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Thread: Happy 70th Anniversary, Esquire!

  1. #1
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Happy 70th Anniversary, Esquire!

    Let me see if I've got this straight: in 1950, Fender introduced the first solid-body guitar. It had a single pickup (a lap steel, that must have been lying around) and was named the Esquire. It paved the way for what we now know and love as the Telecaster. In honor of this ground-breaking guitar, Fender has "re-introduced" it with a price tag that exceeds the average cost of a new Telecaster today. Makes sense, I guess.

    But it's a nice looking guitar. This is the 2-color Sunburst. It is also available in White Blonde, Lake Placid Blue, and Surf Green.


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  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Happy 70th Anniversary, Esquire!

    The earliest Esquire was actually available with 2 pickups and the guitar had no truss rod.

  3. #3
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Happy 70th Anniversary, Esquire!

    story goes musicians were visiting the Fender plant and some had come by way of Canada and the Upper Mid West and were saying their necks were getting screwed up temperature and humidity changes. I guess after replacing a few necks on their nickel, Leo figured he had to find a way to stem the bleeding and came up with the truss rod. I guess it was cheaper to implement it than to replace whole necks.

    those are not cheap guitars but I can't help it, I want a white blonde Esquire with Fender on the headstock
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Re: Happy 70th Anniversary, Esquire!

    Love Esquires - something about the simplicity perhaps, but I also think they sound different than the bridge pickup on a Tele. I also tend to play better on an Esquire - picking dynamics, right hand position, etc. I built several really good Esquire "clones" but always wanted one that said "Fender" on the headstock. Several years ago I was very fortunate to find a terrific NOS 2008 MIM Classic Series Esquire in vintage blonde. Weighs 6.4 lbs, beefy neck, rings and sustains like crazy. Only change I've made is to install a wonderful Cavalier Lion Nashville pickup.

  5. #5
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Happy 70th Anniversary, Esquire!

    Quote Originally Posted by jdr1014 View Post
    Love Esquires - something about the simplicity perhaps, but I also think they sound different than the bridge pickup on a Tele. I also tend to play better on an Esquire - picking dynamics, right hand position, etc. I built several really good Esquire "clones" but always wanted one that said "Fender" on the headstock. Several years ago I was very fortunate to find a terrific NOS 2008 MIM Classic Series Esquire in vintage blonde. Weighs 6.4 lbs, beefy neck, rings and sustains like crazy. Only change I've made is to install a wonderful Cavalier Lion Nashville pickup.
    I bought an Esquire body from Stratosphere that was one of those guitars. I put a CV50 Tele bridge pickup in it and a nice CV60 Tele neck with rosewood fingerboard on it. Great sounding guitar nice and light. Had to part it out for the money later on.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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