CHRISSIE HYNDE’S MEXICAN TRIBUTE

HAVING been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, Fender have further enhanced the status – if it were ever needed – of Pretenders founding member, guitarist, and lead vocalist by honouring her with the release of the Mexican-made Chrissie Hynde Signature Telecaster.

With its aged chrome mirror pickguard and faded ice blue metallic road worn finish, the guitar is a replica of the 1965 model first picked up by Chrissie in New York 40 years ago.

As the official spec informs us: there’s a set of Fender-branded locking tuners, and a vintage six steel-saddle bridge replacing the stock three-saddle bridges of the original 60s Telecasters in pursuit of better intonation.

Besides a monogrammed steel neck plate and chrome ’guard, the Telecaster conforms to a relatively straightforward plan, with an old-school 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard housing 21 vintage tall frets, 25.5” scale, alder body, and a bolt-on maple neck that’s carved in a shallow shape and described by Fender as a Custom Mid-60s C profile.

Chrissie was once asked what she thought she’d be doing if she hadn’t been in a rock band. She answered, “I think I would have probably been in a rock band,” and I can think of no one more deserving of their own Signature Telecaster than someone who has kept us royally entertained through five decades.

The guitar comes in a tad under £1,300 ($1800) not cheap, but not exactly extortionate. Be nice, be sensible to your guitar supplier and you may just be able to get them to move south on the price. Worst case scenario you walk out carrying the hardcase with a couple of free sets of strings stashed inside.

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