Fender Esquire Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1951), made in Fullerton, California, blonde lacquer finish, ash body, maple neck, black tolex hard shell case.

With the growing appreciation for the importance of Leo Fender's contribution to 20th century musical technology, early examples of his creations have proved more than ever to be among the most desirable and collectible of vintage instruments. This is a wonderful example of the primal Fender electric solid-body guitar with the patina of a rich history all its own. Carrying a distinctly "smoked" ambience of many nights' service in barrooms or honky-tonks, this Esquire must have been played for countless hours, but is still preserved in fine original condition.

These earliest Fender Esquires, Broadcasters, and Telecasters from the first few years of production have long been prized by discerning players as among the very finest solidbody guitars ever made; now they are recognized as historically important artifacts as well. A "Blackguard" is the cornerstone of any serious electric guitar collection as well as a uniquely wonderful playing instrument.

The revolutionary Fender guitar was still very new to the market when this particular instrument was built. Carrying a serial number of 1071 and a neck date of 11/15/51, with the body dated 11/30/51, this Esquire would likely have been shipped out right around the turn of the year for 1952. The Fender solidbody had been tentatively launched in 1950, but 1951 was the first year of general production and sales beyond the factory's local area. With a list price of $149.50, the Esquire was $40.00 less expensive than the two-pickup Telecaster, a not inconsiderable saving for 1951. The only difference is the Esquire's lack of a neck pickup, which lends the instrument a more Spartan air.

Despite the lower price, Esquires seem to never have been built in the same quantities as Broadcasters or Telecasters, and good examples are even rarer finds today. The Esquire's peculiar wiring (there are three tone positions on the switch for only one pickup) features a unique sound option as the "full treble" rear position bypasses the tone control circuit, resulting in the hottest output of any 1950's Fender guitar!

This lovely "blackguard" Esquire has a very comfortable round-backed maple neck, chunky but not as large as some. The original flat-pole pickup has an amazingly complex tone, ranging from sweet country to heavy crunch with very little effort. These are among the most responsive pickups ever wound. The early Fender guitars were produced using a considerable amount of handwork, and every one has individual quirks and characteristics unique to that instrument. The full word "Esquire" is penciled in script on the underside of the neck in addition to the date marks usually found there, which is a fairly rare find.

One idiosyncrasy of this guitar we have never seen before concerns the pin router hole under the D string tuner, a "connoisseurs' check" for authenticity on blackguard Fenders. On this guitar the hole appears to have been mistakenly drilled too long, and then filled from the top with a tiny walnut plug much like the truss rod cavity fill! This is under the finish and definitely an original, if unintended, feature of this guitar. The original fiber pickguard has a somewhat dulled-down tone and the screws are the typical early 1952 transition mix of Phillips and slot head. The nitrocellulose blonde finish has become shaded to the darker side over time, giving this guitar its duskier-than-usual hue.

With the publication of the incredibly lavish "Blackguard Book" by Nachos Banos in 2005, appreciation for and the collecting of these Fenders has reached new levels of intensity…we are very pleased to offer this particular guitar, which is a fabulous playing and sounding instrument as well as a supreme Fender collectible.
 
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.).

This Esquire is in much-used but well cared for condition; the most striking feature is the extremely "smoky" patina to the entire instrument. The finish, especially on the neck, has darkened to a very heavily checked amber hue and there is some fairly heavy corrosion to the chrome plated areas of the hardware. This is one of the most beautifully weathered old Telecaster-family instruments we have ever seen, and looks to have been played in dingy bars for many years!

The finish is not overly worn; there are no large areas missing and only moderate scuffs, scrapes, and edgewear considering the obvious heavy use of the instrument. These early 1950's finishes are not particularly hard-wearing so in view of the amount of time this guitar must have spent gigging, the overall finish condition must be rated as quite good. The "ashtray" bridgecover must have been in place for many years (the finish underneath it is not nearly so darkened), so the bridge and pickup are not as heavily worn as might be expected.

All hardware and fittings appear original except the tone pot and capacitors…the two knobs are not an exact match, although both appear to be period. The tuners are the correct Fender style Kluson Deluxe and very heavily weathered, but they date from sometime after 1957, as they carry a patent number on the underside. These were obviously installed long ago as they carry the same smoky patina as the guitar. The original 1951-issue Klusons featured a shaft prone to wobbling and wear as it did not pass through the opposite side of the cover, so it is not surprising that on this hard-working guitar they were replaced fairly early on. The fingerboard has some heavy wear along its full length and has been refretted in the correct style; currently the frets have fairly heavy wear, but the guitar remains quite playable and absolutely fantastic sounding. This guitar comes with a later black Fender hard case. Very Good + Condition.