For 2019, Fender have introduced the Rarities Collection; limited editions of their classics that stand out from the crowd. New woods, new design appointments, modern features – but still unmistakably Fender. The Chambered Tele is no exception, combining classic twang with a warm, full-bodied response and luxurious looks to boot.
A 2-piece roasted Alder back gives a slightly different tonal character to this unique take on the Tele. The roasting process removes much more moisture from the wood, meaning a tighter more resonant sound. Add a Flamed Maple top to the mix and you get a pronounced top-end attack, perfectly complementing the warm but biting midrange of the Alder.
Arguably the standout feature of this instrument is the chambered body. This helps to fill out the bass and low-mids with plenty of warm projection. Finally, Maple is also used for the neck and fretboard, further emphasising the spanky attack of the Chambered Tele. With this model, you get heaps of Tele twang, resonant low-end and everything in between.
The Chambered Tele is adorned with two pickups designed by Fender veteran Tim Shaw. The new Shaw Hot ‘50s bridge pickup offers, as you might have guessed, a slightly hotter output. This tightens up the chambered body’s resonance and spits it out with a proper Tele snarl. In the neck position, you get a Shawbucker 1T humbucker. The aim of the game is brilliant clarity, noise resistance and a knack for blending well with single-coils.
Vintage-style tuners, a 3-saddle compensated bridge and a tortoiseshell pickguard complete the picture. This is a true head turner of a Telecaster – a fitting addition to Fender’s Rarities Collection!
