Fender Classic Series 50's Esquire

Mine is a blonde one, which is quite refreshing. i don't know the year of production of that babes because i bought it second hand for 450 Euros. it was in a very good condition and all parts were originals so ...

The main features are a hash body ( three parts , a one piece maple V soft neck,vintage frets,steel vintage saddles and all the classic t??l?? style kind of things ...
The sp??cific thing about that guitar is the single pickup (neck), with a quickchange tone control ( 3 way switch).

Mexican production is OK to me, keeping in mind they do not choose the woods for the building process, they do not choose what kind of PU they are going to put on ; All those options and features are choosen in a US office of Fender department were every parts are identified in fonction of the sell price and cost of production.
So, consid??ring that they do quite good job in Mexico. ( of course we would prefer a two parts body and nitro finish and so on ....).

After those ??conomic consid??rations, let take about the sound you get out of this babe : well first, it is an Esquire so you 'd better keep in mind what you buy : an extremly simple guitar, excellent for rockabilly, classic rock and rootsy blues.

The sustain is great even if it is a three parts body.

Just plug that thing in a good tube amp, with overdrive and a little of compression and you will get one of the better set for blues rock and country kind of music.

The cool thing is the sp??cial routing of the pickup with no tone, directly in volume pot : this is one of the best fender kept secret . the sound is dynamic and has a very strong twangy sparkle aspect that you cannot even find on regular t??l??.(steel saddles + hash body ...)
So if you are on the treble side of the sound, this is for you, straight in the blackface, you get some cutting sounds that will go through the mix. without any difficulties.
The central position is a r??gular t??l?? bridge : even with the tone roll on to the max, you don' t get the same punch that on the first position ( bridge) that is more sparkling .
The third one ( neck), is interesting cause it is very dark, so whith overdrive you can get some "cocked whah" kind of sound ( specialist change the grade of r??sistance to get better r??sults; i don' t for the moment, but i project to do this one day .). The problem of that position is that you loose about 20% of volume when you switch on it, so if you don' t fix your amp volume consid??ring that position first but on the other one, you ll get a problem in the middle of the gig ( disappearin' in the dark ...).

Action & fit : the neck is a SOFT V profil wich is much better than a real V ( I hate V profil ), but, to my taste, it would have been better with a thin C neck with rosewood board and 9.5 radius ( on that babe you have maple and 7.25 radius.).

Saddles are not "compensated" with all the intonations problems coming with that fact : the guitar is not perfectly in tune, some would complains about it, other like me don' t care about it, cause you get that m??tallic twangy and skinny sound that some of us are looking for for years.

I fix myself the guitar to allow an hybrid playing, melting slide parts ( standart tuning ) and r??gular way of playing ( solo and chords ).
The simplicity of that guitar allows those kind of things very easily.
I give a 7 because of the non compensated saddles.

Build for long, long years.
I wish It still be in perfect condition the day i would die.

So don' t ask yourself too question, try it in store, the first position ( no tone engaged on the pickup ) is the only reason to buy it.If you like that twangy t??l?? tone, rootsy musics, tubes amps,plug and play instrument with no time to loose, this is for you.

The only complain i could express is the lack of choice in that cat??gory : there is no "rosewood/C neck" model with brass saddles and funny vintage colors (fiesta red) for example, it could have been a good alternative to the 50' style esquire, i mean, if you want a cheap fender esquire, there is no choice it is the 50' style only.

My wish is that the road worn s??rie would proposed those kind of 60' style esquire.

i would like, one day to try a custom shop esquire to set my mind on it.

this is a made in mexico model, but don't let that fool you. The sound and look are both much more satisfying than other MIM tele.
main feature could be referred to by other reviews. This one I got has a quilted maple top, which is the main reason I bought it. Another thing is that under the pickguard there is a reserved hole for a single neck PU. so don't say it is a bridge-PU-only model.
Features I like most:
single bridge PU with 5 screw pickgaurd(this is where the 50's feel came from...doesn't have a neck PU never downgrade this model because this is what the original is)
open-top machine head (mostly seen in American models, make take off string really easy)
quilted maple top(it is a 3-piece-joint, but it was matched quite well ....want one piece get a warmoth)
String-though body bridge(this is where long sustain came from, partly)

I play various style of music: alternative/blues/jazz/funk, even metal. The original PU sounds great, but I did change the PU to Seymour Duncan APTL which is a great improvement(especially for distortion).
Some comments on getting distortion with tele: many people say tele sucks with distortion, I guess that depends on what kind of sound you are looking for. If you want thick warm bassy tone, get a gibson with humbucker, that's the easiest way. However, If you want classic rock distortion with a little "twang" in it, you can surely get that from a tele.
Noise is surprisingly low, maybe it is because the previous owner did a good job using aluminum foil covering every bit under the pickgaurd, which isolate PU from getting noise. But I am not a professional on this topic, really don't know the real reason why this one has less noise than other tele I've played.

Great sustain.

About variety, not quite. 3way switch works like this:
first pos: completely muffled sound, could be used for clean funky rhythm, I've never use that actually.
second pos: bridge PU with tone nob control, tone nob only works here.
third pos: bride PU with fully opened tone.(I've only used the second and the third pos most of the time)
This is my main live guitar(which I don't need that much variety) and I use godin LGXt to do recording so that won't be a problem for me. You mostly can only get the signature sound of fender out of this model. That's enough joy to have on one model.

well set-up by previous owner. I did change the string to .11 B52, which feels much better for me.
finish is quite thick, I've crack it gently with hard object and can see though the finish.
refer to feature

The circus is probably the only thing I need to complain about. The nob feels a little cheesy over time,and the change is not linear.
I've had this guitar for 2 years and it serves pretty good. Simply and original, very hard for this one to go wrong.

never dealt with them

I've been play seriously for 7 years, some time in band, some time just do recording. This guitar is one of my favorite for live gigs. I've owned 20+ guitars, but now only keep this one, a gibson standard, godin lgxt, godin multiac and two taylor acoustics. If it is stolen, I probably will get the same model, but not sure if I can find one as beautiful as this. It has the look of a 50's fender(that's really an expensive treasure to have, if I have one I'll never play it anyway), reliable and great fender sound for live. For 500 bucks, I cann't ask for more.

