Blackguard Telecaster

There’s nothing sweeter in the guitar world than the iconic butterscotch Blackguard Fender Telecaster. It is just as popular today as it was in 1952 when it made its initial appearance. I’ve got a few Telecasters in my collection and this one is at the top of my list.

I put this guy together using parts I’d accumulated along the way, as well as a few I picked up especially for this guitar. The neck, body, pickups, bridge, tuners, neck plate, and string tree are all Fender. I can’t remember where I got the compensated saddles, and I bought the switchplate as a drop-in assembly from a seller on Etsy. You may have noticed that the switchplate is reversed compared to a standard Tele, which I prefer. The classic five-screw pickguard was special ordered from Warmoth. The pickups are Fender Vintage 64s which I really like…they can twang and rock and roll. The tuners are Fender locking tuners which are rock steady. The grain in the body wood is very nice and the flame on the neck and fretboard is beautiful.