Guitar Of The Day: 2011 Fender Telecaster Deluxe Masterbuilt By Dale Wilson | Norman's Rare Guitars

Welcome to a whole new week of Guitar Early! I'm your host Michael MO, and today is Telly Tuesday. Last week was amazing, we sold most of our gear, but the Custom Shop Strat is still here. I might just have to keep it for myself because it's so awesome. Thank you all for being open to trying something different with our loop experiments. This week, we're pushing forward, and the guitar culture is healthy and going strong.

Today, we have a contest winner to announce. Drumroll, please! And the winner is... Andrew Guinta from Ontario, Canada! Ah, Canada. I love Canada. I toured last year with Allan Raymond, who's from Toronto. We went all over the place, including Halifax for Canada Day. Canada is amazing, with nice people and beautiful weather. The summer there is truly unbelievable. And even though the winters can be tough, they're not so bad. On to more important things, though – it's Telly Tuesday!

The 2011 Telecaster Deluxe by Dale Wilson

Today, I have something kind of unique for you. This is a 2011 Telecaster Deluxe, made by Dale Wilson, in an orange burst finish. They call it a "NOS" guitar, which stands for new old stock. This means that it's a hybrid guitar, with pieces from older guitars combined with new elements. The design itself is a mix of old and new.

The guitar features an older decal headstock, but with a more modern Bigsby tailpiece and bridge. It has a double-bound body, a flaming maple neck, and pearl inlays. One interesting feature is that the truss rod is located at the top of the neck, making it easier for setups. The pickups have flat pole pieces, and this particular guitar has a four-way selector switch, offering a range of tones, including a twangy, Strat-like sound.

Dale Wilson has been with Fender since 2003 and joined the Custom Shop in 2005. This Telecaster Deluxe is a Master Built model, which means it's the highest quality you can get. The Custom Shop doesn't just choose anybody to build these guitars. So, you can trust that it plays exceptionally well, just like any other Custom Shop Fender.

A Prize from a Prized Collection

This guitar comes from a very high-profile artist's manager's collection. The manager represents artists like Dylan and others. So, this Telecaster Deluxe is truly a special prize from a prized collection. It's a beautiful guitar, and we're going to take it out front to see what this beauty can do.

Testing out the Deluxe Telecaster

We're up front with the Del Wilson orange Custom Shop Telecaster. We'll start off with the neck pickup, going through a 1966 Pro Reverb with EQ set at noon and a touch of reverb. We'll also experiment with our trusty Ditto looper on some tracks. Let's check it out!

We're treated to some melodic and soulful playing with the neck pickup. The guitar resonates beautifully and delivers a warm tone.

Next, we explore the out-of-phase sound. With the help of the loop pedal, we create a unique, twangy sound that's reminiscent of a Strat. It's a refreshing twist on the Telecaster sound.

For our next test, we combine both pickups to hear the full range of the guitar. The result is a harmonious blend of tones that brings out the Telecaster's versatility.

Lastly, we crank up the bridge pickup, unleashing some fiery and crunchy sounds. This pickup offers a wide-open, high-energy tone that's perfect for rock and blues.

And there you have it – the Custom Shop Dale Wilson Telecaster in an orange sunburst finish. You can check out these guitars on Norman's Rare Guitars' website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook at Norman's Rare Guitars for more great guitars. I'm your host, Michael MO, and we have a whole new week of amazing guitars coming your way. See you soon!