'06 Mexico White-Blonde w white single ply old style (fewer screws) pickguard.
21 vintage style frets.
Three steel saddles on ashtray bridge: ashtray included.
Back string ferals are flush to the body.
Slight "V" to the neck like a Jimmie Vaughan Strat.
There's even a bit of body "lip" sticking out under the neck on the cutaway side like a CS Nocaster (the correct later Nocaster versions anyway).

Fender gig bag included.

Minimalistic single pickup design from decades back. A Classic all right. I think it's well executed. They got the "right" features, so I'm giving it a decent score based on that.

VERY bright and crisp: ash body with steel saddles - you betcha!
The tone pot is effective in the middle switch position, and of course there's a cap for a bassy "jazz" sound (or bass guitar sound maybe) on the forward switch position.

It suits almost all the styles I play (Rock; Blues; Country; Jazz), although I generally use an archtop for jazz duties. I could see using this even on a Jazz gig, but I'm sure halfway through the first set I'd wish I'd brought something with a neck pickup. It would suffice as a spare though.

For everything else I like the Esquire will get it done.

I usually use a Tech 21 TM 60 amp, and the Esquire sounds great clean or dirty.

The polepieces on the pickup are flat across, so the G string is prominant with most string sets. I sometimes use Pyramid flatwounds with a wound G, and have tilted the pickup up on the high-E end.

It's not too noisy. The ashtray adds some shielding, but not too noticably.

I actually like the stock pickup. It has a good percussive pop to it and sounds like I think Esquires are probably supposed to sound. I'm NOT adding a neck pu. An Esquire appeals to me as-is for its simplistic elegance. That uninterupted pickguard -especially with the ashtray on- exudes cool. And it's versatile enough for me most of the time. I have other guitars if I need generic guitar sounds beyond the bridge pickup alone that the tone scheme won't deliver on the Esquire.

I'm sure the store set it up. They always do. Anyway except for slanting the pickup I haven't needed to adjust anything in the year plus I've owned it.
Yes, the tuners are a bit lumpier feeling than the top grade ones, but in my experience they hold pitch well.

The neck action is superb. It's a bit lower than I usually run an action with light strings but nothing buzzes or frets out while bending anywhere on the neck.

The fret ends don't snag. The build quality and feel of this model compares very well with the many Corona, CIJ, and Korean model Fender Tele's I've handled or owned. Fit and finish seems first rate to me, except for maybe the tuner lash.

Rugged design: maple bolt-neck. Typical Fender hell-for-stout.

I wouldn't worry about this guitar at all, given that it's mostly ash and maple. I'd have to recommend against throwing it into active volcanos.

I have no idea.
There's some kind of warranty to protect FMIC's liability I'm sure.

I don't figure on ever contacting them.

I do my own work on my guitars, but there just isn't much I could see going wrong on this one that wouldn't be a simple do-it-yourself fix.

I've played guitar (mostly Telecasters) for about 50 years. Had 'em all. I keep a nice archtop (a Heritage H575) around for tuxedo jobs, and a couple of cheap beaters (including this Esquire) for biker bars.

I always wanted an Esquire ever since I saw a bound sunburst version in the late sixties. They have a mystique to them, especially when the ashtray is on. They just don't look functional somehow, but they are! Probably was the inspiration for the Marauder.

I'd say the neck is my favorite feature. It's just right for me.

I doubt I'd need to replace it as I tend to stay away from live volcanos just out of habit, but I'd get another one of these if by chance a volcano erupted in my living room and took out this one.

Just an update to my 10/7/07 Review. The more I play this guitar through better tube amps, the more potential I see. I've gotten the nut fixed, changed the Ping tuners out for Gotoh "Klusons" (conversion bushings and some bore resizing involved) and a Callaham parchment pickguard is installed in place of the white. And I've modded the control plate ala "Woodman" (TDPRI) for a less dark tone in position 3.

Sounds real good through my 65 Reissue Twin reverb 2 x 12. And through my Peavey Classic 50 2 x 12 with the Eurotubes tube upgrade and the Weber ceramic Blue Dogs in 30 watt (some play louder than me, I want the speakers optimized at the level I play at). I've also got a Glendale machined jack cup on there.

Except for that initial nut problem, everything is real nice.

Pretty durable. Suggest a model that is more so. You can't.

These remain real hard to come by. Mexico is just not churning these out. The only big box I often see these stocked in, is Sam Ash, but don't forget the massive abuse a guitar can sustain in that environment.
But buying this model over the phone, please don't. Even though this model is almost always real decent, you need to play the guitar before you buy. Unless you pay half price, I suppose, but of all the MIM models, this one has the best resale return on original price, IMO.

2006 (?) Sunburst, ash body, one-piece maple neck, just like the specs say. Came in a Fender gigbag. Finish is a thick poly--which I hate. The sunburst looks great though.

I tried to count the number of pieces of ash--looks like three. It's really hard to tell, because they did an excellent job of matching the grain of the pieces. The result is a really beautiful guitar.

Pickguard's kind of cheap--but it's supposed to be that way. But -surprise!- underneath the guitar is routed for the neck pickup. So it was easy to convert the guitar to a Tele (changed the control plate too). Although I only ever play on the bridge, so I'll probably change it back one day.

The neck is awesome, it's the best part of the guitar, nicest Fender neck I've ever held (not all that many, but enough, my other main guitar is an MIJ strat). Maybe it's the 7.5 inch radius that makes it so easy to play? I'm mostly a rhythm player anyway. Even still it doesn't fret out on the upper frets, so that's a good thing.

I like the tuners, they're kind of midway between regular tuners and locking tuners, in that you can block the string in the groove in the peg. Tuners aren't all that accurate, but good enough.

Other features? Has a vintage jack, which means I can't use the elbow jack I usually use. Not such a big deal.

I give it a 10 for features because Fender really got it right with this guitar. And it's nice to have the neck pickup option.

I usually have problems with telecasters, getting the sound I want. I tend to prefer the bloom of a stratocaster. Unlike other telecaster pickups I've tried (MIA and MIM), this one doesn't feel like needles in my ears. Has a mellower high-end, more mid-range, nice crisp bass.

This might be because the body is made from ash. At any rate, the guitar keeps the tele twang, with a nice clear sharp high end -- sounds great with James Brown-style funk stuff, and sounds really nice with tremelo too.

As I mentioned, I added a neck pickup and changed the control plate (used one from an MIM standard tele), so I can't really comment on the stock electronics. I play on the bridge pickup with the volume and tone full on, so whatever. (I'd added the neck pickup for the original owner.)

