Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Bob Bain Son Of A Gunn Telecaster by Paul Waller

Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Bob Bain Son Of A Gunn Telecaster by Paul Waller

BOB BAIN “SON OF A GUNN” TELECASTER®

Perhaps the most-heard, yet unmentioned guitarist in history is Bob Bain. With his trusty Telecaster, he created the soundtrack to American pop culture in the latter half of the 20th century, playing on sessions with legendary artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Quincy Jones, and on TV show themes such as “Peter Gunn” and “Mission Impossible”. Still gigging and swingin’ at 91 years young, even after a 22-year stint in Doc Severinsen’s renowned Tonight Show Band, Bain’s work has influenced almost every guitarist who came along after him, whether they realize it or not.

Heavily modified to meet the demands of playing every musical style imaginable, Bain’s modified Telecaster was often imitated, but never recreated—until now. Master Builder Paul Waller studied every detail of this amazing instrument, and reproduced it in exacting detail, as only the artisans of the Fender Custom Shop can.

Like many session musicians, Bain modified his instrument in the name of flexibility and to meet his personal needs. Not content with the wealth of stock sounds available, he added a Bigsby® B-16 tremolo system and placed a humbucking pickup in the neck position. The added sonic flexibility afforded by these mods allowed Bain to stretch across genres ranging from rock to jazz to country to pop, in the process rewriting the vocabulary of modern music.

Other features are stock for a guitar from that era, including the ultra-stable riftsawn maple neck with a ‘53” Soft V”-shaped profile, 7.25”-radius fingerboard, black phenolic pickguard, vintage-style tuning machines with Fender logo, round string tree and bone nut. Includes a hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.

• ’51 Nocaster® Bridge Pickup

To recreate authentic, vintage-style tone from the original era of the Telecaster, the Custom Shop carefully designed this hand-wound pickup to deliver the raw, yet articulate sound that made the Telecaster famous. Twangy, shimmering and balanced, this pickup is crafted using period-correct components, such as enamel-coated magnet wire, cloth-covered output wire and fiber bobbins.

• Bigsby® B-16 Tremolo

Crafted from sand-casted aluminum, the Bigsby B-16 tremolo is designed specifically for Telecaster guitars, including an integrated mount for the twangy bridge pickup that’s the secret to the Telecaster’s bite. Not only is it an authentic modification performed by Bain on his trusted #1 guitar, it adds a hip, vintage-style aesthetic touch.

• Relic Lacquer Finish

Master Builder Paul Waller meticulously reproduced every hard-earned nick, ding and scratch of Bain’s original. From the off-center seam on the two-piece ash body to the vintage-style “Nocaster Blonde” finish that bears the authentic wear Bain put on the guitar over its decades of service, this recreation is packed with mojo.