1964 was a monumental year for popular music and a pivotal year for the Telecaster, too, as seen in the Fender American Vintage '64 Telecaster Electric Guitar. The thicker maple necks of the '50s and early '60s now gave way to a more rounded C-shaped profile, this time topped with a round-laminated rosewood fingerboard with larger pearl dot inlays. Other vintage-accurate touches include a lightweight alder body (ash on White Blonde model), staggered bridge pickup pole magnets, threaded steel "barrel" bridge saddles, three-ply white pickguard with eight holes, top-hat switch tip, flat-top knurled chrome control knobs and more.
The American Vintage Series has long presented some of Fender's best selling guitars (their early-'80s introduction, in fact, was one of the first signs that Fender was "back" as the CBS era ended). Today, Fender has boldly cleared the slate to make way for a fresh American Vintage series with new features, new specs and the most meticulous level of vintage accuracy yet. Rather than just replacing the previous models with different ones, they've completely and comprehensively re-imagined the entire vintage-reissue concept-restoring original tooling dies, voicing new pickups, reformulating vintage colors and more-based on actual vintage guitars. Includes case.
Body
Body shape: Single cutaway
Body type: Solid body
Body material: Solid wood
Top wood: Not applicable
Body wood: Alder
Body finish: Gloss
Orientation: Right handed
Neck
Neck shape: C mid '60s
Neck wood: Maple
Joint: Bolt-on
Scale length: 25.5"
Truss rod: Standard
Neck finish: Gloss
Fretboard
Material: Rosewood
Radius: 7.25"
Fret size: Medium
Number of frets: 21
Inlays: Dot
Nut width: 1.65" (42mm)
Pickups
Configuration: SS
Neck: American Vintage '64 Tele
Middle: Not applicable
Bridge: American Vintage '64 Tele
Brand: Fender
Active or passive: Passive
Series or parallel: Series
Piezo: No
Active EQ: No
Special electronics: None
Controls
Control layout: Master volume, tone
Pickup switch: 3-way
Coil tap or split: No
Kill switch: No
Hardware
Bridge type: Fixed
Bridge design: 3-saddle vintage-style
Tailpiece: Not applicable
Tuning machines: Deluxe sealed
Color: Chrome
Other
Number of strings: 6-string
Special features: Neck profile
Case: Hardshell case
Accessories: Strap, cable, cloth and owner's manual