Anyway, this guitar is what I've always wanted a telecaster for.

I don't know where the guitar was before it got to me. I think it came from a shop that put it on ebay after it didn't sell in the store. The guitar was new, the price was great (400 euros...considering an MIM Standard Tele normally sells for closer to 600 euros). So I can't comment on whether it was a factory setup or not.

At any rate, the action was reasonable when it arrived. We let it acclimate for a couple of months. Then it took about 15 minutes to reset the relief, saddle height, intonation, etc. And then the guitar was perfect -- the nut slots were cut just fine, no issues there. Really went from a decent playing guitar to an excellent player.

Fretwork is great, no issues at all, everything on the guitar suggests that whoever worked on it really cared about what he/she was doing that day.

Like I said, the only thing I don't like on the guitar is the thick poly finish. I like my guitars to get beat up and this guitar never will--the finish appears pretty much bullet proof. This, of course, may be a major advantage for someone else. I'll be tempted to strip off the poly and refinish it in nitro one day.

As I mentioned, the grain-matching of the ash on this guitar is so well done that you have to look really close to see that it's not a one-piece guitar.

Really, I'm impressed with this MIM. I've seen other MIM (standard series) that were nice enough, but nowhere near this quality.

And as I mentioned, this is one of the nicest playing necks I've ever held.

I see no issues with reliability. Like I said, I wish the finish wasn't so thick, and wasn't poly, because it's never going to wear off...it's going to be shiny from here to eternity. This may be a plus for someone else though.

The guitar holds its tune pretty well, the locking feature of the posts is a nice bonus. I usually change tuners for locking tuners, but I'll keep these for now. They have a pretty low gear ratio though, so it's difficult to fine-tune. I'm not bothered at all by the three-barrel bridge, though, for me the intonation is close enough--it's part of what makes a guitar sound like a guitar, and rock ...rock.

Depends on the gig, I suppose. But it's just as easy to bring two guitars as just one, so why not? I like my strat a lot too.

I can't believe I'd get much help from them. I frankly wouldn't even bother. I build my own guitars anyway.

Here's the deal-- I helped a friend buy this last year as his first electric guitar--he wanted to buy a cheapo for about the same price, but this deal came up and I convinced him to go for it by promising I'd buy it off him if he ever decided to move on (I'd been wanting a Fender Tele for a long time). After a few months he asked me to install the neck pickup, which I did. But as his tastes in music and style of guitar started to evolve, he decided to switch to an Ibanez, so the Esquire's mine now... ;-D

I'm a gear fiend, I have more guitars than I need, and to make matters worse I build one or two new guitars each year. My main guitar for the last couple of years has been my '89 MIJ Strat (hard to believe it's almost 20 years old). But for recording I've been reaching for the Esquire more and more, it really sounds amazing through my Vox AC15 CC1. I also play through a Laney VC15 (I like low-watt amps).

Hard to describe my style, and I'm a rhythm player mostly (singer). I alternate between a very clean sound (Vox w/tremolo, no reverb) and a highly processed sound (Tubescreamer, fuzz, echo, wah, etc.). The tele handles the entire spectrum. I still prefer the Strat for more ringing/blooming chord tones though.

As much as I like to play the strat, I think this one is even better--because of the neck, of course. Nice and beefy neck, fits great in hands.

And of course, I'm of the firm opinion that the telecaster is the most beautiful electric guitar ever designed.

But I'm waiting for the finish to cure on a new guitar--it's a tele/strat hybrid, I'm hoping that one will become my main guitar.

Three piece ash body, dime thick polyester two tone sunburst body finish, 7.25 radius vintage fretted (21) nice fat maple neck, walnut skunk stripe, truss rod access at heel, ping imported vintage nickel tuners, round string tree too high on headstock, high density plastic nut, gloss polyurethane neck finish, white single ply pickguard, thin steel chrome plated box bridge plate (vintage style) with three chrome plated steel non compensated saddles, big too long height screws on saddles, same MIM 50's tele lead pickup as Classic 50's Tele; control panel with nice domed knurled knobs, three way switch for dark tone, middle position is tone control access, position one is tone control bypass.

This guitar is for singer songwriters; high volume setting is really not possible as there is only one single coil pickup and no noise cancelling or attenuation other than good grounds and good shielding.
Position three is treble cut for chords, thanks to a cap. I frankly can't reach a point where I can hear the difference between position one and position two with the tone dimed, as noise considerations intervene first; that's with a Custom Vibrolux 2 x10 or a Peavey Classic 50 2 x 12. I like the aesthetics but I can't see this guitar staying an Esquire, it'll probably get a neck pup as well.

I changed out the saddles for brass compensated saddles and D'Addario EXL 10-46s, but the high E slot on the nut appears wrong for 9 or 10; I'll try 11s and if the sitarring continues with an open "E" I'll get out the nut files or replace with graphtech or tusq. The rest of the guitar, a 2004, tho used, is immaculate and nicer than any new MIM Esquire I have seen in 3 years. Spectacular grain matching and not heavy at all for an ash MIM Tele, real nice sunburst application; beautifully fit and finished neck other than the nut and the round tree which is too far up the headstock to make a difference.

If we can get these problems fixed, this thing could withstand a nuclear exchange. The Ping tuners are obviously inferior to the high quality Gotoh 'kluson' nickel vintage tuners of the Jimmie Vaughan, frinstance, and the bushes must be changed as well to fit the Gotohs.
I've got other ping 'kluson' tuners that are fine, these are not fine. I think once all these loose ends are fixed, it'll be a shovel. I use Jim Dunlop straplocks; I save the stock ones for sales time.

Gimme a guitar that can care for itself. I have no use for caring, compassionate hand holding by the builder, I just want the guitar to be something that is right once and for all or which I can make right on my own; I can't stand the idea of being beholden to set necked guitar repairmen. Just as bad as owning a 60's Alfa Romeo, I won't do it.

I have two G + L Comanches; as fun as the idea of owning a Fender Esquire may seem, this guitar out in the real world can't make it.
The G + Ls, not just the Comanches but the S-500 and the ASAT Classics, make this guitar seem weak and helpless. Some repairs, and a set (2) of Bill Lawrence Keystone pickups should even up the sides a little. I'm enjoying getting lots of time in with the small frets and vintage radius, and I really do like the neck size and shape, and the guitar looks very cool. If you're gonna buy MIM Fender, check out the Baja, Nashville ( both of which I have in numbers ) and 50's and 60's Classics Teles; they all make more sense. Add tax to the price indicated. By the way, these have gotten really hard to find since 2003-4.

