When questing to find the perfect guitar to suit your style and playing, you may find yourself wishing that aspects of different models could be merged into one perfect instrument. Mashups are not uncommon, but can be the domain of luthiers and custom builders.
Fender decided to mix things up in 2018 with its Parallel Universe series, where limited runs of new models were created from interesting combinations of existing ones.
The guitar-making icon brought back the series in July, when we looked at the beautifully weird Maverick Dorado. The latest release from the 2020 collection has been dressed in black and gold and named the Troublemaker Tele Deluxe Bigsby.
It's a striking street fighter that has the look of a Les Paul Black Beauty, but wrapped in a Telecaster overcoat. It features a mahogany body finished in black for the promise of a "warm mid-range growl" and sports a 3-ply black pickguard. The solid mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard rocks 22 frets and block inlays.
The Troublemaker boasts a power trio of gold-finish Double Tap humbucker picks, with custom wiring allowing players to tap into eight pickup combinations that "can be smooth and suave or raucous and rebellious, as the job requires."
Completing the vintage-modern aesthetic is an Adjusto-matic with Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, black "witch hat" control knobs and a four-bolt commemorative neck plate.
The limited edition guitar comes supplied with a deluxe hard case and is priced at US$2,499.99. The video below has more.
Product page: Troublemaker Tele Deluxe Bigsby