A landmark year with its slimmer neck and improved twang.
The American Vintage ’58 Telecaster harkens back to early 1958, when the Telecaster graduated from its original U-shaped neck profile-a real handful-to a still-large but more comfortable D-shape for its maple neck. Other spot-on early-’58 touches are here too, such as a lightweight ash body, staggered bridge pickup pole magnets, solid steel “barrel” bridge saddles, a single-ply white pickguard, “top-hat” switch tip, flat-top knurled aluminum chrome control knobs and more.
1958 was an important year for the Telecaster because that’s when slimmer necks started appearing on the instrument, and when (in early-year models) string-through bridges with solid-steel saddles first showed up, magnifying the guitar’s prized signature twang.
Rather than just replacing the previous models with different ones, Fender have 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.
- Body shape: Single cutaway
- Body type: Solid body
- Body material: Solid wood
- Top wood: Not applicable
- Body wood: Ash
- Body finish: Gloss
- Orientation: Right handed
Neck
- Neck shape: D standard
- Neck wood: Maple
- Joint: Bolt-on
- Scale length: 25.5″
- Truss rod: Standard
- Neck finish: Gloss
Fretboard
- Material: Maple
- Radius: 7.25″
- Fret size: Medium
- Number of frets: 21
- Inlays: Dot
- Nut width: 1.65″ (42mm)
Pickups
- Configuration: SS
- Neck: American vintage ’58 Tele
- Middle: Not applicable
- Bridge: American vintage ’58 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
- Country of origin: United States