New for 2023, the Fender Custom Shop digs deep into the history of Fender’s earliest solid-body guitar with the introduction of a fascinating new model—the 1950 Double Esquire. Back then, the single-pickup Esquire debuted in April 1950 as Fender’s very first solid body electric Spanish guitar, joined a few months later in October 1950 by a two-pickup model. The new Custom Shop 1950 Double Esquire honors the models of that formative year and then some, with a distinctive combination of finely crafted features that make it very much its own machine.

Producing balanced highs and sweet midrange with lively resonance, the two-piece select ash body has an off-center seam and wears one of four aged Blonde lacquer finish treatments: Deluxe Closet Classic Faded Nocaster® Blonde, Journeyman Relic® Nocaster Blonde, Relic Aged Nocaster Blonde or Heavy Relic Aged Nocaster Blonde. Each finish treatment conveys the look, feel and vibe of a guitar that has either seen decades of relatively light use and great care or quite the opposite—a hard-fought lifetime of near-constant use, abuse and heavy wear.

The one-piece rift sawn maple neck is sculpted with a 1950-style “Blackguard” profile for comfortable and period-correct full-hand feel, topped by a vintage compound-radius (7.5”-9.5”) maple fingerboard with 21 medium vintage (47095) frets and a bone nut. Dual Custom Shop hand-wound ’50-’51 Blackguard pickups with modded ’51 Nocaster wiring deliver clear, crisp highs with well-balanced midrange and low end, with the extra versatility of blend control for both pickups.

Other premium features include a single-ply black phenolic pickguard, three-way pickup switch, ’51-’54 Telecaster® bridge with brass barrel saddles, vintage-style tuners, disc string tree, deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.