Fender expands John 5 signature range with three new Telecasters

Fender has expanded its John 5 signature range with three new Telecaster models, including black and white production instruments alongside a high-end Fender Custom Shop version.

The new collection comprises the John 5 Phantom Telecaster, John 5 Ghost Telecaster and Fender Custom Shop John 5 “Phantom” Telecaster, each taking a different approach to the guitarist’s stripped-back, high-output Tele design.

“I don’t know if the Telecaster picked me or I picked it. I was so drawn to that shape,” said John 5. “Ever since I was little, Fender was always just the pinnacle, the greatest, and I just wanted nothing more to have the best guitar for me and have the people enjoy it as well.”

The John 5 Phantom Telecaster comes finished in black with a matching headstock and pairs a set of DiMarzio D Activator humbuckers with a Floyd Rose FRTS2000 Special Series tremolo.

Controls are deliberately minimal, with a single volume knob and killswitch, while the guitar carries an MSRP of $1,299.99 in the US, £1,149 in the UK and €1,349 in Europe.

Its white counterpart, the John 5 Ghost Telecaster, follows a similar formula but uses a nyatoh body and an Arctic White finish with a matching headstock, chrome hardware and red detailing. It also features DiMarzio D Activator humbuckers, alongside the same single-volume-and-killswitch control approach.

The Ghost is priced at $1,299.99 in the US, £1,099 in the UK and €1,299 in Europe.

Sitting at the top of the range is the Fender Custom Shop John 5 “Phantom” Telecaster, which takes the basic Phantom concept considerably further.

Its two-piece select alder body features Fender’s Ultra Contours and a gloss black urethane finish, while the maple neck uses a Modern “C” profile and a 10″-14″ compound-radius, flat-laminated ebony fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets.

A pair of DiMarzio D Activator humbuckers is joined by a three-position toggle switch and single master volume, with a recessed Floyd Rose Original double-locking tremolo and R7 locking nut handling the more extreme pitch work.

Other details include Luminlay side dots, locking tuners, black hardware, Mother of Pearl dot inlays, a contoured four-bolt neck plate and a satin urethane neck finish.

“John 5 has always pushed the Custom Shop to think beyond the traditional Telecaster blueprint,” said Fender Custom Shop Director Chase Paul. “From the single-bound body with Ultra Contours to the single volume control and killswitch, this guitar is a true reflection of his playing style. It’s a great example of what’s possible when the Custom Shop works directly with an artist to bring their vision to life.”

The Custom Shop Phantom carries an MSRP of $6,000 in the US, £5,599 in the UK and €6,599 in Europe.

Fender has also released videos exploring the Custom Shop Phantom and featuring John 5 discussing the instrument, although direct public URLs for those videos were not included in the supplied material.

Further specifications and information on Fender Custom Shop products are available at www.fendercustomshop.com.