Fender 52 Tele Black Relic LH

Fender 52 Tele Black Relic LH review

The Fender 52 Tele Black Relic LH is a left-handed, USA-made Custom Shop electric guitar based on the 1952 Telecaster. Its listed price is 5,799, and it has been available since June 2025. The specifications describe a traditional T-style instrument with a two-piece ash body, a maple neck and fingerboard, two hand-wound single-coil pickups, and a fixed vintage-style bridge. This review is based solely on those listed details. No customer reviews are available, so there is no reported owner feedback or hands-on assessment to draw from.

Body, finish, and hardware

The body is made from two pieces of ash and finished in black with a Relic treatment. The finish designation identifies the specified appearance, but the provided information does not describe the particular aging marks or their placement. There is no separate top listed. A single-ply black pickguard keeps the color scheme consistent, while the nickel hardware provides a contrasting metal finish.

The bridge is described as a vintage design with brass saddles. The guitar has no tremolo, which is consistent with a fixed-bridge layout. Fender vintage tuning machines are specified, although the exact tuning-machine model and gear ratio are not given. These parts establish a period-oriented hardware package, but the specifications do not include measurements for bridge spacing, saddle adjustment range, or tuner performance.

Neck and playing dimensions

The neck and fingerboard are both maple. Fender specifies a plain-grain maple neck with a '52-style U profile, a 9.5-inch fingerboard radius, and 21 narrow-tall frets. The U profile indicates a fuller, rounded neck shape in the stated vintage style. The radius and fret size are useful reference points for setup and feel, but they do not establish the guitar's action, fret finish, or playability as delivered.

Scale length is 648 mm, approximately 25.5 inches. That is the long scale associated with this Telecaster format. The guitar has six strings and is explicitly identified as a left-handed model. Buyers should still confirm the intended string orientation before ordering, especially when comparing listings that use "LH" as a shorthand.

Pickups and controls

The pickup system consists of two hand-wound Custom Shop '51 Nocaster single-coil pickups. The broad configuration is often abbreviated as two single coils, or SS. Fender also lists modern wiring. The supplied information does not specify the control layout, switch positions, pot values, capacitor values, or output measurements, so those details should not be assumed. The pickup names and wiring description identify the main electronics, but do not provide enough information to predict exact frequency response or output.

There is no hum-canceling pickup system listed. As with other single-coil designs, buyers who need detailed noise-performance information should seek confirmation from Fender or the retailer. The listing does not report shielding details or any noise tests.

What the specifications establish

The guitar's strongest defined points are its left-handed orientation, Custom Shop designation, ash body, maple construction, and named hand-wound pickups. The 9.5-inch radius and narrow-tall frets offer more setup context than a basic model description, while the fixed bridge avoids ambiguity about whether a tremolo is included. The black Relic finish and vintage-style hardware complete a clearly stated visual and component direction.

Other practical details remain unlisted. There is no stated weight, neck thickness measurement, nut width, nut material, pickup resistance, or factory string gauge. The specifications also do not describe the exact relic treatment, case type, or certificate contents. These omissions do not indicate a problem, but they matter to buyers comparing instruments at this price. A request for the full setup sheet or current instrument measurements would help answer questions that the product data leaves open.

Included accessories and buying notes

A case and certificate are included. A gig bag is not listed as included, and the sales unit is one piece. The item number is 604737. Fender identifies the guitar as made in the USA. Those details clarify the stated package and origin, though the listing does not specify the case's construction or the certificate's individual documentation.

At 5,799, this is a high-priced instrument, and the supplied data supports a careful comparison rather than claims about sound or feel. The Custom Shop label, hand-wound pickups, specified materials, and left-handed build are concrete points to assess. Before purchase, confirm the retailer's currency, final setup, shipping terms, and return policy, since none of those details are provided here.

Verdict

The Fender 52 Tele Black Relic LH is specified as a left-handed, Custom Shop take on the 1952 Telecaster, with a two-piece ash body, maple neck and fingerboard, fixed vintage bridge, and two hand-wound '51 Nocaster single-coil pickups. The listing gives useful construction and dimension details, but does not provide customer feedback or measured performance. Buyers can judge the stated materials and configuration directly, while questions about weight, setup, exact controls, and finish treatment need confirmation before ordering.