Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

[Paolo Gilberto]

First post here and it's a weird one:

So, my buddy has quite an extensive collection of vintage production model Fenders as well as Custom Shops (if only we were all so lucky!) We found this old Strat-Tele hybrid which he remembers being referred to as a "Texacaster" ("Texascaster"?)

As far as I can tell, there was a limited run of 6 "Texacasters" produced around 1997 with similar (maybe identical) specs; Bird's-Eye Tele necks, White-Blonde finish on a Strat style body, Tele bridge, and a weird pickguard.

I've poked around on the internet and seen stories of how there was a secondary run of an unspecified number after the initial run of 6. I emailed Custom Shop support, and they said that, while they don't have detailed records, the order date for this one is June, 1997

My friend swears that he remembers this one being a one-off Masterbuilt, but there's no signature on the headstock, and we don't recognize any signatures in the neck pocket/on the neck heel. There were no materials (not even CoA) in the case when we found it.

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

Well, Danny Gatton is a pretty famous Country guitarist/Tele player. "Danny Gatton for Maria" seems like a gift or a special order, but I am very far from a Fender Custom Shop expert.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

If you email Fender with these pics and serial number they can tell you every specific detail you’d ever want to know. It will all be documented.

 

[Paolo Gilberto]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

Hmm, that's strange because Danny Gatton would have been long passed by '97...and we did message Fender, but the only info they could provide us was the order date.

This one's past may be lost to history...

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

The neck pocket looks like it's signed by maybe Mike Burns on 2/14/97. Did you send the pics to Fender as well? You might try posting over at the Fender Forum as well. Good luck and I for one would like to know if you get any solid info.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

Hmmm... tele pocket on a strat body, and the neck and body are dated 3 months apart

Seems like a semi-custom order of some kind, or even a partscaster, since the edges of the neck pocket look comparatively rough and seem to have been widened/squared off to accomodate a tele neck


A true custom shop ground-up build would likely have a strat pocket and a strat neck, just cut to tele headstock style and shape

PS there's also a few posts online about suspect necks on the market misrepresented as Fender CS with the J. Uribe stamp

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

Not to mention, but Danny Gatton never played anything that looked like that. He mostly played modded Fender Tele's. Danny also played a gold Gibson ES-295, and a black Gibson Les Paul. I saw a video once where he played an acoustic, but I'll be damned if I recall what it was exactly. I never saw him with a Strat.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

And the whole NN thing???

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

And the whole NN thing???

Huh?

Also, Jeff H said Danny was a country player, which is completely wrong.
He played a mix of fierce blues, jazz, Fifties rock'n'roll, and chicken pickin - all played at astounding speed with accuracy and loads of attitude.
They didn't call him "The Humbler" for nothing.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

Huh?

Also, Jeff H said Danny was a country player, which is completely wrong.
He played a mix of fierce blues, jazz, Fifties rock'n'roll, and chicken pickin - all played at astounding speed with accuracy and loads of attitude.
They didn't call him "The Humbler" for nothing.

DaNNy

Mightve been upset if he shelled out a few grand and got his name misspelled


....then again, somebody said he was already dead?

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

...then again, somebody said he was already dead?

Regretfully, we lost Danny in 1994. How good would be now if he had lived?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

Could it be the Danny Gatton neck profile?

 

[Adieu]

Re: Please Help Me Identify This Weird Custom Shop

Could it be the Danny Gatton neck profile?

D'oh... winner winner chicken dinner

Heavily birdseye neck look familiar at all?