Fender Relic – The Legendary NoCaster

The picture above is a Telecaster guitar from the Fender Relic series but we all know that Leo Fender got it right the first time in regards to the original Fender Telecaster. Like I have written in my previous post, the Telecaster was not called by its infamous name until late 1952. Before that it was known as the Broadcaster; then temporarily renamed the NoCaster and then, finally as we know it today, the Telecaster.

Why was the NoCaster so treasured? Well, it was Leo Fender’s first solid body guitar and it started a legendary period for music and rock and roll in particular. Working musicians like Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, James Burton, and Jerry Reed used this special guitar in the early 50s and so did Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Steve Cropper and probably the most famous telecaster player of them all; Keith Richards. 

Original NoCasters have serial numbers ranging from 0100 to 4000 and are usually stamped on the bridge plate till 1954 when it was moved onto the back metal plate. Another way to pick out an original NoCaster guitar is that it had the ‘Broadcaster’ label decal cut out from the original decal. So the guitar had no name, hence the ‘NoCaster’ tag! Decals were in either silver or gold color. The NoCaster had a brass bridge and the tuners were Kluson Deluxe made, without the brand on it. Apparently, there were only 475 NoCasters made in 1951. It is rare and expensive if you ever find one.

If you cannot afford an original, then a Fender Relic Time Machine Series NoCaster would definitely suffice. The guitar above is a master built Nocaster recreated down to the original’s finest detail, including the paint ‘Halo’ beneath the pickguard. This master built guitar has been given the Fender Relic treatment to show years of natural wear and tear, scratches and nicks, a worn down finish, artificially rusted hardware and aged plastic parts.

A Fender Relic guitar is expensive but not as expensive as the real deal. Some love it, some hate it, but you cannot deny that the Fender Relic guitar has a place in the modern guitar arena and may even become as legendary as its famous predecessor. What are you waiting for? Go buy that NoCaster guitar now!

Technorati Tags: Buck Owens, Eric Clapton, Fender NoCaster guitar, fender relic, Fender relic guitar, James Burton, Jeff Beck, Jerry Reed, Keith Richards, Steve Cropper, telecaster, Time Machine Series, Waylon Jennings