Fender Custom Shop 1960 Thinline Telecaster Reissue Electric Guitar with Dark Circuit - Journeyman Relic Magenta Sparkle with Hardshell Case

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Built for the player who loves the directness of a vintage Telecaster but wants a more resonant personality and a genuinely unusual piece of Fender history, this Custom Shop 1960 Thinline Telecaster Reissue combines several distinctive ideas in one instrument. Its semi-hollow construction brings an airier dimension to the familiar Tele formula, while the Magenta Sparkle finish and Journeyman Relic treatment give it the visual character of a well-loved custom instrument rather than a conventional vintage reproduction. The combination of a P90-style staple neck pickup and Texas Special Tele bridge pickup further separates it from an ordinary Telecaster, creating an instrument that can move from warm, textured sounds to the cutting attack for which the design is famous.

One of its most fascinating features is the factory-style Dark Circuit, a wiring concept that reaches back to Leo Fender's original approach to the Telecaster. Before the electric bass had established itself as a universal part of the bandstand, early Telecaster wiring gave guitarists access to an intentionally bass-heavy neck-pickup sound. Rather than offering the familiar bridge/both/neck progression of a modern Telecaster, this historical configuration uses the selector to provide the bridge pickup normally, the neck pickup with normal tone control, and a dramatically darkened neck-pickup voice in its final position. That last setting uses a fixed treble roll-off to create the heavily muted sound that gave the circuit its nickname. Fender eventually moved away from this arrangement in the late 1960s, making the Dark Circuit an intriguing reminder of how differently the Telecaster was originally expected to function.

In musical terms, that unusual wiring gives this Custom Shop instrument a personality quite unlike the typical modern Tele. The Texas Special bridge pickup should provide the assertive attack, midrange presence, and cutting definition that work beautifully for country, blues, roots rock, Americana, rockabilly, and classic rock, while the staple-style neck pickup offers a thicker and more rounded counterpoint. The Dark Circuit adds another color altogether: deliberately subdued, bass-forward, and almost lo-fi in character. Beyond its original bass-emulation purpose, that voice can be an interesting creative tool for old-school rhythm parts, jazzier passages, retro recordings, heavily processed ambient textures, or any arrangement where a conventional bright guitar sound occupies too much space. Players who enjoy working the guitar itself rather than simply leaving its controls in one position should find plenty to explore here.

The semi-hollow Thinline construction adds another dimension by giving the instrument a more open and lively response than players may associate with a traditional solid Telecaster, while the vintage-inspired neck and fingerboard geometry keep the playing experience connected to Fender's early-'60s vocabulary. At the same time, this is hardly a subdued historical recreation: Magenta Sparkle, beautifully figured AAA Birdseye maple, AAA rosewood, aged hardware, and the unconventional pickup pairing give it the personality of a one-off Custom Shop creation. It should be equally compelling as a roots-oriented working guitar, a characterful studio instrument, or a collector-grade Fender for someone fascinated by the company's less familiar historical ideas. Most importantly, its Dark Circuit isn't merely a vintage curiosity: It gives the player access to sounds unheard for decades. Available now at Haggerty’s Music, this Custom Shop beauty ships with a sturdy hardshell case.

Features / Specs

Highlights

• Series: Fender Custom Shop
• Orientation: Right-Handed
• Color: Magenta Sparkle

Body

• Body Material: Alder
• Body Finish: Journeyman Relic Aging
• Body Shape: Thinline Telecaster
• Body Style: Semi-Hollow

Neck

• Headstock Type: Standard Telecaster 6-In-Line
• Neck Material: AAA Birdseye Maple
• Neck Shape: 60s-Style Oval C
• Neck Finish: Light Tint Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Neck Depth: 0.793" at 1st Fret, 0.934" at 12th Fret
• Neck Construction: Bolt-On
• Fingerboard Radius: 7.25"
• Fingerboard Material: AAA Rosewood
• Position Inlays: Micarta White Dots
• Side Dots: White
• Number of Frets: 21
• Truss Rod Style: Early 60s
• Truss Rod Nut: Heel Access
• Nut Material: Bone
• Nut Width: 1.65"
• Fret Size: Vintage Upgrade 45085
• Scale Length: 25.5"

Hardware

• Bridge: 1958-1963 Telecaster-Style Bridge, Relic Aged
• Bridge Cover/Tail Piece: Telecaster-Style Bridge Cover (Included, Not Installed)
• Bridge Mounting: 7-Screw Plate
• Pickguard: 3-Ply Green/Black/Green Nitro Pickguard
• Pickup Covers: Black
• Control Knobs: Knurled Flat-Top
• Switch Tip: Black Barrel
• Hardware Finish: Relic-Aged Chrome/Nickel
• Tuning Machines: Vintage Fender Closed-Gear
• String Trees: American Vintage 1959-1964 Metal String Retainer, Relic Aged
• Strings: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
• Tremolo Arm: None
• Neck Plate: 4-Bolt, Serialized
• Strap Buttons: 2, Standard
• Output Jack: Side-Mounted 1/4" Cup

Electronics

• Pickup Configuration: SS
• Neck Pickup: P90 Staple Soapbar
• Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Tele Texas Special
• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
• Switching: 3-Way Dark Circuit Selector: Position 1. Bridge Pickup with Volume and Tone; Position 2. Neck Pickup with Volume and Tone; Position 3. Neck Pickup with Fixed Treble Roll-Off and Tone Control Bypassed
• Auxiliary Switching: Vintage-Style Dark Circuit with Fixed Treble Roll-Off in Position 3

Miscellaneous

• Accessories: Certificate of Authenticity, Bridge Cover, Adjustment Tools, Fender Literature
• Case/Gig Bag: Hardshell Case
• Serial Number: R153229
• Manufacture Date: 2026