PAISLEY RED & 2 BLUE FLOWER TELECASTERS

Equally striking a departure from the traditional Telecaster design were the Paisley Red and Blue Flower Teles that appeared in limited numbers in 1968. With Fender hoping to connect with the zeitgeist of flower power, these two markedly psychedelic finishes were achieved by using a peel-and-stick product made by the Borden Chemical company called Cling-Foil. This aluminium foil (effectively a thick metallic wallpaper) was fixed to the wood before being blown over around the body edges and pickup routs.

“Paisley Red pulsates with every beat and swirls in a blinding carousel of colour forms and tones. Fender shines again,” says an advert for the Paisley Red Telecaster. Its Blue Flower counterpart reads: “Blue Flower bursts forth in a dazzling array of subtle purple and green patterns. Never before has such an exciting profusion of colour been offered.” Unfortunately, many of these rare Teles suffered from severe fading and checking.