Beautiful lightweight Fender Esquire from the Custom Shop.

Since the 1950s, the Esquire has been built using a Telecaster body. This leaves space under the pickguard for a neck pickup. With this guitar, Fender has even supplied a neck pickup, pickguard, and control plate. This makes it very easy to convert the Esquire into a full Telecaster. If you prefer, we’ll be happy to assist with the installation.

This Esquire is a toploader: the strings run through the back of the bridge rather than through the body. This design can also be seen on many Telecasters and Esquires from 1958 and 1959. As a result, the guitar has slightly lower string tension, making a toploader feel a bit lighter to play. In addition, there are no holes in the back of the body, which I personally find very appealing.

According to Fender, the guitar features a ’59 D-profile neck, a designation you might associate with a thin, flat neck. In practice, the neck is slimmer at the first frets but becomes noticeably firmer further up. Overall, the neck is anything but flat.

It is a delightfully light guitar, weighing under 3.2 kg, with plenty of acoustic volume. Plugged in, the single bridge pickup sounds incredible. It delivers plenty of twang and bite without sounding thin or harsh. The guitar is also more versatile than you might expect, depending on how you experiment with your picking and the tone and volume controls.

The guitar is in superb condition, indistinguishable from new, and comes with the original case, certificate, Floor Traveler, bridge cover, strap, and everything you need to turn this Esquire into a Telecaster.

If you have any questions or would like to see more photos of the guitar, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. The guitar can be shipped, but you are also very welcome to come and view and test it in The Hague!