Brazillian rosewood has been the preferred wood for acoustic guitar bodies since the mid-1800s, appreciated for it’s bold grain patterns as well as it’s rich tonal qualities. Curiously, it was late in 1968 before Fender became the first company to exploit the aesthetic appeal of rosewood on a solidbody guitar.

Fender gave the prototype of the Rosewood Telecaster to The Beatles’ George Harrison, who used it on the album “Let It Be” and in the accompanying movie. Fender couldn’t have asked for a better endorsement for a new model, but the company’s timing proved to be horrible. Brazil put an embargo on the export of uncut rosewood logs in 1969, thereby forcing most guitarmakers to switch to the less dramtically figured Indian rosewood.

Fender made the Rosewood Telecaster through 1972, but the importation problems with Brazilian rosewood, coupled with the heavy weight of a solid rosewood guitar, doomed it to very limited production.

A Japanese-made reissue revived interest in the model but it, too, was only made in limited numbers, from 1989 to the mid-90’s.