“This makes it feel exciting all over again”: Jim Root’s signature Fender reinvented the Telecaster and was praised by John Mayer – now it’s back with a key twist

Jim Root’s signature Fender Telecaster is back with a stunning new Shoreline Gold finish.

Root’s signature single-cut is up there with the most beloved Telecasters ever created. First launched in 2010, it flipped the traditional Tele on its head, streamlining the design into a no-nonsense metal machine.

Up until that point, Telecasters weren’t generally associated with heavy metal. Nor had the standard blueprint been radically changed. Nevertheless, Root put his own stamp on the Tele, and it quickly won over a legion of fans.

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John Mayer called what “every Tele should look like in this day and age”, saying, “It’s smart. It’s awake. It’s doing something completely new.”

It was even included in Guitar World’s roundup of the greatest guitar gear of the 21st century.

Now, the Root Telecaster has returned, this time with a swanky Shoreline Gold colorway. It’s a very tasty cosmetic overhaul indeed, which otherwise retains the specs of the original.

That means a mahogany body, 12”-radius ebony fingerboard, and six-saddle hardtail bridge, as well as a pair of EMG 60 and 81 active humbuckers wired to a single volume control and three-way blade switch.

There’s also black hardware, 22 jumbo frets, and a one-ply black pickguard to go with the Shoreline Gold finish. It is, in essence, another Root classic – but with a gold finish.

“Fender guitars have been a cornerstone of my rig since the earliest days of Slipknot and continue to be today,” Root says of his new-look signature. “Seeing my signature model in Shoreline Gold gives it a completely fresh character.

“It’s the same guitar I’ve relied on for more than two decades, but this new finish makes it feel exciting all over again.”

Speaking to Guitar World last year, Root recalled the creation of his flagship Tele, and discussed how his radical reimaging updated a Fender mainstay for the 21st century.

“I think Fender, at the time, needed something to, not erase the stigma of being an iconic, older company, but bring them into more modern times,” he said. “It made sense, and Fender was down. I got lucky. The stars aligned!”

The Shoreline Gold Jim Root Telecaster is available now for $2,099.

Visit Fender for more info.