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Joe Strummer Fender Telecaster


Forward-thinking cultural icon Joe Strummer (1952-2002) was co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead singer of seminal British punk rock band the Clash.

Fender Joe Strummer TelecasterHe later founded, recorded and toured with the Mescaleros. All his life, Strummer vigorously championed individuality, self-expression and change—tenets often reflected in the constantly altered look of his favorite and most recognizable instrument—his Telecaster (currently on display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland).The Joe Strummer Telecaster is modeled after the ’66 Telecaster Strummer played throughout most of his career. Although the guitar’s appearance changed often, it was a fairly standard ’60s-era Telecaster with all the original parts and specifications.

When Strummer bought it in 1975 for £120, the instrument had a three-color sunburst finish, but he soon had it sprayed with gray primer at a London auto shop, and then later added a coat of black paint. These new “finishes” deteriorated quickly, giving the guitar its distinctive look. Like Strummer’s music, the battered guitar changed constantly—plastered as it was with stencils, stickers and new paint jobs through the many stages of Strummer’s life and career.

To celebrate Strummer’s fierce sense of individuality, Fender and acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey collaborated on the new guitar’s special Joe Strummer Telecaster Customization kit, which includes stencils and stickers inspired by the custom designs Strummer decorated many of his instruments with. The kit comes in a classic 12” album cover featuring Shepard Fairey graphics and photography by Bob Gruen. This collectable album art set is a limited edition companion to the first 1,500 guitars.

An avid Strummer fan and admirer, Fairey wrote a personal letter to Strummer in summer 2002, some of the text of which is reproduced in the customization kit. As Fairey reverently notes in his letter, “As a visual artist, I have fashioned my approach in many ways after the Clash. I try to be provocative but humorous with my art. Hopefully, people can get a kick out of my stuff and ponder some issues at the same time … Thank you for your contribution to the world and my life.”

Features:

  • Model Name Joe Strummer Telecaster®
  • Model Number 013-3900-(750)
  • Series Artist Series
  • Colors (750) Custom Road Worn, (Polyurethane Finish)
  • Body Alder
  • Neck Maple, “C” Shape, (Gloss Polyurethane Finish)
  • Fingerboard Rosewood, 7.25″ Radius (184mm)
  • No. of Frets 21 Vintage Style Frets
  • Pickups 2 Vintage Style Single-Coil Tele® Pickups with Alnico Magnets (Neck & Bridge)
  • Controls Master Volume, Master Tone
  • Pickup Switching 3-Position Blade:
  • Position 1. Bridge Pickup
  • Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups
  • Position 3. Neck Pickup
  • Bridge Vintage Style 3-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge
  • Machine Heads Fender®/Ping® Vintage Style Tuning Machines
  • Hardware Distressed Chrome
  • Pickguard 3-Ply Mint Green
  • Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
  • Width at Nut 1.650″ (42 mm)
  • Unique Features Revolution Rock Neckplate, Road Worn Finish,
  • Art Customization Kit (First 1500 Units Only)
  • Kit Contains: Joe Strummer 12” Album Cover, Art Print, Stencil Sheet, Sticker Sheet, Template, Instructions and Bio.
  • Strings Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel,
  • Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046),
  • p/n 073-0250-006
  • Accessories Deluxe Black Hardshell Case
  • Case Deluxe Black Hardshell Case
  • Introduced 7/2007 

Price: around £700