Fender Overview
Not to be confused with its younger, humbucking pickup-equipped cousin, the elegant, double-bound Custom Telecaster was produced between ’59 and ’68. The 1965 Custom Telecaster brings that period to life again with its Parchment body binding, smooth playing feel and authentic original-era sound. The two-piece alder body wears a nitrocellulose lacquer finish that gives it the broken-in look and feel of a guitar that saw the transition from rock ‘n’ roll to rock. The tinted riftsawn maple neck is stable and comfortable, thanks to the “ ’60-style Oval C” profile that works for almost any playing style. Refined for modern guitarists and bearing 21 medium-vintage frets, the round-lam maple fingerboard’s 7.5” radius at the nut flattens to 9.5” as you move up the neck, making it supremely comfortable for both chordal and single-note playing. The pair of Hand-Wound ’64 Tele® single-coil pickups are tied to modern wiring and a Greasebucket™ tone control, so you can roll off the highs without losing volume.Other features include 3-way switch, ’64-’66 bridge with threaded steel saddles, 3-ply Parchment pickguard, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut and wing string tree. Includes deluxe hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.
Specs
General
- Model Name: 1965 Telecaster® Custom Relic®, Maple Fingerboard, Aged Black
- Model Number: 9235000843
- Series: Time Machine
- Color: Aged Black
Body
- Body Shape: Telecaster®
- Body Material: Alder
- Body Finish: Lacquer Neck
Neck
- Neck Material: Maple
- Neck Shape: 1960 Oval "C"
- Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
- Fingerboard Radius: 7.25" to 9.5" Compound Radius (184 mm to 241 mm)
- Number of Frets: 21
- Fret Size: Medium Vintage
- String Nut: Bone
- Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
- Headstock: Telecaster®
- Neck Plate: 4-Bolt
- Neck Finish: Tinted Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Fingerboard: Maple
- Position Inlays: Black Dots
Electronics
- Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Tele®
- Neck Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Tele®
- Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
- Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade:
- Position 1. Bridge Pickup
- Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups
- Position 3. Neck Pickup
- Pickup Configuration: SS
Hardware
- Bridge: 3-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele® Bridge
- Tuning Machines: Vintage-Style with Fender Logo
- Orientation: Right-Hand
- Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
- Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment
- Control Knobs: Knurled Flat-Top
- Switch Tips: Black Top Hat Relic®
Miscellaneous
- Strings: Nickel Plated Steel (0.010-0.046 Gauges)
Fender Custom Telecaster Historical Information
Starting in 1959, Fender introduced a new model, the Telecaster Custom. It was the same as a standard Tele except it came in three colour sunburst and a bound body.
Mid 1959 Custom Telecaster specs:
- Early issues had some similarities with late 50s Telecasters: five pick-guard screws and top loading bridge plate;
- Later in 59 the custom transitioned to eight pick-guard screws and string through body configuration;
- Body binding, sunburst finish, and three layer celluloid mint green pick-guard;
- The first few models have a peg-head logo the same as a regular Telecaster. Then a gold spaghetti peg-head decal reads "Custom Telecaster" (not Telecaster Custom!), with the model name lettering slightly bolder than a regular Telecaster.
- Earliest Custom Telecaster date I have seen is 4/59, but there are rumors of some early 1959 Custom Tele's with a regular "Telecaster" (instead of "Telecaster Custom") peghead decal.
Fall 1964 Telecaster specs:
- Pearloid fingerboard dots replace "clay" dots (this transitioned into early 1965).
- Pickguard changed to a white plastic W/B/W three layer laminted plastic.
- The Custom Telecaster peghead decal changed to the gold "transition" style decal with patent numbers 2,573,254 and 2,784,631 and DES number 164,227.
- Pickup changes from "black bottom" to "gray bottom" (again this transitioned into 1965).
- Tuners change from "single line" Kluson Deluxe to "double line" Kluson Deluxe (where "Kluson" and "Deluxe" are now in two vertical parallel lines).
1967 Telecaster specs:
- Glued-on Maple fingerboard with no back skunk stripe "officially" available, even though in practice it was readily available in 1965 and 1966 (no skunk stripe).
My Review
Features
This model is a part of the Fender Custom Shop 2019 range. It has two options to the 1965 Telecaster Custom specification are the black body colour and round-lam maple fret board. The list price of a Telecaster Custom with these options (per 1966 catalog) would have been = $255.20 i.e. $232.00 (Telecaster Custom) + $11.60 (Black custom colour) + $11.60 (maple fret board). In addition to the '65 spec this custom shop model also features: bigger frets, modern tele wiring with grease-bucket tone control and hand-wound 1964 pickups. Light weight at 7.63 lbs. The guitar specification as listed for sale:
- 7 lbs, 2 oz.
- Nitro Lacquer Aged Black Finish
- Double-Bound Alder Body
- ’60 Style Oval “C” Shape Rift Sawn Maple Neck
- 25.5” Scale Length
- 7.25-9.5” Fretboard Radius
- 21 Sanko 6105 Frets
- .810” Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
- .900” Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
- Handwound ’64 Telecaster Single-Coil Pickups
- Vintage-Style 3-Saddle Tele Bridge
- Bone Nut
- Vintage-Style Tuners
- Nickel Hardware
Sounds
The bridge pickup has that definitive twang. The neck pickup sounds like it would be good for blues maybe even jazz. I sold a previous tele because sound volume difference between bridge and neck was too wide. This guitar sounds like a much more even balance but I won't be able to confirm until I'm at band practice.
Action, Fit and Finish
A compound neck from 7.5" to 9.5" radius and bigger than 1965 standard frets. No fret-ing out, a joy to play. Love the relic'ing.
Reliability/Durability
Fenders tend to be very durable. Maybe parts start to wear out after many hard years on the road: pots, frets, pickups, etc. However, everything is replaceable and no need to look around for 1965 originals.
Customer Support
NA Don't know yet but fender have been pretty good with my amps.
Overall Rating ★★★★★
The '66 list price for a Telecaster was $214.50. The list price of a Telecaster Custom with these options would have been $255.20. The slight increase in spec and considerably higher price would make this guitar of this spec a bit of a rarity.I was not a Tele guy based on previous experience with an average Telecaster. However, this guitar has change my mind. Great tone variation, easy playability and tuning stability. This could be a perfect jazz/rhythm/rock guitar!