Mexican made 50's Esquire Re-issue, bought in January 2007.

Black with white pick guard. Beautiful maple neck with a really nice deep finish.

As has been said many times, you would be hard pressed to find LESS features on a guitar. One bridge pickup with the beautifully trebly tone-bypass. The body is well-made and it feels very solid in my hands but not too heavy when strapped on. It's made to look like a 50's guitar and so some things are a little rough, for instance the pick guard lifts a bit under the neck, but every one I checked out up here had the same issue. I just figure it adds to the character...maybe. I give this an honest low rating because it doesn't have many features. However, the features it has sounds pretty damn awesome.

Came with a pretty good gig bag and some assorted Fender stuff (pamphlets etc.)

I use this through a Fender Musicman Bass Combo Amp that, just like the Esquire, only has one volume and one tone knob. I like to keep things simple. I will occasionally run it through a roland bee-baa, space echo tape delay and a coloursound fuzz-wah for some effects. Sounds really good with the bee-baa's treble boost, but not so hot with the fuzz setting. The space echo can sound kinda muddy and the esquire really brightens the sound up.

This guitar is really great for all types of music. I use it mostly in a garage-blues way and it sounds amazing. Bending the strings on the bridge position selected sounds absolutely mind-blowing. Same with picking out strings. What's nice is that you can roll the tone down a little on the mid-position setting for chords and the quickly quick the selector to the bridge position to bypass the tone control and really brighten up the sound. Very handy and very cool sounding.

Got a bit of buzz but I figure if you're looking at this guitar a bit of buzz won't bother you too much.

I will say that if you accidentally hit the open e the bass can completely drown out the other strings.

Really for such a 'limited' amount of options the guitar really produces a great variety of tones and sounds that are actually usable. I have a Jag-Stang and it has something like is different pick-up configurations and not one of them comes close to the sounds I can get out of this guitar. It really sounds like you, if that makes sense.

The action seem okay. I haven't opened the guitar up to check out if anythings not right. Even if something was wrong I'd hesitate to change it because I love the sound.

I will agree with the reviewer who panned the tuners, they are pretty garbage and I'm considering switching them out. I have found the b-string in particular slips a lot and it becomes annoying quite quickly. Changing the strings often has helped but it's still a pain in the butt. I'm taking some marks off for this reason.

Can't see why it wouldn't because I really punish my guitars and it gives back as much as it takes. Very solid.

I wouldn't mind if the finish wore away, so this doesn't bother me. However, it seems like a quality paint.

Strap are a lot better than my Jag-Stang.

Absolutely dependable.

Can't comment haven't used them.

I've been playing for about 13 years now and have been in a couple of bands. I own about 8 guitars in total, 4 electric, 4 acoustic. I own a couple of tube amps and mostly vintage effects because I used to scour around a lot for bargains.

Only question I would have asked would be if I could have it for less!

I would definitely buy another if this was lost. My favourite guitar and I've played many over the years.

I love the simplicity of the design and the amazingly varied sounds you can get from this guitar. It just sounds great and looks awesome. My favourite feature would have to be the tone-bypass because it just kicks hard in that setting. Great for rhythm or lead.

As I said, I have 3 other electrics, including a jag-stang that was my main guitar for 12 years. The jag-stang has not been touched since I got the Esquire. I almost feel sorry for the thing. I also compared it to the Baja Tele that is out now. It had a nice sound but was not as individual and rocking as the Esquire. It was also more expensive.

The only feature I miss from the jag-stang is the tremelo bar but I think that would miss the whole point to have that on a esquire.

The jag-stang was roughly the same price as the esquire when I bought it 13 years ago. Looking back, I wish I had bought an Esquire instead. Hands down, just a great looking guitar with a great sound. Like someone else said, these will climb in value because they are getting a reputation for being well-built, fantastic sounding guitars.

I would recommend this guitar to anyone who wants to let themselves come through their guitar. Sounds hokey, I know, but there's no hiding with this guitar. It sounds amazing with a single patch chord running into an amp. No effects needed. Or don't buy it and I'll buy myself a white one in a year or two!

Update on my white blonde Classic Series 50s Esquire review from 03/18/2006.

1. Installed parchment single-ply pick guard.

I always thought the standard white pick guard a little too bright for my taste. The parchment one (purchased from eBay) is a little more yellow and aged looking. While the difference is subtle, the parchment pick guard makes the guitar look even more beautiful ??? especially with the white blonde finish. My Esquire now looks a bit like the Eric Johnson white blonde Strat. Nice improvement for $17 + shipping.

2. Installed Fender 6-saddle bridge.

This mod is considered to be heresy among most Tele players. I actually traded some LPs to a friend who had a 6-saddle bridge that came with his MIA ???52 Tele RI. The 6-saddle bridge makes a world of difference for playing lead. I had intonation problems with the standard 3-saddle ??? even after a proper set-up. Additionally, each of the three saddles would move slightly over time, causing more intonation problems. Many Tele players seem to go with compensated saddles, but it???s hard for me to believe that a compensated saddle could give you PERFECT intonation like the 6-saddle bridge. Cool thing is, I always use an ashtray bridge cover so nobody knows what I???m using under the hood. I don???t feel like the 6-saddle mod changed the tone or character of the guitar at all. Even if it did, it???s worth it for the dramatic intonation improvement, IMO. To be honest, I can???t help but feel like the 3-saddle bridge is a major flaw in the design of the Tele/Esquire.

3. Had Seymour Duncan STL-1 vintage ???54 bridge pickup installed.

I stated in my original review that I couldn???t imagine anyone changing out the stock pickup. Well, I was a little curious on how the stock measured-up to other pickups. And I LOVED the sound samples of the Seymour Duncan STL-1 on their web page. Fifty-five bucks later, I had the STL-1 in hand. In terms of tone, the stock sounds a little more rough and rocking. It reminds me of a garage rock sound. The STL-1 sounds more refined and seems better suited for cleaner and country styles. Where the stock pickup has a bit more bass and scooped mids, the STL-1 is a bit brighter with more midrange. Unfortunately, the STL-1 has less bass. I simply use more bass EQ to compensate. Overall, I prefer the STL-1 but I can understand how a rock player could like the stock pickup better.

