1956 Fender Esquire

Dan Orkin of Reverb.com details the ups and downs of finding a vintage Fender Esquire at a reasonable price in today’s marketplace

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For a lot of players, the Fender Esquire is classed as a less exciting Telecaster. The old-school Leo Fender design does, after all, sport the same body shape and general vibe, and for some, half as many pickups equates to half as much tone.

Broadcasters and early 50s Blackguard Teles accordingly rank at the top of the collectability scale for Fender single-cuts, but early-to-mid-50s Esquires can still command top prices on the vintage market if in original condition. The white-guard Esquire of ’56 is certainly no exception.

Like most Fender guitars in the 50s, the Esquire experienced a few minor spec updates through the decade with variations on small parts, like string trees and saddles, and more noticeable aesthetic changes, such as the switch from a black to white pickguard in 1954.