Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

1953 Fender Telecaster and 1953 Fender Deluxe

For many guitarists and collectors, a 1953 “blackguard” Telecaster is considered the Holy Grail of all Teles.

A 1953 "blackguard"Â? Fender Telecasterâ?? Â?serial number 4123â?? Â?resting against a 53 wide-panel Fender Deluxe 1x12 combo.

In the late 1940s, Leo Fender began work on a no-nonsense solidbody electric guitar. Introduced in the fall of 1950, the result was the Broadcaster. Production continued through a name change in late 1951 (Fender’s name conflicted with Gretsch’s Broadkaster drum set) and a factory relocation in 1953.

For many guitarists and collectors, a 1953 “blackguard” Telecaster is considered the Holy Grail of all Teles. Whether it’s because more were made than in the previous years due to the new factory’s increased production capabilities, or because three years had been spent perfecting building techniques, a large number of legendary Tele artists were known to favor ’53s. Some of the most famous of these players include James Burton, Roy Buchanan, and Danny Gatton.

The well-worn 1953 Telecaster pictured here has the classic features most often associated with that year, including a one-piece, bolt-on maple neck, a round string tree on the headstock (rectangular by ’56), an ash body with see-through butterscotch blonde finish (after the mid ’50s, the blonde finish became whiter and eventually more opaque), a black Bakelite pickguard (changed to white in late ’54), the serial number on the bridge plate (moved to the neck plate by late ’54), outer brass bridge saddles that were notched on the bottom to allow for lower saddle adjustment, and a bridge pickup with flush level pole pieces (staggered by the end of ’55).

For many guitarists and collectors, a 1953 “blackguard” Telecaster is considered the Holy Grail of all Teles.

The Telecaster’s 1953 list price was $189.50. The current value for one in excellent, all-original condition is $25,000.

The amp supporting this Tele is a wide-panel Fender Deluxe from the same year. Scotty Moore used one much like it on his earliest recordings with Elvis. It is equipped with a Jensen P12R 12" speaker and powered by two 6V6GT tubes. The amp is capable of about 10 to 14 watts of output power.

In 1953, the list price for the Deluxe was $99. The amp’s current value is $2,500.

Sources for this article include The Blackguard by Nacho Banos, The Fender Telecaster by A.R. Duchossoir, Fender Amps: The First Fifty Years, by John Teagle and John Sprung, and The Soul of Tone: Celebrating 60 Years of Fender Amps, by Tom Wheeler. If you’re interested in delving into blackguard Tele and tweed amp lore, you’ll find plenty to explore in these books.

ENGL, renowned for its high-performance amplifiers, proudly introduces the EP635 Fireball IR Pedal, a revolutionary 2-channel preamp pedal designed to deliver the legendary Fireball tone in a compact and feature-rich format.

Read MoreShow less

The Gibson EH-185, introduced in 1939, was one of the company’s first electric guitars.

Photo by Madison Thorn

Before the Les Pauls and SGs, this aluminum-reinforced instrument was one of the famous brand’s first electric guitars.

Read MoreShow less

J Mascis is well known for his legendary feats of volume.

Read MoreShow less

Editorial Director Ted Drozdowski’s current favorite noisemakers.

Premier Guitar’s edit staff shares their favorite fuzz units and how and when they use them.

Premier Guitar’s editors use their favorite fuzz pedals in countless ways. At any point during our waking hours, one of us could be turned on, plugged in, and fuzzed out—chasing a Sabbath riff, tracking menacing drone ambience, fire-branding a solo break with a psychedelic blast, or something else altogether more deranged. As any PGreader knows, there are nearly infinite paths to these destinations and almost as many fuzz boxes to travel with. Germanium, silicon, 2-transistor, 4-transistor, 6-transistor, octave, multimode, modern, and caveman-stupid: Almost all of these fuzz types are represented among our own faves, which are presented here as inspiration, and launch pads for your own rocket rides to the Fuzz-o-sphere.

Read MoreShow less