Fender Custom Shop LTD 70th Anniversary Broadcaster Heavy Relic NAMM2020 Aged Nocaster Blonde w/OHSC

Description

Fender changed the music world forever in October 1950 with the first dual-pickup electric Spanish guitar—the Broadcaster®. The instrument vaulted Fender into the mainstream of electric guitar, with gorgeous features and smart innovations including an ash body with a translucent blonde nitrocellulose finish, sturdy maple neck with rear-installed truss rod for solid stability (with a walnut “skunk stripe”), single-ply black phenolic pickguard, two loud-and-clear pickups and versatile wiring for three distinctive tone settings. Revolutionary as it was, however, the Broadcaster was short lived—produced only for a couple months until January 1951 because of an already-existing trademark on the name held by the Fred Gretsch Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Now, for 2020 alone, the Custom Shop has resurrected this famously rare guitar in honor of its 70th anniversary. The Limited Edition 70th Anniversary Broadcaster has a two-piece select ash body with off-center seam, available in four different Custom Shop aging packages—NOS Time Capsule, Journeyman Relic®, Relic and Heavy Relic—all finished in the original “flash coat” lacquer. The one-piece rift-sawn maple neck has a 1950 Broadcaster profile, 7.25”-9.5” vintage compound-radius fingerboard and 21 medium vintage frets. Other features include hand-wound ’50-’51 Blackguard pickups with ’51 modded “Nocaster” wiring (similar to the original, with blender pot and slightly brighter rhythm setting in the neck position). The guitar comes with a “case candy” kit containing a 70th anniversary neck plate, Fat ’50s control assembly and original Broadcaster sales flyer reprint. Also includes deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• 2-Piece Offset Seam Ash Body
• Heavy Relic® Lacquer Body Finish
• Maple Neck and Fingerboard
• Tinted Flash Coat Lacquer Neck Finish
• ’50 Broadcaster® “U”Neck Shape
• 25.5″ (648 mm) Scale Length
• 7.25″ to 9.5″ Compound Fingerboard Radius (184 mm to 241 mm)
• 21 Medium Vintage Frets
• 1.630” (41.4 mm) Nut Width
• Custom Shop Hand-Wound ’50-’51 Blackguard Pickups
• Controls: Volume, Blend
• Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup With Blender, Position 2. Neck Pickup with Volume, Position 3. Neck Pickup with Volume, 10K Resistor and .001uF Capacitor.
• 3-Saddle ’50 Broadcaster® with Brass Saddles Bridge
• Chrome Hardware Finish