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Jul 27, 2023

“Spot on… it’s amazing to think that players will be able to honor my dad by playing on a replica that’s so identical”: Fender recreates Waylon Jennings’ leather

Shooter Jennings has teamed up with Fender on a series of Waylon signature gear, including a phaser pedal, strap, hardcase and even a leather-clad pickguard Fender has announced a new Custom Shop

Shooter Jennings has teamed up with Fender on a series of Waylon signature gear, including a phaser pedal, strap, hardcase and even a leather-clad pickguard

Fender has announced a new Custom Shop recreation of country icon Waylon Jennings’ 1954 Telecaster, plus a whole collection of other signature guitar products, including a phaser pedal.

“This collection means so much to my father’s legacy,” says Shooter Jennnings. “You would never find him without his Telecaster, and this Custom collection is a beautiful way to continue honoring him. The Fender Custom Shop model is spot on, and it’s amazing to think that players will be able to honor my dad by playing on a replica that’s so identical to his.”

The Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt Waylon Jennings Telecaster Relic – to give it its full (and lengthy) title – has been built by Fender Masterbuilder Dave Brown and features a two-piece ash body, quartersawn maple neck and Custom Shop Hand-Wound '50/'51 Blackguard pickups. It also boasts a $25,000 price tag.

Notably, like Jennings’ own Tele – initially gifted to him by his band The Waylors – the Butterscotch Blonde finish has been wrapped in black leather with a hand-tooled floral artwork. The pattern also appears on the accompanying case and strap.

Another crucial Jennings nod comes in the form of a banjo tuner mod on the low-E string, which allows you to drop the tuning to D.

In a somewhat unusual move from Fender and perhaps a mark of its regard for the country titan, the firm has simultaneously launched an array of signature products for Jennings.

As such, the strap ($149) and hardcase ($219) are available to order individually, and you can also get a leather-tooled Tele pickguard ($149), if you want to add some outlaw country flavor to your own T-style.

Last but not least, there’s a nod to his effect of choice in the form of the Waylon Jennings Phaser Pedal ($129).

Designed to emulate the ’70s and ’80s units favored by Jennings – among them the MXR Phase 90 – the pedal uses Fender’s own ’70s phaser circuit as its base, but offers two-, four- and six-stage phasing, selectable via a toggle switch.

There are Range, Rate and Feedback dials, plus a second toggle to engage the Sweet mode. This bypasses the phase switch “to jump right to sweet spot” and allows the Feedback knob to become a blend control.

“Waylon Jennings’ 1954 Telecaster is instantly recognizable, both in style and sound, and it was an honor to work with Shooter and the rest of the Jennings family to recreate an instrument that helped define Waylon’s career,” says Brown.

“The original Telecaster was gifted to Waylon back in the ’60s which he eventually had wrapped in a hand-tooled leather. I was excited to feature its incredible specs, including the banjo tuner that allows players to detune the low E enabling them to drop to a low D. The Telecaster, the pedal and accessories from the capsule collection pay a beautiful tribute to Waylon’s musical legacy.”

For more information on the Waylon Jennings collection, head to Fender.

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Matt is a staff writer for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.

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