Fender has lifted the curtain on one of its most anticipated launches of the year – the Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe.
A long-awaited release that’s been designed in collaboration with the Foo Fighters electric guitar maestro, this particular new signature guitar arrives after months of speculation, which first began when Shiflett confirmed the existence of a new P-90-loaded Tele that he and Fender were working on.
At the time, it was revealed the then-unnamed Cleaver Telecaster had been rigorously road-tested, with Shiflett himself taking to the stage with a Charcoal Frost-finished variant that was inspired by his original P-90 Telecaster.
Indeed, the design brief for the Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe was to replicate its master’s Masterbuilt Tele – complete with P-90 pickups – without emulating the Custom Shop creation’s lofty price tag.
To that end, the Corona-made single-cut – which is available in both Charcoal Frost Metallic and Dakota Red colorways – streamlines the spec sheet but works to retain the Tele Deluxe charm of the source material.
That means there’s a classic alder body with a comfortable belly cut, as well as a C-shape maple neck, 12”-radius rosewood fingerboard with 21 frets, and a 25.5” scale length. Other core components include pearloid block inlays, a bone nut, string-through-body hardtail bridge and F-style tuning machines.
According to Fender, though, the magic of Shiflett’s Cleaver Telecaster comes from the pickups, which are a pair of Custom Chris Shiflett ‘Cleaver’ Noiseless CS-90s. Wired to a regular Tele Deluxe control circuit comprising two volume and two tone controls, the P-90-style pups promise “a throaty midrange punch” and the singing highs of a vintage single-coil without any hum.
This tonal versatility is a key feature of the no-nonsense workhorse, which has been aptly named “The Cleaver” for its ability to “positively slash through the mix with a voice that snarls dirty as well as sings clean”.
Naturally, this is imperative for Shiflett, whose body of work – from his Foo Fighters responsibilities all the way to his solo career – runs the entire gamut of hard-hitting rock ‘n’ roll to full-throttle country.
“Going way back, Keith Richards is probably the first person I associated with the Telecaster,” Shiflett tells Guitar World in upcoming interview of his affection for Telecasters. “Then Joe Strummer, of course, is a huge one. Then you get into all the country pickers.
“The Telecaster is so closely associated with country music – it’s the gold standard of honky tonk guitar playing. I think of it as the perfect workhorse guitar. You can’t really break them. You can drop them or kick them and they just keep coming back for more.”
“We put a lot of love and research into creating the American made version of my signature model, The Cleaver,” Shiflett continues in the Fender release.
“It’s been road-tested, dropped on its head, kicked around, x-rayed, strummed, chicken-picked, and arpeggio swept! I’m excited to announce we’ve made a great guitar that’s adaptable to all situations. Can’t wait to get this into the hands of players everywhere!”
“Chris has a lot of guitars, plays a lot of styles and demands versatility, and our goal was to capture that spirit in the design,” adds Fender’s Justin Norvell. “This guitar is not just an instrument; it’s an extension of his musical identity and tone that both he and his fans demand
“Fun Fact: we didn’t nickname it ‘The Cleaver’, his Front-of-house person did the first night he played it live, because ‘it cut through the mix like a cleaver,’ which speaks for itself!”
“It was in reference to the sound of the original one,” Shiflett explains to Guitar World. “We called it ‘The Cleaver’ because it cut through!
“In Foo Fighters, we have a lot of sound coming off the stage and that’s always something – as one of the guitar players in the band – that I’m thinking about. Where should my tone sit? The P-90s just have that growl.”
The Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe is available now for $2,499.
Visit Fender for more information.
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