Vintage Vibes: 1970 Fender Rosewood Telecaster
VINTAGE VIBES: 1970 Fender Rosewood Telecaster
Shelby says there's something in the way this 1970 Rosewood Fender Telecaster moves. Most commonly associated with George Harrison of The Beatles and Traveling Wilburys fame, the Rosewood Telecaster was designed for Fender in the 1960s by former Rickenbacker luthier Roger Rossmeisl. This 1970 model differs from the original Rossmeisl prototype Fender gave Harrison in that this body is two pieces of rosewood bound together, whereas Harrison's was solid rosewood. But you'll see it weeps just as gently, if not more so. Don't let us down, Shelby.
Shelby Describes the 1970 Fender Rosewood Telecaster
The Rosewood Telecaster became synonymous with one iconic guitar artist, a gentleman by the name of George Harrison from a band called The Beatles. If you don't know who the Beatles are, stop watching this video. Look that up, then come back.
The Rosewood Telecaster was designed by Roger Ross Maisel, who started his career with Rickenbacker and moved to Fender in the mid-'60s. The Beatles began their career playing Rickenbackers, so when Fender gave the prototype to George Harrison, they gave him a guitar that was designed by the very same man. A fitting end as George decided to play it in their last public performance on The Abbey Road Studio rooftop in 1969.
The original version of this guitar is quite heavy because rosewood is an incredibly dense wood. So what they did for this 1970 Rosewood Telecaster is swap the solid body for two pieces of rosewood sandwiched together, giving this '70 model a lighter, chambered body.
Fender produced the Rosewood Telecaster from 1968 to 1972, but it's unclear how many. They were never very popular. It's only in retrospect that these have become a coveted piece of history.
SHOP VINTAGE FENDER
Related Posts
PRS Guitars | New Tekton Series
PRS Guitars' new Tekton family answers the call for a more modern PRS — thinner neck profiles, a sleeker body silhouette, and brand-new Stylus pickups across Tekton, Tekton T, Tekton Floyd, and Tekton SVN. With stainless steel frets and the thinnest body PRS has ever made in standard production, Tekton is built for precision players who want a direct connection to their instrument. Chicago Music Exchange is proud to be one of the first to carry it. Shop PRS Tekton now at Chicago Music Exchange!
View Details
Fender | American Professional Series At CME!
Fender is reaffirming its commitment to the working professional with the reimagined American Professional Series. Rooted in Leo Fender’s original read on what touring and studio musicians actually need, this lineup carries that same philosophy into a modern build — new V-Mod III pickups, smooth rolled fingerboard edges, modern C-shaped neck profiles, ClassicGear Precision Potentiometers, and updated hardware across the board. From the Telecaster and Stratocaster to the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Jazz Bass, and Precision Bass, every model in the series is designed to handle gig after gig, session after session, without missing a beat. Shop the full lineup now at Chicago Music Exchange.
View Details
Magnatone x Powers Electric Guitars | CME Exclusive Guitar Amplifier Combination
Chicago Music Exchange introduces a CME Exclusive collaboration between Magnatone Amplifiers and Powers Electric Guitars, dressed in a shared "Vault Black" finish fitting for the prestige of The Vault at Chicago Music Exchange. This pairing brings together a hand-selected Powers Electric A-Type Custom Two Tone — featuring a Light/Dark Graphite Metallic finish, gold binding, and custom PF42 pickups — with a Magnatone Baby M-80, a portable 12-watt tube amp known for its robust cleans and chewy overdrive. Both pieces share the same EC Collins pinstripe pattern, carried across the amp cloth and the guitar's pickguard and knobs, tying the two together into one cohesive, CME Exclusive statement. Pick up the guitar, plug into the amp, or shop both — only at Chicago Music Exchange.
View Details