I???ve had my Esquire for well over a year now and I???m really digging it. I feel like I made a great choice with this guitar. I???ve dropped about $140 worth of upgrades into the $629 Esquire and it has all be worth it so far.

My 2004 50's Fender esquire reissue, is the white-blonde model, but to be completely honenst its more of a honey-blonde,the finish on this guitar seems to vary quite alot as i have seen about 6 of this guitar in so called (white blonde) and each one was a slightly different shade of blonde. so shop around and do alot of comparing if you want this guitar in white-blonde or as mine is, honey blonde.

The body size & shape is identical to that of a standard USA made telecaster, and in my opinion made to the same high quality, don't let the "made in mexico" thing put you off, the reissues are built to a much higher standard as the stanard mexican made models.

The body is made out of ash and there for is very light, compared to alder bodys so often used on telecaster guitars. my esquire weighs only 6.2pounds in total. my USA made standard telecaster weighs in at almost 9.0pounds

the neck is a standard vintage telecaster neck with the truss-rod adjusting at the butt of the neck rather than the top, this looks more tidy but means you have to remove the pick guard to alter the truss rod, which can be a bit of hassel as you will need a right-angled "phillps screw driver to do this, rather than a hex key.

The bridge and machine heads are of the vintage type and are to be fare quite bad quality ones,(more on that later)

Feature wise this guitar is'nt for those wanting a "do-it-all" guitar, with only one pick-up, volume and tone and a basic 3-way switch it only really has two sounds, a bluesy jazz sound and a good classic rock sound, people who are in to the rolling sones and the who will love this guitar, it does the classic rock sound so well i gave it a 8 in this catorgory. but if you love your high-gain metal, look someware else.

the guitar came with a very nice deluxe fender gig bag and the usual fender life-time warenty, and a couple of fender stickers.

If you love blues, classic rock, and a bit of 60's pop, this guitar will do it with flying colours, but with only one pick-up you are very limited., i use the guitar with an orange rockerverb 50 combo and a marshall jcm 900 stack, and with just a boss tu-2 tuner between the guitar and amp, and it sounds great on any setting, clean or dirty, but it is very noisy if your using anything more than a mild overdrive. you get a great led zeppelin sound through the marshall jcm 900 with all the controls half way., the pickup in the guitar is a very good one, you would'nt want to replace it, unless you wanted a noise canceling pick-up so you could drive it a bit more. the 3 way switch on the guitar works like follows, Bridge, pick-up to volume. Middle, pick-up to volume and tone. Neck, pick-up to volume and a tone shaping capacitor, with a volume decrease. the ash body is very bright sounding but not too twangy, it has a quality sound to it. i love the rock sound this guitar produces.

Straight out of the box this guitar needed nothing doing to it, it was instantly playable, it even came with a printed letter saying it had been set-up by fender before leaving the factory. the action, intonation and finish was flawless. i took off the pick-guard and bridge to have a look at the body routes and it was all neat and tidy and perfectly done. the neck pocket was tight, the frets where finished nicely, the nut was shapped well, there was nothing wrong with it at all. after playing it for a about a week though i then discovered that the machine heads where not holding tune, so i replaced them with kluson classic tuners and it solved the problem, i also changed the bridge as the one fitted was made of poor quality chrome that started to flake after just one week. i replaced it with a fender 52-reissue vintage telecaster bridge with brass saddles, theses two changes then in my mind made the guitar perfect. the kluson vintage tuners and the fender 52 tele bridge came to a cost of ??65 ($130). fender seem to have a habit of fitting cheaper hardware to some of there reissue guitars, but for the price it is not bad, and easily solved on this particular guitar. so i give it a 9.

this thing is a tank, apart from string breaks nothing can go wrong to be honest, i'd use it live, but i always have a back up.
The stock tuners may be an issue live, as they slip easily, id stronly think about replacing them with Kluson vintage tuners or some other high-quality make. the strap buttons are solid, but i'd use stap-locks because acidents can happen. but you could depend on this guitar to always perform perfectly, with the stock tuners i give it an 8, but a 10 if there replaced.

All new fender guitars come with a life-time warranty, against any faulty parts. but there are so few on this guitar its not really needed. if anything went wrong with it, id just fix it myself to save the hassel of contacting fender. but i give them a 10 for the life-time warrenty ( if you want it )

I've been playing for about 9 years, i've owned everything from custom-shop strats to gibson les pauls to gretsch hollow bodys and this is amoung the top end of all of those at 1/10 of the cost, i think it's the best guitar in its price range by far. if it got stolen, id definalty buy another. i love it for its great rock sound and character., im thinking about changing the white pick-guard to a black one, just for a change. :)

My new purchase has a black finished alder body in the classic 50's tele shape a maple neck, and 50's style bridge and tuners. The tuners leave a lot to be desired and will be replaced imediately. Nice gig bag included with the purchase.

If you are at all familiar with the classic Fender Esquire from the 50's, you'll know that there is a sparkle available with this guitar that no tele can touch. The tone control is completely removed from the circuit in the "bridge" selector position and the guitar positively screams. Think Joe Bonamassa playing the song "Taking the Hit." The guitar has the single coil hum you'd expect but that is to be expected. We shall see how long this pickup lasts before being switched to a better unit.

The setup is perfect. There are a couple of small lines in the finish where the glue joints in the top are but realistically, for a guitar of this price I can't complain. It has the typical 50's style "c" shaped neck and replicates my 1952 Esquire perfectly. It plays like a dream. Aside from the one small issue, there are no quibbles. If the American factory could put them out this good consistently.........

Aside from the tuners which have been discussed previously, it's a lifetime guitar. I bought it so that I wouldn't have to gig with my "52 and I am completely happy with it.

I have been playing for 35 years. I have a 1964 Strat, a 1952 Esquire, a 1959 Les Paul Standard reissue and a 2005 American Deluxe Strat as my primary guitars. I build custom Marshall reproductions for a living and effects pedals as well as playing guitar. The new Esquire fits in well and allows me to leave the vintage axe at home. It is what it is. For those tele players looking for a classic sound that is unattainable in any other guitar, give an Esquire a whirl. You will be blown away. Keith Richards, Springsteen and legions of other guitarists have been enjoying one of the best kept secrets in the Fender world.

