After-market white pearloid pickguard.
Custom wired Esquire Wiring Harness - with Eldred Mod, CTS Pots & Mallory Caps from KT Paulus Guitar Parts, which I find to have a much cleaner and clearer sound than the wiring Fender is currently producing. You can see in the photo the meticulous Military style wiring he does.
And finally a Fender "Twisted Tele" lead pickup which is wound out to a whopping 10.45 ohms (most Fender vintage style Tele pickups are wound to about 6 or 7 ohms). This pickup even though it is wound out so much, still has a surprisingly clear, clean, fat and punchy sound with lots of Twang.
This one's a Keeper!

 

[dankilling]

Looks fantastic- I’ve been kicking around the idea of building something similar but in white-blonde

 

[tomprincipato]

Sounds like fun! I highly recommend those various high quality parts and suppliers I mentioned. For me, those ingredients came together to make a big difference.
...since I already have a Fender 60th Anniversary Blonde Esquire which I converted to a two pickup, I decided to go with the black. I'm playing that one in my profile photo.

 

[kris ford]

I would like to share with everyone a guitar build I just completed. It's a 1959 Fender Esquire "Top-Loader" Recreation/Variation. When I was playing in the band Powerhouse in the 1970's, I was loaned a 1959 Blonde finish "Top-Loader" Fender Telecaster for a possible purchase. I played the guitar for a couple weeks and fell in love with it, however the asking price in 1977 was $500 which I couldn't afford, so I passed on the purchase. Just as a frame of reference, the 1965 Gibson ES-335 which I was playing at that time in Powerhouse I bought for $200 in 1967 from Willie Downing. That 1959 Tele would be worth well over $25,000 on today's Vintage Guitar market.

Here's what I decided to put together:
Fender black alder wood body weighs about 5.5 lbs.
Fender '50s Esquire U-Shape Maple Neck With 21 Vintage Frets, 7.25" Radius. The one-piece maple neck has an early '50s U profile--a nice big, fat neck that even though I have rather small hands fits nicely into the palm of my hand. Because there is so much wood to this neck it has a nice big resonant sound. The stock Fender plastic nut has been upgraded to a bone nut.
Wilkinson WTB steel bridge plate with "Top-Loader" stringing ability.
True Custom Shop® Stainless Steel Saddles: nickel finish steel saddles to increase the "Twang Factor". After-market white pearloid pickguard.
Custom wired Esquire Wiring Harness - with Eldred Mod, CTS Pots & Mallory Caps from KT Paulus Guitar Parts, which I find to have a much cleaner and clearer sound than the wiring Fender is currently producing. You can see in the photo the meticulous Military style wiring he does.
And finally a Fender "Twisted Tele" lead pickup which is wound out to a whopping 10.45 ohms (most Fender vintage style Tele pickups are wound to about 6 or 7 ohms). This pickup even though it is wound out so much, still has a surprisingly clear, clean, fat and punchy sound with lots of Twang.
This one's a Keeper!

I'd run a plain white guard personally, but damn..looking great!

 

[tomprincipato]

Hi Kris, funny you should mention that because that was exactly what I originally had in mind too. And I do have a Vintage style Fender Esquire pickguard. But after installing it, I wanted something a little bit different, that's why I went with the pearloid "Mother Of Toilet Seat". Attached is a photo of the vintage style. Opinions welcome: which does everyone who cares to weigh in on this subject prefer?

 

[El Tele Lobo]

That Esquire is big pimpin’! If you record any sound demos, please post them here so we can hear it too.

 

[Reedo]

That's a beauty and no mistake. Enjoy.

 

[yettoblaster]

I tend to like ‘em plain, but that MOTS guard looks great!
Adds a subtle wow pop. Better’n any other bling IMHO.

 

[mimmo]

Great looking guitar! Have fun.

 

[gmann]

Nice, I dig top loaders!

 

[msalama]

cares to weigh in on this subject prefer?

Tort and black go great together, IMO. But a beautiful guitar with MOTS too, so kudos for a job well done mate!

 

[kris ford]

Hi Kris, funny you should mention that because that was exactly what I originally had in mind too. And I do have a Vintage style Fender Esquire pickguard. But after installing it, I wanted something a little bit different, that's why I went with the pearloid "Mother Of Toilet Seat". Attached is a photo of the vintage style. Opinions welcome: which does everyone who cares to weigh in on this subject prefer?

Oh damn..that white does look good!

 

[d barham]

Beautiful guitar.

 

[coachcbg]

Loverly….. really top looking guitar. Bet that plays a treat. Prefer the plain white myself but it’s your guitar so whatever makes your socks go up and down

 

[Flaneur]

I like those juicy, Broadcaster-style pickups, too. A very versatile choice, for an Esquire.

 

[Peegoo]

@tomprincipato

Tom, that's a nice build! The white pearl MOTO looks good, but too 'modern' to my eye.

The guitar looks really good with the plain white guard; it evokes scenes from 1940s/50s black-and-white films starring Humphrey Bogart, Carey Grant, Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, etc., wearing tuxedos.

 

[slimfinger]

I would like to share with everyone a guitar build I just completed. It's a 1959 Fender Esquire "Top-Loader" Recreation/Variation. When I was playing in the band Powerhouse in the 1970's, I was loaned a 1959 Blonde finish "Top-Loader" Fender Telecaster for a possible purchase. I played the guitar for a couple weeks and fell in love with it, however the asking price in 1977 was $500 which I couldn't afford, so I passed on the purchase. Just as a frame of reference, the 1965 Gibson ES-335 which I was playing at that time in Powerhouse I bought for $200 in 1967 from Willie Downing. That 1959 Tele would be worth well over $25,000 on today's Vintage Guitar market.

