Do you dig vintage-vibed guitars? Do you prefer modern features and playability? If so, you’ll appreciate everything about the Fender Vintera ‘50s Telecaster Modified. It’s teeming with vintage mojo, thanks to its vintage-inspired color and vintage-tinted neck, along with a vintage-style, 3-saddle bridge, 1-ply pickguard, and vintage-style tuning machines. But, wrap your hand around its comfortable Thick Soft V-shaped neck, with its 9.5”-radius fingerboard, and you’ll quickly realize that the Vintera ‘50s Telecaster Modified doesn’t feel like a vintage axe. You also get hot-rodded Custom Shop pickups and updated electronics for a decidedly modern Tele sound. The Vintera ‘50s Telecaster Modified — who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?

Fender Vintera '50s Telecaster Modified at a Glance:

• Alder or ash body
• Custom shop vintage-style Tele single-coil bridge pickup; Custom Shop Twisted Tele neck pickup
• “Thick Soft V”-shaped maple neck with satin back finish; 9.5”-radius fingerboard with 21 medium-jumbo frets
• Four-way switching and S-1 switch
• Includes deluxe gig bag

Blends the best of the old with the best of the new

The Vintera ‘50s Telecaster Modified was tailor-made for players who crave vintage mojo but demand modern features and playability. This Tele sports a vintage-inspired color and vintage-tinted neck for a classic aesthetic; however, it boasts a contemporary Thick Soft V-shaped neck, 9.5”-radius fingerboard, and 21 medium-jumbo frets for modern playability; plus, hot-rodded Custom Shop pickups and updated electronics deliver an array of modern tonal textures. You also get a vintage-style, 3-saddle bridge, knurled flat-top knobs, 1-ply pickguard, and vintage-style tuning machines, giving you the best of both worlds.

Custom Shop pickups deliver hot-rodded Tele twang

Twangy and articulate, the Fender Vintera ‘50s Telecaster Modified comes armed with a killer set of Custom Shop single-coil pickups. In the neck, you’ll find a Twisted Tele. This unique pup borrows the taller Alnico V magnets from Fender's Jazz Bass pickups, providing the added bobbin space for thicker gauge wire for a hotter, brighter, and punchier sound that's almost Strat-like. In the bridge, you’ll find a hot-wound vintage-style pickup with Alnico II and III magnets, Formvar-coated wire, and staggered beveled pole pieces — everything you need to reproduce the crisp, snarling sound that made the original Tele so versatile. As if that's not enough Tele tone to make anyone happy, the Vintera ‘50s Telecaster Modified augments the standard 3-way switching with 4-way switching and an S1 switch. Series wiring makes this Tele sound fat, like a humbucking pickup, while the S1 switch places the pickups out of phase with each other for a cool “strangled” tone.

The Vintera Series — value-priced, vintage-styled Fenders

The Vintera Series offers Fender’s most popular models in a myriad of shapes and sizes. These instruments are ideal for players who dig vintage-style Fenders, but feel that American Original and Custom Shop guitars are out of their reach. Vintera Series instruments are available in both Vintage and Modified configurations: Vintage models span the ’50s to the ’70s, with period-correct specifications for each era, while Modified models look like vintage instruments but include modern updates that contemporary guitarists will appreciate. All Vintera Series guitars and basses boast Tim Shaw–designed pickups and are available in a wide array of vintage-inspired colors. The guitarists here at Music Experience have found the Vintera Series to be the perfect introduction to Fender’s iconic lineup of legendary instruments.

What Fender Says...

For players who appreciate the mojo of the past matched to modern features, we created the Vintera ‘50s Telecaster Modified. Blending classic looks with a modern neck profile and fingerboard radius, hotter pickups and updated electronics—this guitar packs a surprising amount of power under the hood. For modern Fender tone we included a pair of Custom Shop pickups, kicking things up a bit with a vintage-style bridge pickup and fat-sounding Twisted Tele neck pickup. Twangy and articulate, they have the crisp, snarling sound that put Fender on the musical map. For modern playing feel, we added 21 medium-jumbo frets to the 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard that sits atop the “Thick Soft V”-shaped neck. A vintage-style Tele® bridge with three brass saddles gives this Telecaster it’s characteristic twang, while 4-way switching and the S-1™ switch give you even more tonal variety. Series wiring makes this Tele sound fat, like a humbucking pickup, while the S-1 switch places the pickups out of phase with each other for a cool “strangled” tone. Other features include vintage-style strap buttons, chrome hardware and 4-bolt neck plate. Includes deluxe gig bag.

Alder or Ash Body

A classic Fender tone wood, alder’s sound is balanced with equal doses of lows, mids and highs.

Thick "Soft V" Neck Profile

Based on a “Late 50s V” profile that’s been slightly rounded, the "Soft V" neck profile has a distinctly comfortable fretting-hand feel, is a bit thicker and fills the hand nicely.

Custom Shop Pickups

We matched a Custom Shop vintage-style single-coil bridge pickup with a fat-sounding Twisted Tele neck pickup, for howling, girthy tone.

Modern Fingerboard

Comfortable for chording and single-note playing alike, the 9.5”-radius fingerboard offers modern feel thanks to its medium-jumbo frets, while also making wide bends easier in the upper registers.

Vintage-Style 3-Saddle Bridge

This Telecaster incorporates a stylishly classic bridge with a rock-solid string-through-body design and three brass “barrel” saddles for authentic tone.

Four-Way & S-1 Switching

We added a series wiring option to make this Tele sound giant, while the S-1 switch puts the pickups out of phase with each other for a cool “strangled” tone.