The custom rosewood Telecaster that Fender built specially for George Harrison in 1968 wasn't in his arsenal for long, but because the Beatle used it extensively on the Fab Four's final records – Let It Be and Abbey Road – it's become one of the electric guitars with which he's most often associated.
Fender introduced an ultra-limited edition Custom Shop replica of the legendary Tele in 2016, and followed that up with a more accessible Artist Signature version of the guitar in 2017.
Now, after a surge in demand for the instrument in light of Peter Jackson's Beatles documentary, Get Back, Fender has reintroduced the George Harrison Rosewood Telecaster.
Largely based on Harrison's original guitar – which was built as a prototype by Fender's Roger Rossmeisl and Philip Kubicki – the Harrison Rosewood Tele features a chambered rosewood body and a mid-'60s C-shaped rosewood neck boasting a 9.5"-radius fingerboard made of, naturally, rosewood.
That chambered body, however, is one area where the 2022 Harrison Rosewood Tele and the original model it's based on differ. Harrison's original prototype – due to the density of the rosewood – weighed in at over 10 pounds, leading Fender to eventually give its Rosewood Teles chambered bodies to reduce weight.
Sound-wise, the guitar is armed with a pair of American Vintage '64 single-coil Tele pickups, adjustable by the standard Tele control layout of individual volume and tone knobs, and a three-way pickup switch.
The Harrison Rosewood Tele boasts a three-saddle, vintage style Tele bridge, while the unique neck plate – which features a custom-stamped George Harrison 'Om' logo – makes for a nice signature visual touch.
The guitar also comes with a deluxe black hardshell case with an orange interior, and features Fender vintage 'F'-stamped tuners that add to the instrument's vintage vibe.
The 2022 Fender George Harrison Rosewood Telecaster is available now for $2,899, a bit of a price hike from the 2017 version, which rang up at $2,499 at the time it was introduced.
It arrives just a couple of weeks after newly mixed audio from the Beatles' legendary January 30, 1969 concert on the rooftop of Apple Corps – during which Harrison prominently used the rosewood Tele – arrived on streaming services for the first time.
For more info on the guitar, head on over to Fender.
