A rare find, Fender Nashville Telecaster Foto Flame from 1994 Made in Japan. A collectable model. Excellent condition with only a few minor signs of use. First few frets show a little wear which doesn't affect playability or tone at all. Lots of life left in the frets (90-95%)
Upgraded with Fender Lace Sensor Gold (Neck & Mid) from mid 90's and a brand new Lace Sensor TN-150 in the Bridge. Original pickups are included in the sale. Original Hard Shell case is included in the sale.
This guitar looks and sounds just awesome. Lace Pickups upgrade was about $400 in parts and labour.
Fender Foto Flame Telecaster/Stratocaster History
The "Foto Flame" series was a short-lived, inexpensive attempt by Fender to compete with a growing "flame top" market such as PRS and Dean guitars. The "Foto Flame" is an thin piece of photographic film of some very highly figured wood laminated to the guitar, (thus the name Foto), developed by Fender, in connection some photographic corporation. (I have heard both Polaroid and Kodak, but most likely Fuji). The Foto Flame guitars, with the flame on top, usually have a Basswood cap on Alder or, in the case of the Foto Flame being on front and back, the whole body can be made of Basswood. When the "Foto Flame," film is applied to the Basswood top, it makes the guitar appear as if it had high-end matchbook, figured Maple. The way they shrink wrapped this film around the guitar is amazing and it is hard not to think it is real wood. The Japanese are masters at copying, as these guitars testify. In fact, the Fender USA guys "almost cried" when they saw the MIJ quality as Fender USA was trying to get back up on its feet after the CBS buyout in March of 1984.
The Foto Flame Series was made by Fender Japan through the 1990's and they stopped production about 1998 (there has been a few 1999 and 2000 Foto Flames floating around in the Japanese markets, so a few were made after the 1998 date.) Many of the Foto Flame models were Reissues of classic Fender guitars. To know more about Foto Flame Reissues and the accuracies of how they were crafted. They always have the "Made in Japan" or "Crafted in Japan" sticker under the finish the heel of the neck by the body, so they do not hide where they are made as do some over-seas companies.
