GEAR
[ FENDER BRAD PAISLEY ROAD WORN TELECASTER | Eric Dahl ]
Hardware consists of the standard Telecaster
KEY FEATURES
metal tray with triple-brass barrel style
Well-Built yet Affordable saddles that are compensated and vintage
Light and Resonant style Fender machine heads. The pickups
include a ‘64 custom wound vintage-style
Brad Paisley Spec Vintage-style
single-coil bridge pickup
Tele single-coil in the bridge position (wound
to Brad’s specs) and a Fender twisted Tele
9.5” Fretboard Radius
single-coil in the neck position for warmer
Stratocaster like tones. Controls are standard
Brad Paisley is one of the top 5 Country Music
Tele style with a volume, tone and a 3-way
guitar slingers and has collaborated on a
pickup selector.
signature guitar pedal (Wampler Pedals) and
amps (Dr. Z Amplifiers) but never a guitar until
The finish over the sparkle finish paint job is
now. As a worship team guitarist, I know how
nitrocellulose allowing the wood to breath.
popular Telecasters’ are on the platform, so I
The Road Worn relic-ing treatment by Fender
was eager to put this one through its paces.
is very tastefully done and not over reliced
as many builders will do. Besides the finish
The new 2017 Fender Brad Paisley Road
checking on the neck and body the only worn
Worn Telecaster was built in cooperation with
through areas are where your strumming arm
Brad because he wanted to be involved with
rest and at the lower bout where the body
an instrument that an average player could
would rest on your leg. The transparent
afford. Paisley is known for playing his original
pickguard is thick with the paisleys on the
’68 Paisley Telecaster early in his career. When
underneath side allowing areas of sparkle
I asked him about his new Fender he stated,
finish to be visible.
“This guitar can last you a lifetime and it is
really well made.” Singing the National Anthem
Playing Brad’s signature Tele I didn’t want to
at Game 2 of the World Series, Brad played
put it down due to the neck shape and I was
his signature guitar for millions of fans! When
able to achieve country, blues and rock tones
our review guitar first arrived, I thought it was
from the custom pickups. It surprised me in
damaged in shipping due to the checking on
that for a Telecaster it handled distortion and
the back of the headstock and throughout the
overdrive very well without feedback issues
bodies silver sparkle finish – then I realized that
and the bass wasn’t muddy as some Teles’
Fender did an incredible job of relic’ing it!
with humbuckers in the neck can sound.
Street price this made in Mexico Fender Brad
First impressions, the guitar is very light
Paisley Road Worn Tele is $1,199.99 with
and resonant thanks to a body made from
sandwiched
together
a Fender Deluxe Gig bag. It is an excellent
spruce/paulownia/
value considering all the features, playability
spruce. The neck is maple with a 9.5” radius
and wide diversity of available tones. This
fretboard that feels a bit thicker than a standard
is a Fender instrument that will allow you
Tele thanks to its enhanced “V” shape, it comes
to push your musical boundaries much as
loaded with 21 medium jumbo frets and a
Brad Paisley has and give you enough tonal
synthetic nut. The top of the headstock above
flexibility to play confidently through any
the Fender logo features Paisley’s signature hat
worship team set list.
symbol.
52
December 2017
WorshipMusician.com