Terry Kath has been praised by fans and guitar greats alike for his brilliance as an absolute guitar powerhouse. Kath, who Jimi Hendrix once cited as his favorite guitarist, fused sophisticated songwriting ability with his soulful vocals to launch Chicago Transit Authority in 1967. The band shortened its name to Chicago in 1969, achieving worldwide success and 2016 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A consummate innovator, Kath created mind-blowing, never-before-heard guitar tones by experimenting with unorthodox guitar/amp configurations. His instinctive command of his completely original tone is heard on memorable tracks such as “25 or 6 to 4”, “Free Form Guitar”, “Introduction” and others.
His main guitar—the one with which he is most identified, and which accompanied him on the journey to cult status—is a most unusual 1966 Telecaster, completely customized and plastered with stickers. Kath was so attached to the guitar that he’d buy a seat just for the instrument when traveling by air, rather than entrusting it to airline baggage handlers or even Chicago’s road crew. The Tele® was an amalgamation of highly personalized modifications, including a sawed-off Tele bridge with a synchronized Strat® tremolo, a humbucking neck pickup, custom body routes, a reverse control plate, custom tuning machines and three “wing” string trees. Adorned with Pignose stickers and other intricately placed regalia, the guitar has become legendary in of itself and is synonymous with Kath and his enduring musical legacy.
The Fender Custom Shop is distinctly honored to pay tribute to such an acclaimed pioneer by recreating Kath’s amazing custom instrument—which truly embodied the notion of “custom” long before the Fender Custom Shop was founded. Master Builder Dennis Galuszka has recreated the guitar in exacting scratch-for-scratch detail, from the Pignose stickers to the gaff-tape-sealed rear body route and every other exacting element. In a special 50-piece run, the Limited-Edition Terry Kath Telecaster is an instrument for the ages and a meticulously crafted homage to one of the true guitar greats of our time.
Model: Limited Edition Terry Kath
Builder: Dennis Dennis Galuszka
Body Type: Solid
Body Wood: Select Ash
Finish Type: Nitro-Lacquer
Finish Color: Custom Matched Nocaster Blonde
Aging: Relic
Neck Back Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Wood: Flat Sawn Maple
Fingerboard: Maple
Neck Carve: Custom Back Shape
Scale Length: 25.5''
Neck Radius: 7.25"
Frets: Vintage
Nut Width: 1.650''
Nut Material: Bone
Inlays: Micarta Dots
Side Dots: Dots
Headstock: Telecaster
Neck Pickup: Curtis Novak Custom Terry Kath Humbucker
Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-wound '67 Single Coil Tele
Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo With Block Saddles and Tele Bridge Plate
Tuners: Vintage Style Fender
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Electronics: Modern Day Wiring
Case: Deluxe Hardshell Case, Strap and COA
