Fender Custom Shop 70th Anniversary Broadcaster Relic, Aged Nocaster Blonde

Fender Custom Shop 70th Anniversary Broadcaster Relic, Aged Nocaster Blonde Overview

Fender Custom Shop 70th Anniversary Broadcaster Relic, Aged Nocaster Blonde

Overview by GAK

This beautiful limited-edition Fender Custom Shop piece calls back to one of the most important and rarest guitars ever made - the Broadcaster. Few guitar models can claim to have the impact that the legendary Broadcaster had and this particular one honours the 70th anniversary since it changed music forever. With a period-correct spec, which features that distinctive solid Ash body, Maple neck and two single-coils combination, this Broadcaster delivers an authentically vintage experience.

Classic Feel & Sound

Whilst many other Fender Custom Shop guitars take a classic vintage model and add tweaks such as hotter pickups or jumbo frets, this 70th Anniversary Broadcaster stays true to the original. We think it’s fair to say that Leo Fender and George Fullerton nailed the electric guitar formula right off the bat, which is why the Broadcaster/Telecaster has largely stayed the same over the last 70 years.

The Broadcaster was first released in 1950 and introduced the now-iconic combo of an Ash body & Maple neck. Like the original, this Custom Shop Broadcaster’s tonewoods have a balanced and articulate natural tone with an even resonance across all frequencies. The Ash body is coated in a translucent Aged Nocaster Blonde finish, which highlights the gorgeous grain. Because the finish is made from a Nitrocellulose lacquer, the guitar’s wood can “breathe” and resonate at its best.

Providing the '50s Fender feel is the 1-piece Maple neck, which boasts a carefully sculpted and comfortably chunky '50 Broadcaster “U” neck profile. If you like robust-feeling necks that fill the fretting hand, you’ll love the way this neck plays. The fretboard is adorned with 21 Medium Vintage frets, which cement the old-school playing experience.

Gorgeous Worn-In Look

The Fender Custom Shop have given this Broadcaster the meticulous Relic treatment, which is more subtle and nuanced than what you’d see on a Heavy Relic model. From the various playing checks on the finish to the aged hardware, the Relic process adds the authentic worn-in wear of a '50s Broadcaster that’s been someone’s trusty companion over the years. Nothing beats the look and feel of a well-loved and well-played Fender guitar.

Vintage Tele Tone

Giving this guitar its unmistakably vintage tone are the pair of '50/'51 Hand Wound Blackguard single-coils, which are faithful recreations of the original design. These Custom Shop designed pickups deliver that famous Blackguard sound, with the lively, full-bodied and open tone that you’ve come to expect from that mythological guitar.

The Fender Custom Shop have equipped this 70th Anniversary Broadcaster with their Modified '51 Nocaster wiring, which is a slightly tweaked version of the original’s. Instead of acting as a Tone control, the secondary knob acts as a blend between the Bridge and Neck - a key part of the Broadcaster sound. Thanks to a different capacitor, the forward position is significantly more usable as it’s a lot less muddy than on the original.

Modern Reliability

If you’re after what many consider to be the Holy Grail of Fender guitars and want a more attainable and reliable choice, this Custom Shop Broadcaster is it. Unlike a '50s made guitar, this Broadcaster has been expertly crafted by the Custom Shop’s artisan luthiers using only the finest components and hand-selected materials.

The result is a guitar that you can count on for your gig or studio session and, because of the Custom Shop’s expert knowledge of classic Fenders, give you an authentic '50s Broadcaster sound.

These 70th Anniversary Broadcaster models are a limited-edition and are bound to become as rare and sought after as their vintage counterparts. Be sure to pick this one up quick if you want it in your collection!