The Return of An Electric Guitar That Helped Start It All
Written: Feb 03 '07 (Updated Sep 22 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great twangy lead tones, cool retro look
Cons: Single pick offers limited tonal options
The Bottom Line: The Mexican made Fender is a terrific retro guitar that is great for raw country and rock players. With only one pickup, it is less versatile than other guitars.
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| buffoonery's Full Review: Fender Classic '50s Esquire |
And I'm serious about that claim: This really is the guitar that helped started it all. The Fender Esquire is the first mass-marketed solid body electric guitar. First produced in 1950, it would lead a charge that brought Fender to the forefront of the guitar world and see its guitars and amplifiers on stages across the world. The Esquire has been out of mass production since the 1980s but Fender’s Custom Shop has seen constant demand for them. Hence, the company decided to bring the line back into production.
Looking back over some fifty years, it’s hard to describe how revolutionary and radical the Esquire design was. Its single-pickup slab body was a stark contrast to the meticulously manufactured archtops that Gibson was presenting to the guitar buying public. (It originally was available in both single- and two-pickup versions, but the two-pickup was renamed the Broadcaster and then the Telecaster when the original name ran into copyright problems.) What was equally revolutionary was the sound that the single-coil pick-up produced, a biting twangy tone that was radically different from the full, jazzy Gibson archtop tone. This sound would revolutionize music in two ways, first because of the tone itself (think Buddy Holly), and second because it forced Gibson to generate a competing product that would become known as the Les Paul.
The 50s Esquire under review here is a made-in-Mexico model that faithfully replicates the mid-50s American model. Basically, it looks and feels like a single-pickup version of the Telecaster (in fact, you can add a second pickup to this guitar if you’re really feeling adventurous). The ash body is uncontoured with a white pickguard that, when removed, allows access to the truss rod. There is a single-coil bridge pickup with two controls, one for volume and one for tone (the tone control is used to roll off the highs). (More on this later.) The bridge is a through-the-body model
The one-piece 21-fret neck is a standard 25-½ inch length with a 7-¼ inch radius. The C-shaped neck is quite comfortable. The headstock has Kluson style tuners with the silver “Fender” logo. For a Mexican model, the manufacturing quality is very nice and I didn’t see any significant flaws any where on the body or neck. (I actually own a Mexican 50s Tele and the guitar, for $350 off eBay, sounds and plays great.) Visually, the whole guitar screams “retro”, with its black body and chrome knobs. Start handling it and you might think you’re on WGN’s old “Barn Dance” TV show from the 1960s.
The question is: why do you have a three-way switch selector on a single pick-up guitar? Good question. Fender gives this answer. In position one, the tone control is disconnected, which Fender says produces more top-end than when the tone control is engaged. You can get some very nice rock/country lead tones using the right amp with this selection. In position two, you get the standard volume and tone control arrangement. In position three—and here’s the kicker—the tone control is again disengaged, but a tone capacitor rolls off much of the top end and some of the bottom, producing what it calls a darker tone with some volume loss. Rhythm players will probably prefer this selection.
At about eight pounds, this guitar is a little heavy for performance but not as bad as a Les Paul. You’re going to want to play this through a 60’s style amp—a Fender Tweed or Blackface being ideal—because that’s what its clean tones are designed for. It’s great for country, roots rock, and rockabilly. You’ll get some screaming leads, chunky rhythm, and lots in between.
So who should buy this guitar? First, any Fender fan will want this very reasonably priced machine (around $600-$650 new) just to round out his collection. Second, it will appeal to raw, retro country and rock players who wish to make a statement: Here I am, and I’m playing a serious elemental rock and roll guitar. (Think Bruce Springsteen, who plays an Esquire.) But it doesn’t offer the sonic versatility of a two-pick up Tele or three-pick-up Stratocaster. Many players will miss the warm sounds that a single-coil in the neck produces. Blues players in particular might want to look elsewhere, and it goes without saying that modern high-gain players will have little interest in this guitar.
In sum, Fender has come up with a worthy tribute to one of the most important guitars ever made. It might not suit everyone, but even if you want to own one just to admire it, the Fender Esquire is a powerful rocking and country guitar that will provide satisfaction to a generation of twangy players.
Colors (301) White Blonde, (303) 2-Color Sunburst, (306) Black, (Polyester Finish)
Body Ash
Neck 1-Piece Maple, “C” Shape, (Gloss Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Maple, 7.25” Radius (184mm)
No. of Frets 21 Vintage Style Frets
Pickups 1 Vintage Style Single-Coil Tele Pickup with Alnico Magnets (Bridge)
Controls Master Volume, Master Tone
Pickup Switching Custom-Wired 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Volume Control, (Dark Vintage Circuit), No Tone Control
Position 2. Volume Control with Cap. and Tone Control with Cap.
Position 3. Volume Control Only No Cap. , No Tone Control
Bridge Vintage Style 3-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge
Machine Heads Fender®/Ping® Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 1-Ply White
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.625” (41.2 mm)
Unique Features “C” Shape Maple Neck, Knurled Chrome Knobs,
Strings Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel, Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046),p/n 073-0250-006
Schechter Diamond C+1
PRS Single Cut
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Recommended:
Yes
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