Fender Custom Shop 1952 Telecaster HS "Chicago Special" NOS Super Aged Surf Green

It is no secret that the Fender Custom Shop has been creating some of the best instruments since 1987. In keeping with the true spirit of Leo’s original vision of the company, each instrument is built with the highest level of care and excellence. Here at Chicago Music Exchange, we have collaborated with the best minds at Fender to build the best instruments from top to bottom, tirelessly going over each spec to ensure that we offer you the best of what Fender has to offer.  

Featuring measurements and components we hand-selected from across history, our “CME Spec” and "Chicago Special" Fender Custom Shop guitars highlight important years in the development of core models like the Stratocaster, Telecaster and Jazzmaster. We capture the energy and essence of their respective eras with iconic fingerboard radii and period-correct plastics, matched headstocks and slab fingerboards, classic finishes and not-so-classic colorways. But that’s just the beginning of what makes our Fender Custom Shop guitars so special.   
We take customization a step further with rift sawn necks for added resonance and expanded control sets for tonal versatility, and every "Chicago Special" Fender Custom Shop guitar features our own custom Chicago Special pickups, designed in conjunction with Fender Custom Shop Vice President of Product Development Mike Lewis. 

Bridge Pickup: Lollar Imperial Low-Wind Humbucker with Black Ring

The Imperial® Humbucker is Lollar's take on the original 1950s P.A.F. pickup. They've designed the Imperial® to draw from the long revered qualities of the original P.A.F.s while improving on their frequency balance and giving a slight boost to the bridge pickup’s output.

Neck Pickup: Hand-Wound "Chicago Special" Telecaster Flat Pole

• Potted in shellac for open wide range frequency response

• 43 gauge enamel wire

• BRIDGE: Wide diameter AlNiCo 3 magnets combined with thinner 43 gauge enamel wire equals ‘hot juicy tone’

NOS (New Old Stock)
NOS (New Old Stock) is built without any relic or wear at all. For vintage-inspired instruments, it feels as if you went back in time and bought it new in the golden-era. Most are finished with nitrocellulose lacquer and in those instances you should expect the finish to age similarly to their vintage counterparts. However, some modern-era Custom Shop creations in NOS are finished in polyurethane, which is far more durable and will likely remain glossy and lustrous for decades to come with proper care.

General

Body

Neck

Electronics

Hardware