Here's what I decided to put together:
Fender black alder wood body weighs about 5.5 lbs.
Fender '50s Esquire U-Shape Maple Neck With 21 Vintage Frets, 7.25" Radius. The one-piece maple neck has an early '50s U profile--a nice big, fat neck that even though I have rather small hands fits nicely into the palm of my hand. Because there is so much wood to this neck it has a nice big resonant sound. The stock Fender plastic nut has been upgraded to a bone nut.
Wilkinson WTB steel bridge plate with "Top-Loader" stringing ability.
True Custom Shop® Stainless Steel Saddles: nickel finish steel saddles to increase the "Twang Factor". After-market white pearloid pickguard.
Custom wired Esquire Wiring Harness - with Eldred Mod, CTS Pots & Mallory Caps from KT Paulus Guitar Parts, which I find to have a much cleaner and clearer sound than the wiring Fender is currently producing. You can see in the photo the meticulous Military style wiring he does.
And finally a Fender "Twisted Tele" lead pickup which is wound out to a whopping 10.45 ohms (most Fender vintage style Tele pickups are wound to about 6 or 7 ohms). This pickup even though it is wound out so much, still has a surprisingly clear, clean, fat and punchy sound with lots of Twang.
This one's a Keeper!fantastic

I would like to share with everyone a guitar build I just completed. It's a 1959 Fender Esquire "Top-Loader" Recreation/Variation. When I was playing in the band Powerhouse in the 1970's, I was loaned a 1959 Blonde finish "Top-Loader" Fender Telecaster for a possible purchase. I played the guitar for a couple weeks and fell in love with it, however the asking price in 1977 was $500 which I couldn't afford, so I passed on the purchase. Just as a frame of reference, the 1965 Gibson ES-335 which I was playing at that time in Powerhouse I bought for $200 in 1967 from Willie Downing. That 1959 Tele would be worth well over $25,000 on today's Vintage Guitar market.

Here's what I decided to put together:
Fender black alder wood body weighs about 5.5 lbs.
Fender '50s Esquire U-Shape Maple Neck With 21 Vintage Frets, 7.25" Radius. The one-piece maple neck has an early '50s U profile--a nice big, fat neck that even though I have rather small hands fits nicely into the palm of my hand. Because there is so much wood to this neck it has a nice big resonant sound. The stock Fender plastic nut has been upgraded to a bone nut.
Wilkinson WTB steel bridge plate with "Top-Loader" stringing ability.
True Custom Shop® Stainless Steel Saddles: nickel finish steel saddles to increase the "Twang Factor". After-market white pearloid pickguard.
Custom wired Esquire Wiring Harness - with Eldred Mod, CTS Pots & Mallory Caps from KT Paulus Guitar Parts, which I find to have a much cleaner and clearer sound than the wiring Fender is currently producing. You can see in the photo the meticulous Military style wiring he does.
And finally a Fender "Twisted Tele" lead pickup which is wound out to a whopping 10.45 ohms (most Fender vintage style Tele pickups are wound to about 6 or 7 ohms). This pickup even though it is wound out so much, still has a surprisingly clear, clean, fat and punchy sound with lots of Twang.
This one's a Keeper!

Fantastic build, pretty much exactly the same specs I'd want in an Esquire, including top-loading bridge and steel saddles.

 

[tjnugent]

I would like to share with everyone a guitar build I just completed. It's a 1959 Fender Esquire "Top-Loader" Recreation/Variation. When I was playing in the band Powerhouse in the 1970's, I was loaned a 1959 Blonde finish "Top-Loader" Fender Telecaster for a possible purchase. I played the guitar for a couple weeks and fell in love with it, however the asking price in 1977 was $500 which I couldn't afford, so I passed on the purchase. Just as a frame of reference, the 1965 Gibson ES-335 which I was playing at that time in Powerhouse I bought for $200 in 1967 from Willie Downing. That 1959 Tele would be worth well over $25,000 on today's Vintage Guitar market.

Here's what I decided to put together:
Fender black alder wood body weighs about 5.5 lbs.
Fender '50s Esquire U-Shape Maple Neck With 21 Vintage Frets, 7.25" Radius. The one-piece maple neck has an early '50s U profile--a nice big, fat neck that even though I have rather small hands fits nicely into the palm of my hand. Because there is so much wood to this neck it has a nice big resonant sound. The stock Fender plastic nut has been upgraded to a bone nut.
Wilkinson WTB steel bridge plate with "Top-Loader" stringing ability.
True Custom Shop® Stainless Steel Saddles: nickel finish steel saddles to increase the "Twang Factor". After-market white pearloid pickguard.
Custom wired Esquire Wiring Harness - with Eldred Mod, CTS Pots & Mallory Caps from KT Paulus Guitar Parts, which I find to have a much cleaner and clearer sound than the wiring Fender is currently producing. You can see in the photo the meticulous Military style wiring he does.
And finally a Fender "Twisted Tele" lead pickup which is wound out to a whopping 10.45 ohms (most Fender vintage style Tele pickups are wound to about 6 or 7 ohms). This pickup even though it is wound out so much, still has a surprisingly clear, clean, fat and punchy sound with lots of Twang.
This one's a Keeper

Wow, what a guitar. You did really good. Everything is top shelf. Congrats. This makes me want to build one myself.

 

[JBurton]

I didn’t see you mention tuners. What tuners did you go with?

 

[Peegoo]

I didn’t see you mention tuners. What tuners did you go with?

They appear to be Gotoh Vintage Ovals with the split posts.