Fender® Artist Series “James Burton” Telecaster® Blue Paisley Flame, Very Good, Original Hard, $1,300.00

Summary: Guitarist James Burton has played with a virtual who’s who of country and rock luminaries since the fifties, from Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello. Through it all, Burton has favored the Fender Tele as his axe of choice, earning himself the nickname “the Master of the Telecaster.” His was the first signature Telecaster model, and today’s James Burton Telecaster is as fiery as ever, designed to his exacting specifications with three pickups, special switching, gold hardware, gorgeous paisley-flame finish and more.

Body: Basswood. Black, blue and gold paisley flame urethane finish.
Neck: Maple with satin urethane finish. Black dot fret markers. Vintage-style “U”-shaped neck profile. Synthetic bone nut. Vintage style frets. Bi-flex truss rod. 25.5” scale length. 9.5” fingerboard radius. 1.65” nut width.

Pickups/Hardware: Three specially designed James Burton single coil pickups. Five-way “Strat-o-Tele” pickup switch. S-1™ switch. Master volume and master tone controls. Six-saddle American Vintage string-through Stratocaster hardtail bridge. Gold hardware. Deluxe cast/sealed tuners with pearl buttons.

Cosmetics: This guitar is in excellent condition with little sign of wear. The finish is in great shape with only a few very light scratches visible on close inspection, and there is a small amount of tarnish on the gold hardware. The signature finish is eye-catching, reminiscent of the custom paint jobs on old hot rods, while the gold hardware gives it a sophisticated edge. Burton was Elvis’ main axeman, after all; like the jump-suited, bedazzled King himself, this guitar sweats classic Rock n Roll.

Playability: Playability is top-knotch, as one would expect from a guitar speced for a pro of Burton’s caliber. The slightly chunky, satin-finished neck is smooth and fast. Action is low with no buzz or dead spots. The five-way “Strat-o-Tele” pickup wiring plus the S1 button (which puts positions 2 and 4 in series and is embedded in the top of the volume knob) provide enough great tones to take you from Memphis to Vegas and back again.

Weight: 7 lbs, 8 oz.

Case: Original hard shell.