In the wake of the 1967 “Summer of Love”, Fender made the slightly surprising decision to produce Telecasters and Telecaster basses decorated in hippy-influenced “blue floral” and “pink paisley”.

They were released in 1968 with the paisley model achieving considerable prominance when James Burton, the lead guitarist for Elvis Presley, began to use the instrument on live shows and TV appearances with “The King” himself.

But these unusually finished Teles did not sell well, and they were discontinued in 1969. Nostalgia for 60’s style resulted in a reissue in the mid-80’s by Fender’s Japanese division. These models were discontinued themselves until they were reintroduced in 2002/3.