Fender Art Esparza Master Built Danny Gatton Relic Telecaster - USA 2000

Danny Gatton was a cult-hero American guitarist and musician known for his virtuosic playing style that drew from a wide range of genres, including rock, jazz, blues, and country. 

Gatton's unique style incorporated a wide range of techniques, including fingerpicking, hybrid picking, and tapping. He was also known for his use of unusual guitar tunings and custom-built instruments.

Despite his exceptional talent, Gatton never achieved mainstream success and remained relatively unknown outside of guitar circles. However, he was highly respected by fellow musicians and was often referred to as "the world's greatest unknown guitarist."

Sadly, Gatton passed away in 1994 at the age of 49. His legacy continues to influence and inspire guitarists around the world.

In tribute to Gatton's legacy, the Fender Custom Shop Master Builder - Art Esparza built this magnificent guitar in 2000, a re-creation of Gatton's highly customised '53 Telecaster. As to be expected from his body of work, Art's attention to detail is second-to-none, and this guitar is no exception. The relic job is exquisite, it looks authentic and doesn't go too over-the-top.

The intricate features like the cubic zirconia fret markers (a staple on Gatton's guitars to navigate the frets in the dark), the stunning highly-figured birdseye maple neck, the slightly bent pickup selector and nicely worn pickguard pay homage to one of the great players of our time.

Features:

Body: Ash with Relic lacquer finish

Neck: 1-piece highly figured birdseye maple with a "U" shape profile

Fingerboard: Maple, 7.25" radius

Frets: 22 vintage-style frets

Pickups: Two Joe Barden Danny Gatton Signature Tele pickups

Controls: Volume, Tone, 3-way pickup selector switch

Bridge: Vintage-style 3-saddle strings-through-body Tele bridge

Tuners: Kluson Vintage-style No line No Logo

Hardware: Nickel/Chrome Relic

Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer in Relic Gold

This guitar was bought new in Japan by its current owner from the reputable and renowned Tokyo dealer - Yamano Music.

This guitar is light and super comfortable to play. It is expressive and lively, the Joe Barden pickups are highly versatile with all the top-end sparkle you could want and capabilities of delivering warm humbucker-ish jazz tone when rolled off.

This is an exquisite example of Art Esparza's reputation as one of the top Fender Master Builders and showcases his outstanding contribution to the ongoing legacy of Fender guitars, helping to shape the sound of modern music. A wonderful tribute indeed.

Comes in its original hardshell tweed case with COA and case candy.