My 50's Esquire features a gloss black polyurethene finish, pretty much everything is a vintage Telecaster exacpt the fact that it does not have a neck pickup. And what would usually select the pickup combinations switches between your three tonal cercuits: (neck) Dark Tone Cercuit, (middle) Regular Tele Tone cercuit and (bridge) Total Tone Bypass. Vintage tuners and bridge with steel sadles, dome top knobs, single ply white pickguard, vintage sised fret wire. the neck is a smooth and slim C shape comforatable from pretty much everything. Made in Mexico, ash body and single peice maple neck. I give this a 9 because although it lacks features the ones that is does have are soo incredibly good its scary

This Fender 50's Esquier is as simple as it gets, and its sound and tonal range is alot smaller than alot of other guitars, although this single pickup plank screams like a voodoo demon from hell! I play heavy blues rock with a bit of psychadellica in the style of Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds, Cream and The Jeff Beck Group, pretty much anything in that vein. I am also greatly influenced by alot of blues atrists such as Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters to name a few. This guitar can nail pretty much all of these tones like jesus! When in the the total bypass setting you can get pretty much all early Led Zeppelin and Yardbirds tones. Unplugged this thing is lively and responsive, probably becasue of the Ash body, its got a bright snappy tone as well, the maple neck probably adds to this. With the tone engaged its just like a normal tele. And then there is the dark setting which again bypasses the tone cercuit and uses a capacitator to roll of most of the highs. This guitar, at the price i got it at, is perfect for pretty much all 60's music, pop, blues, rock and psychadellica it can pretty much cover most genres of musical styles with a little tweaking. I use this guitar through a Marshall MG50DFX, and sometimes my mates blues junior with usually only a Vox wah and a little Guyatone fuzz pedal too add some sonic spice. Being a fender 50's style single coil it can get some 50's cylce hum happening when used with a fuzz pedal (in most tone settings), it is usually surprisingly quiet though which i was quite pleased with. As it is a single coil in the bridge of a fender this thing is clear and distinct yet not thin, it sparkles and jangles but its not tinny, you can get all your tele bridge pickup kicks with the steroetypical bright tele "twang". Although that is not all this guitar can do! with the tone cercuit controlled by the pickup selector you can get a wide variety of tones and sounds, the dark tone cercuit can be good clean for some nice jazzy tunes or soft strummy songs, the middle postition is your regular tone cercuit so you can do anyhting from quiet blues to heavier Led Zeppelin and the like, the total bypass setting is insane to say the least, this thing should be illegal it can totally scream with some good pushing of the amp or a fuzz pedal. If you love a bit of treble THIS IS YOUR GUITAR! Alough it may not be as versatile as say a Les Paul, Stratocaster or Telecaster it still holds its own somewhat distinct personality that can still cover a broad spectrum of tones.

The store I baught this from sets up all their guitars prior to selling, or even hanging on the wall so i'm not sure what the action was like form the factory but its pretty darn good now. This guitar was ordered into the store by someone who then decided they didnt want it and so it has been lying in there for a while, i dont know why that person wouldnt have baught it! Being my first foray into a 'real' Fender i couldn't be more happy, this thing was put together with care and i have yet to find any serious flaws in its fit or finish, there was a little dent in the top of the fretboard past the 21st fret and its hardly noticable, too small to be bothered about, and the routing for the bridge pickup was a little too much cause you can see down there on the side of the bridge, once again only a very small amount nothing to worry about. The tuning pegs are a tad shoddy and seem to slip a bit, but they are made in china so what do you expect, and the price i got this baby at i cant complain i can always replace them later with some decent goto's or 'fender deluxe' thingys i aint to ticked off. Everthing else is pretty damn top notch and this guitars pretty hard to diss. I'm impressed!

This guitar could be run over by a f**king truck and still be able to deafen someone, i have no doubt this could withstand the rigours of touring and playing live every night for 50 years. All the hardware is solid and apears to be good quality, the only thing i can fault is the tuning pegs as they dont seem to hold tune as good as other guitars i've played, but then again i think its got .009's on it at the moment and i usually play with .010's. This suckers covered in a black polyuruthene finish that will definatly stand the test of time, i was thinking the highway 1 option because of its nitro finish but meh, this thing sounds the cats pajamas! The strapbuttons are just the run-off the mill type and are solid as a rock. I would gig this without a back up because i feel its totally dependable, simple, solid and seemingly undestructable.

Not bothered with any of this stuff at the moment, i've only had it for 5 days! i'll give them a 10 for the hell of it, the shop i got it from was tops so this ten goes out to you guys at Venue Music Sydney Australia.

I've only being playing for about 6 years, but i'm a total guitar music freak and know alot more than most people three times my age (cocky i know but still....) know about guitars. My other gear includes a Squier Stratocaster, Melody Acoustic, Washburn Acoustic, very rare (1 of 7 made) 67 Maton Magnetone 12 string (Rick copy), Vox Wah, Guyatone "The Fuzz", Marshall MG50DFX. If it were lost or stolen i would hunt down the mother fucker who stole it a rip their fucking head off....scuse the language. I would not buy another because i would never find one at the same price i did and they also have to custom ordered for us down here in Australia, but if i got the money together it would be a no-brainer this guitar is worth every cent, it is one peice of ace! I love the fact that its so simple yet sounds soo good, looks so sexy and classy. i dont have any favourite features cause theres a lack of 'em but i cannot put this guitar down at all. In contention for my next guitar were this black 50's Esquire and a White/Cream MIJ Fender 62-65 Telecaster, i am a total Jimmy Page freak and wanted the palin tele cause it was exactly like his before he striped it and gave it the psychadellic dragon paint job, oh and i know its 62-65 and Jimmy's was a "58" i disagree they didnt have rosewood boards then, most likely a '60 or something, anyways the MIJ Tele just didnt really cut it unplugged and plugged in, even though having only 1 pickup the Esquire won hands down in feel, tone, eveything. I was originally gonna blow my whole bank acount $3300 on a Gibson Les Paul Standard; the first one they ordered had a dent, the second ones finish ran onto the binding and was scratched to buggery between the nut and truss rod cover i dont know about you but i'm not gonna shell out that kind of hard earned moulah for a scratched guitar. Gibson if i wasnt a les paul lover and jimmy page freak i wouldnt ever buy from you again because of your quility controll issues, pick up your game before everone buys those lame ass PRS's. I never thaught i'd end up getting this guitar an exact third of the price of the les paul i was gonna buy (a great deal that no one could beat). The retail here in Australia for the Esquire is $1599, and the store was selling it for $1500 i think, after sitting in their shop they wanted to get rid of it and were donig it for $1200, i got it for $1100 with a Fender gig bag so i saved myself a cool $500 and got a damn well top notch guitar, it IS the bees knees!

