Armed with blistering guitar chops, incisive lyrics and a powerful voice, Grammy Award winner Jason Isbell has emerged as a leading face of the Americana movement a dynamic blend of traditional roots music and modern rock.
The Jason Isbell Custom Telecaster is visually striking the Chocolate Sunburst pops against the cream double-binding of the 59-style Telecaster Custom body while Fenders Road WornŽ ageing process gives it the look and feel of a well-used instrument. The vintage-inspired mid-60s C-shaped maple neck and 21-fret rosewood fingerboard combines with the sparkling, fiery tones of the custom Jason Isbell Telecaster Pickups and the chicken-pickin playability of the modified bridge to create a guitar that sounds and plays as a good as it looks.
FEATURES
- Double-bound body
- Road Worn Chocolate sunburst lacquer finish and aged hardware
- Mid-60s C-shape maple neck with 7.25 rosewood fingerboard
- Custom-designed Jason Isbell Telecaster pickups
- Custom-modified bridge with vintage brass barrel saddles
DOUBLE-BOUND BODY
Classy cream binding around the top and back of the instruments body.
ROAD WORN FINISH AND HARDWARE
The Road Worn Chocolate Sunburst lacquer finish and aged hardware give this guitar the look and feel of a lovingly broken-in instrument.
JASON ISBELL TELECASTER PICKUPS
Custom-designed for Jason Isbell by pickup guru Tim Shaw, this single-coil Tele pickup set delivers the twang, sparkle and fire Jason is known for.
CUSTOM MODIFIED BRIDGE WITH VINTAGE BRASS BARREL SADDLES
Vintage look with tapered sides for comfort; solid vintage-style brass barrel saddles for true Tele tone.
MID-60S C SHAPE MAPLE NECK SHAPE WITH 7.25 RADIUS ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD
The comfortable and familiar C-shape neck profile allows easy playability, while the vintage-correct fingerboard radius delivers a classic feel.
HEADSTOCK ACCESS TRUSS ROD
Allows the truss rod to be adjusted quickly and easily.
A TRUE VISIONARY
Whether its his early work with seminal alt-country band Drive-By Truckers or his current tenure fronting The 400 Unit, Jason Isbell is known as one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists leading the charge for Americana music around the world.
The four-time Grammy Award winner started playing music growing up in Alabama, as he spent a lot of time with his musician uncle and grandfather, the latter of whom was a Pentecostal preacher who performed in his church and enlisted a young Isbell to join in on various instruments during the worship ceremonies.
When Isbell finally got his hands on an electric guitar when he was 8 years old a gift from his uncle it didn't take long for him to get hooked, and soon thereafter, he was seeking out other like-minded friends to jam.
THE GUITAR AS A TOOL TO MAKE ART
I definitely liked the feel and the sound of something that had been played before, Isbell said of his first electric guitar. I get to have this piece of art, which wasn't created as a piece of art. It was created as a tool. But, I get to use it to make more art.
As Isbell got more comfortable with the guitar, he began to hone the expressive and genre-defying style hes known for now seemingly influenced as much by David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler as it is Chet Atkins and Merle Haggard. Its something hes still working on to this day, too.
There was a time early on, like a lot of players, I felt like I had something to prove, Isbell said. Then after that, I had to learn how to play with a band. Then I had to learn how to accompany a bunch of singers, then I had to learn how to accompany myself.
Now, theres a balance Im always trying to find between playing the guitar a lot in order to satisfy my own desire to play the guitar and serving the songs.
MAKING IT BACK TO THE TELE
It seemed inevitable that Isbell would eventually align with Fender for a signature model, and his new namesake Telecaster fits everything he's learnt about the classic workhorse over the years.
The vintage-inspired instrument features a double-bound 59-style Telecaster Custom body, mid-60s C-shaped maple neck with a 21-fret rosewood fingerboard and custom Jason Isbell pickups designed by tone guru Tim Shaw, bringing stunning style to match its pristine tone.
I honestly think the Telecaster is probably the best guitar design of all time, he said. I just don't know if I've ever played one that, if it was appropriately set up, didn't sound good. I could always find a good tone on a Telecaster.
I hope that this guitar is one that I could see in a lot of different levels of players hands. I get excited when I see a famous guitar player playing something I've been involved with, but I also get excited when I see a 13-year-old on Instagram playing it.
BODY
Body Material
Alder
Body Finish
Road WornŽ Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Shape
TelecasterŽ
Body Binding
1-Ply Cream
NECK
Neck Material
Maple
Neck Finish
Road WornŽ Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Shape
Mid '60s "C"
Scale Length
25.5" (64.77 cm)
Fingerboard Material
Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius
7.25" (184.1 mm)
Number of Frets
21
Fret Size
Narrow Tall
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone
Nut Width
1.650" (42 mm)
Position Inlays
White Dot
Side Dots
White
ELECTRONICS
Bridge Pickup
Specially Voiced Jason Isbell TelecasterŽ Single-Coil
Neck Pickup
Specially Voiced Jason Isbell TelecasterŽ Single-Coil
Controls
Master Volume, Master Tone
Switching
3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
Configuration
Two Single Coil Pickups
HARDWARE
Bridge
3-Saddle Modified Vintage-Style Strings Through Body TeleŽ with Compensated Brass Barrel Saddles
Hardware Finish
Nickel/Chrome
Tuning Machines
Vintage-Style
Pickguard
3-Ply Black/White/Black
Control Knobs
Knurled Flat-Top
Switch Tip
White
MISCELLANEOUS
Strings
FenderŽ USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250406
ACCESSORIES
Case/Gig Bag
Included: Deluxe Gig Bag
