After giving us a glimpse of the guitar when announcing its summer signature guitar lineup for 2021 earlier this year, Fender has finally released its super eye-catching J Mascis Telecaster.
Based on the Dinosaur Jr. electric guitar player's own ‘58 Tele that he bought, modded and used extensively in the studio, the new Mascis model sports a series of appointments that have been lifted directly from the original's spec sheet.
One such feature is the super-sparkly Bottle Rocket Blue Fake finish, which Mascis treated his beloved ‘58 to by way of a custom paint job. Underneath the eye-catching Gloss Polyester finish is an alder body, which is paired with a Road Worn C-shape maple neck.
The maple fingerboard is topped with 21 Jumbo frets, black dot inlays and a synthetic bone nut, and features a 9.5” radius.
Elsewhere, the Flake finish is paired with a one-ply Mirrored Chrome pickguard, with the axe also featuring Chrome knurled flat-top control knobs, vintage-style tuners and a three-saddle Top-loader Tele bridge, which offers slinkier string bends due to a lower string tension.
By way of tone, the Dinosaur Jr. man’s new guitar aims to cater to his fuzz-drenched sonic escapades via a pair of J Mascis Custom ‘58 Tele single-coils, which seek to achieve a blend of snappy highs and snarly mids.
These are controlled by a Tele-standard control layout comprised of master volume and tone controls, as well as a three-way selector switch.
Of his latest collaboration with the guitar giant, Mascis commented, “It means so much to be working with Fender.
“Already, the Tele represents three decades of leads that I’ve recorded with this guitar,” he continued. “It's been my go-to for recording leads since I got it. It feels amazing to have a signature guitar. It's not something I ever imagined, but I’m truly honored.”
And, on his long-standing relationship with the Tele, Mascis added, “I didn’t have any guitar that sounded like that (his original ‘58 Tele).
“I’ve played basically every lead on record since I got the Tele. It sounded more interesting to me than stuff I would play on other guitars. It led me in other directions.”
The Fender J Mascis signature Telecaster is available now for $1,349.
To find out more, visit Fender.
