1959 Fender Telecaster
The 1959 Telecaster — now available with rosewood fingerboard and sunburst finish for the first time. Maple neck models remain the classic Tele sound; rosewood adds warmth. Both configurations are excellent.
Current Market Value
* Prices are estimates based on recent market data. Actual value depends on originality, condition, and provenance. Pricing methodology
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Specifications
| Body Wood | Ash (standard) or Alder |
| Neck Wood | Maple |
| Fingerboard | Brazilian Rosewood (slab — new option alongside maple neck) |
| Scale Length | 25.500" |
| Frets | 21 |
| Pickup Config | SS |
| Bridge | Stamped steel bridge (3 brass barrel saddles) |
| Tuners | Kluson Deluxe |
| Finish Options | Blonde, Sunburst, Custom colors |
| Est. Production | 3,500 |
Pickups & Electronics
Two single-coil pickups. Rosewood neck option introduced alongside maple neck.
What Changed in 1959
Rosewood fingerboard option introduced — same year as on the Stratocaster. Sunburst finish became available. The Telecaster was broadening its appeal beyond the blonde country guitar image.
Collector's Notes
Slab rosewood board (1959-1962) vs maple neck — both are original options, different tones. Sunburst Telecasters are rarer than blonde and command a premium. Custom colors from 1959 are extremely rare.
How to Authenticate a 1959 Fender Telecaster
The 1959 Telecaster introduces two major options: the rosewood fingerboard (slab Brazilian rosewood) and the sunburst finish. Maple-neck blonde models continue alongside the new options. The pickguard transitions from black bakelite to white plastic around this time. Serial numbers on the neck plate (four or five digits, no letter prefix). For 1959, numbers should fall within documented Fender serial ranges. However, neck plates were not assigned sequentially to bodies, so neck date stamps (pencil or ink on the neck heel) and body cavity dates are more reliable. Look for a hand-written date on the butt end of the neck heel and in the neck pocket or under the pickguard on the body. Check the fingerboard — if rosewood, it should be the thick slab Brazilian rosewood. Pot codes should show 58 or 59 dates. The bridge remains the stamped steel three-saddle design with brass barrels. Kluson tuners. If the pickguard is black bakelite, this is correct for early 1959 production. If white, it should be period-correct single-ply white. Serial number on bridge plate. The finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer. Nitro finishes check (develop fine cracks) and wear naturally over decades, showing wood underneath at contact points. The aging pattern should be consistent — even checking across the body, not localized. Refinished guitars often have a 'too perfect' look or inconsistent wear. Under UV/blacklight, original nitro fluoresces differently than modern polyester or polyurethane. Original custom color finishes are verified by examining the color in the pickup cavities and under the pickguard where it has been protected from light. The 1959 transition year creates complexity — both maple and rosewood necks, both black bakelite and white guards are legitimate. Verify that the combination of features is consistent with known 1959 production. A slab rosewood board with a black bakelite guard would be unusual (but not impossible) for 1959. Check neck date stamps for verification. The 1959 differs from 1958 in introducing the rosewood fingerboard option and sunburst finish, and the transition from black bakelite to white pickguard. It differs from 1960-1962 in being the first year of these options. The slab rosewood board continued through 1962.