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I ready this fabulous post somewhere on the web once that said, “If the Army ever issued guitars, they would issue Telecasters.” The point was that the Tele was a simple, durable piece of gear that would endure tons of misuse and abuse and still perform a myriad of duties with aplomb, that it was a very basic item, but it had the capacity to cover a number of duties that could be asked of it.

This here is Fender’s reissue of what the Army might have issued – the ’52 Telecaster. It’s paired up with an amplifier that’s an original of roughly the same vintage, a National amp probably from the late 40s or early 50s. Together this pairing is unbeatable for all kinds of traditional music. Anyone from Bob Wills to Muddy Waters to Jimmy Page could get what they wanted out of this setup. On the night this was taken, this combo did itself proud.