General
Caballo Tono means 'tone horse', while Ligero means 'lightweight', which quite accurately describes this unique Fender Custom Shop Telecaster. It features modifications that were inspired by the way Texan musicians would spruce up their Teles and replace the neck pickup. Often, they used Gretsch pickups, as these provided much mure output than a single-coil pickup without compromising the sparkling trebles. That's why the Caballo Tono Ligero in Heavy Relic Champagne Sparkle features an original TV Jones pickup at the bridge. It's great for Texas shuffles or the type of Southern boogie made famous by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.
Heavy Relic Champagne Sparkle
This particular Cabollo Tono Ligero model features a gorgeous Champagne Sparkle finish, and was carefully reliced by the Custom Shop craftsmen. As a result, this guitar looks like it's lead a rough life on stage. Its chambered body is made of lightweight ash, which allows this remarkable Tele to resonate freely. It has a neck with a large C profile and a 9.5"-radius maple fretboard with jumbo frets. To counter the fairly feisty TV Jones pickup at the neck, they've mounted a hand-wound Red Hot Texas Special single-coil at the bridge.
Eye for detail
The Caballo Tono Ligero features a highly tasteful, artificially-aged look that remains fairly subtle. Besides the body, Fender also paid due attention to the hardware, of course. For instance, you can switch the resistance on the volume knob to suit your current pickup configuration. The Greasebucket tone circuit is also a very welcome addition, as it keeps your sound balanced when you dial down the trebles using the tone control. Instead of a messy, muddled sound, you'll get a rich tone with powerful mids.