2005 MIM Classic Series Fender Esquire in White Blonde finish. Ash body with tinted maple neck and fretboard. The Esquire is very much like a Telecaster but with a single pickup at the bridge. The three-way switch is a *tone* switch instead of a *pickup* switch. Very thick "C" neck. Vintage-style Ping tuners.

Being a single pickup design, the 50s Esquire doesn't rate very highly in the features department. This guitar is no Stratocaster. One can, however, get quite a few sounds out of this guitar by using the three-way tone switch and the tone knob.

Before buying the 50s Classic Series Esquire, I used a MIM 50s Classic Series Strat. I had some tuning stability issues with the Strat -- not to mention a general dissatisfaction with the tone. I consider myself a Rickenbacker type of guy, so I like a bright, ringy sound. The 50s Strat with stock pickups sounded a bit dull through my amp. So I ordered the 50s Esquire and directly compared it with the 50s Strat.

I liked the 50s Esquire much better. True, the Strat is more versatile but I preferred the brighter, twangy tone of the Esquire. The 50s Esquire definitely has some bite to it -- especially with the selector switch in the bridge position (thus, bypassing the tone knob). The sound is very clean with unbelievable sustain from the lightweight Ash body. Mild overdrive sounds decent, as well. Still, I wouldn't recommend the Esquire if you are into hard rock or metal.

Unlike the 50s Strat, the stock pickup in the 50s Esquire sounds fantastic. I can?t imagine anyone wanting to replace it.

I feel the Esquire/Telecatser sound is very much related to the Rickenbacker sound (or, perhaps, the other way around). Ric = more ringy. Esquire = more twangy. The Esquire is MUCH better for playing leads, however.

I'm going to take a few points off here due to the stock tuners and the thick "C" neck.

I replaced the cheaper stock tuners with a locking vintage-style set from Stewart-MacDonald.com (http://www.stewmac.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi/hzpi/u/HzSt0114141516131613100U0n0n12101513130m1013/hazel.cgi?client=66785852&action=search&search_field=NB%3BNM%3BWORDS%3BSPECS&SEARCH_COMP=%3A&SEARCH_LOGIC=%2B&SEARCH_MAXHITS=10&SEARCH_SPEC=1954). MUCH better tuning stability, not to mention better build quality. Although the replacement tuners were $57 + shipping, I highly recommend this upgrade.

The neck was thicker than I expected from a "C" neck. It felt more like a "U" to me. I was used to the soft "V" of the 50s Strat and the thick "C" of the Esquire was quite a change. I've gotten used the Esquire's neck but I wish it was a bit thinner and more modern.

Otherwise, the guitar's fit and finish is superb. The white blonde finish is beautiful and, after looking very carefully, I couldn't see any flaws. I ordered a Fender vintage-style Telecaster bridge cover and it fits perfectly. The look of the white blonde with the chrome bridge cover is stunning.

The action from the factory is good but could be a little better. It's always a good idea to have a new guitar set-up from a guitar tech you trust.

The 50s Esquire is built like a tank. I suspect that the thick gloss finish will last a long time before it shows signs of wear. I used to own a vintage Rickenbacker (made in the USA) and the 50s Esquire is just as solid.

The 50s Esquire is a great guitar for those wanting a vintage sound. Blues, Country, and Rock players will love this guitar, while Hard Rock and Metal players will be disappointed. I?m into all things vintage so I absolutely love this thing.

I grew up playing drums but switched to guitar when I went to College in the late-80s. I've owned and played quite a few guitars since then and I feel the 50s Esquire is up there with the best I've ever played -- regardless of price. Don?t let the fact that it?s made in Mexico fool you. The 50s Esquire is as good (if not better) than the Fender American models.

2005 model, sunburst with maple neck, single bridge pickup, not much else. Came in a nice gigbag with the usual Fender candy. Limited features - that's how it's meant to be - although mine is now highly modified.

I agree with the previous reviewer - this guitar is very well made and has excellent fit and finish. Mine came straight from the warehouse and was setup quite well. The stock pickup is also excellent and doesn't really need replacement (although I replaced it anyway - read below).

When I bought this guitar (nearly 12 months ago as of this writing) I was very much into blues. I played it into a cranked vintage Champ and it was a great sound. Spanky, ballsy and unforgiving. However I later decided to focus more on jazz and funk/jazz-funk/acid jazz etc, so I modified the Esquire to suit this purpose. It's now pretty much a Tele.

I basically changed everything but the body and neck. It now has Gotoh locking Kluson-style vintage tuners (direct replacment), Callaham string tree, bone nut, matte black pickguard, Jason Lollar pickups (Charlie Christian/neck and Special/bridge), Callaham bridge, Callaham dome knobs with heavy knurl, 4-way switch, "orange drop" tone cap, Electrosocket jack and full shielding. I also upped the strings to 11-50 pure nickels.

Now it handles everything from legit jazz tones, to funk, to blues and rock with authority. I don't want another guitar as it covers everything I need, and it still came in under the price of a stock US standard model.

Factory setup was actually quite good. After the mods were performed I had a luthier set it up properly and it's been great ever since. The sunburst is very well done with no flaws, and there is only a very slight gap in the neck pocket (I've seen many US-built Fenders with worse). Great fit and finish at this price.

It's solid. I never break strings. It rarely goes out of tune. 'Nuff said.

Don't want/need it.

These things are great guitars at a great price. Period. I have a JV Strat as well and it too is very good. Good everyday gigging guitars.

Remember - Mexican Fenders are built in Mexico by Mexicans. USA Fenders are built in California by Mexicans. Your $$$, dude.

We all know the features, one pickup, two knobs, a full "C" neck, and no
where to hide! All the features lie with your fingers.

This instrument makes all the rock, country, and blues sounds you need, if you accept the natural voicing of a Tele. The pickup from the factory exceeds the tonal qualities of my 54 Duncan p/u, and are every bit as good as the early 80's Japan reissue I owned. The quick tone switch does an ample job of reigning in the twang when needed. I quess the sound could be sightly improved with the ultimate boutique p/u, but the one included is damn near that!

