Fender Custom Shop "Imagine" World Stamp Collection Telecaster - Gabonese Republic with Hardshell Case

This is one of the more interesting Fender Custom Shop Telecasters I’ve had through here. This is the Gabonese Republic example from Fender’s “Imagine” World Stamp Collection, with the entire top built around vintage Gabon postage stamp artwork. There’s a ton of detail in this one — portraits, landscapes, wildlife and old postal imagery all mixed together — and the colors work especially well against the cream back and sides.

The story behind these is just as cool as the guitars themselves. The collection grew out of Andy Mooney’s personal stamp collection, with Fender ultimately creating examples representing countries from around the world. Each one uses country-specific stamp imagery, so every version has its own completely different personality rather than just being the same guitar in a different color.

This particular one is even more interesting because Andy Mooney signed both the back of the headstock and the Certificate of Authenticity.

It came to me as a floor-display guitar and, as far as I can tell, has yet to really have an owner or be broken in. Condition is excellent throughout. The body, neck, backside, fretboard and frets all passed inspection in excellent condition, and it still has the feel of a guitar that has barely been played.

Under all of the collectible artwork, it’s still a really good Custom Shop Tele.

The satin maple Modern C neck feels familiar immediately, and the slab rosewood board gives it a little different personality than a traditional maple-board Tele. The 9.5" radius and 22 jumbo frets make it easy to move around on, and the current factory-style setup feels comfortable and clean. The action has plenty of room to come down for someone who likes it lower, but where it sits now feels very much like a normal Fender factory setup.

At 8.14 lbs on my scale, it has a solid feel without being unreasonable.

The original Yosemite Telecaster pickups are bright, punchy and very responsive. The bridge has the snap and attack you expect from a Tele, while the neck rounds things out nicely without getting muddy. All three positions sound distinct, and the electronics passed my complete test without any issues.

What stood out to me:

• Gabonese Republic example from Fender’s Imagine World Stamp Collection
• Country-specific vintage postage stamp artwork across the entire top
• Signed on the headstock by Andy Mooney
• Andy Mooney-signed Certificate of Authenticity
• Former display guitar that appears to have seen essentially no real play
• Satin maple Modern C neck
• Slab rosewood fingerboard
• 9.5" radius with 22 jumbo frets
• Original Yosemite Telecaster single-coil pickups
• Factory-style setup with room to lower the action if desired
• Spot-on intonation
• 8.14 lbs on my scale
• Original Fender deluxe hardshell case
• Complete pictured case candy

The rest of the build keeps things very Tele: alder body, 25.5" scale, six-saddle string-through bridge, ClassicGear tuners, master volume and tone, and three-way switching. I actually like that Fender kept the guitar itself straightforward. The artwork is wild enough that it doesn’t need gimmicky hardware or electronics to make it interesting.

Condition is Excellent. I’m not seeing any meaningful dings, chips or wear worth calling out. For a guitar that spent time on display, it has been kept incredibly clean and presents very close to new.

The cream-colored back and sides also make the stamp top stand out even more. From a distance it reads almost like a patterned finish, but up close you start noticing individual stamps and little details everywhere. It’s the kind of guitar you can stare at for a while and keep finding something new.

Includes the original Fender deluxe hardshell case and complete pictured case candy.

The photos shown are real photographs of this exact guitar. I do not use AI-generated imagery, replacement backgrounds, or image manipulation to misrepresent the condition of my guitars. What you see is the instrument you’ll receive.

Like all my guitars, this one’s been cared for and dialed in—no guesswork, no surprises, just a great instrument that’s ready to play. I personally inspect and test every guitar before it ships, making sure it’s in the exact condition I’d want to receive myself. These guitars come from me, not a shop—each one gets the kind of attention and care only a real guitar lover gives. Ships fast and insured.

⏳ Quick note: These guitars don’t usually sit. Most are purchased within 1–5 days, and I regularly hear from watchers after the listing has already sold. If this one’s on your radar, now’s the time.