Okay, this is why I wrote the review. I stopped buying Fenders in the eary 1990's. I really saw the quality as second rate. So I went with other American guitars, Ernie Ball. These well extremely well made,but lacked the soul of a Strat or Tele. I did run across one MIJ Strat in 1995 that was very well done. My best friend, for example, bought an American Standard Srat at the same time and experienced a broken nut and missing screws.

All that said, I read the reviews here very carefully, and have subsequently saved a good sum on value guitars (Ibanez AS 73 comes to mind). As previous reviewers have stated, this slab-axe is right on in this department. The fit and finish are spectacular. In fact the tolerances are as tight as my USA Custom Tele. The classic three piece body is figured and very light. The Esquire weighs well less than 7 pounds, and came well setup from the factory. Yes, straight out the box. The frets were polished and neatly dressed.

This intrument speaks very well of the relationship that Fender must have with their Mexican employees.

All said and done, if you get Tele parts in the right place, you will still have one problem down the line. The jack will come loose. You either have it replaced, and then replaced again, or you buy an electrosocket.

Otherwise the pretty plank and baseball bat are very durable.

Dunno

I have been playing 24 years. I have played guitars from plywood and '54 Strats, real nice Pauls and overpriced maple finished things. PAY ATTENTION to some of the reviewers here. They will save you frustration and time. I bought the Ibanez AS73 OVER a Gibson 335 and it was the correct move. The neck shape on that guitar and overall feel EXCEED the standard 335 models I played in the Memphis showroom, and feel much like the Larry Carlton model. With a P/U change the sound is all there.

This guitar is in that category. This is the Mexican Classic series and SHOULD NOT be compared to the standard series (very different quality of wood and hardware). While imho I would not say that this is on par with the American Customshop models (at least the ones I have played), it is not far behind. It is a better quality job than the current (or past 15 years) Am. Stand. models. I stand by that opinion.

It appears that Fender has now produced/developed some highly skilled craftsfolk (withstanding that Mexico has a luthier tradition of longer lineage than the US) who just happen to be born a few degrees south of the Rio Grande, and work for a bit less money.

As soon as I buy a house, I will buy another one of these sunburst guitars to place in my closet for future college tuition costs. Laugh now, pay me later.

No, I don't work for Fender. I teach school. I had sworn off moderatly priced Fenders for over a decade until they fixed themselves, and they have. Viva la Mexico !!!!!!

One pick-up telecaster with a 3 way switch (front:pickup with tone full off - middle:pickup with tone control working - back:pickup with the tone control bypassed).

It has an ash body with vintage style bridge and saddles. The neck is very similar to the 52 reissues.

This is a very well made guitar. You will forget it came from Mexico; in fact the standard is (IMHO, having played both) the same as the high-end custom guitars.

Fender states the guitar has been made to exact vintage specs - it feels and looks like they are telling the truth.

As with the rest of the classic series, the guitar comes with a standard black fender gig bag. I got luck and managed to get a tweed thermometer case just to complete the look.

I always find this the hardest category to rate because the guitar is really quite basic but does everything intuitively and perfectly. Hell, I'll give it a nine because this layout inspired the genre that is country music Americana as we know it today - can't get much better than that!

Well:

Switch-Front: Jazzy tone, with some drop off. Great for throwing jazz progressions in between hot country songs (think Delbert McClinton). You could cut an entire jazz record using this but it wouldn't sound like a 175, or even quite as good at the '52 reissue front pickup with tone rolled off.

Switch-Centre: great telesound we all know and love. Cutting blues sound with some tone rolled off. Tone full off gives the same sound as Switch front, but slightly louder! Good for jazz solos where you can switch between switch-front for comping and switch-middle (tone full off) for blowing.

Switch-Back: Well with only the tele pickup and no tone pot getting in the way you are talking about the purest tele spank. It really cuts and is sure to get you though even the tightest mix or band situation. This is a truly wonderful sound!

Well it's got to be a 10 just for the Switch-Back sound. The others are interesting too. Amazing sounds from a 'budget' axe.

This guitar is very well made and indistinguishable from a US model.

That said, you should always have a new guitar professionally set up.

It's a tele - so little that can go wrong - I expect no problems.

Have never dealt with Fender so couldn't say. The dealer is always helpful enough.

>>How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?

I have been playing for 12 years. The guitar is my obsession. I have owned everything from Jems to Custom Shop Gibsons to Squires to early G&Ls to Nocasters to Relics etc. I feel I know what I am talking about.

>>Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?

Yes, where and when can I get another (UK is entirely sold out and most new ones coming over are pre-sold!

>>If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?

I would get another one immediately (if I could find one). The beauty of this guitar is it is so cheap if it is stolen it is not the end of the world (not like with Gibson Custom Shop etc.)

>>What do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favourite feature?

I love its simplicity and the way it make me feel when I play it. You seem to play it a different way to other style guitars. I like that. I feel teles are more transparent and the esquire is more transparent still. I shine through rather than the guitar and amp.

I hate the fact it has taken Fender so long to produce a guitar like this at a sensible price.

My favourite feature is the one pickup three way switch. So simple. So perfect.

Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?

I compared this with a 52' reissue, a 'vintage' (circa 1986) G&L ASAT, a '52 Jap reissue, a custom shop relic Esquire and an original 70's tele custom. I would rate them:

'vintage' (circa 1986) G&L ASAT,
custom shop relic Esquire,
'52 Jap reissue,
52' reissue,
original 70's tele custom.

That said, this guitar is genuinely better than all of them - even the custom shop guitar (which is #1,500 more expensive). The only guitar I have tried that is on a par is the Nocaster Relic (again #1,500 more expensive), though the neck on the 50's esquire is better. No kidding.

>>Anything you wish it had?

Not really - would look nice relic'd, but I plan to do my own relicing!!

>>Anything else you'd like to share?

I play in a southern blues band. The sound is kind of Honkey Tonk. I put the esquire through an Ernie Ball volume pedal, a Keeley TS808 (or a HAO Sole Pressure depending on the room), a Durham Electronics Sex Drive, a Keeley Compressor, a ZVex Super Hard On (again if the room demands it), a Boss DM-3 and a Fender Vibro King. The sound is wonderful. As a back-up guitar I use a 62 Sheraton II (Epiphone).

Put it this way:

Pedals : #904
Amp : #2,209
Back-up Guitar : #3,495
Esquire : #389

Out of a #6,997 rig, the #389 Esquire would be the first thing saved if there were a fire.

Do yourselves a favour. Try one.