Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is one of the most celebrated next-gen blues players, so it's no surprise that he's just landed his second signature guitar – a new-look Delta Day version of his original Telecaster Deluxe.
However, although Kingfish now has two signature Teles to his name, his love affair with Fender's iconic single-cut wasn't exactly smooth-sailing at the start.
Speaking to Fender about the launch of his latest signature, he’s explained why he disliked the model at first – and what inspired his change of heart.
“My first Telecaster was a red Squire Affinity,” he details. “At first, I didn't get the whole Telecaster movement because I felt like they were too twangy.”
But the electric guitar soon got a second chance. Its reputation, and the fact that it had been employed by so many greats, inspired a rethink.
“Some of my favorite Telecaster players, like Freddie Stone from Sly and the Family Stone, Prince, Keith Richards, and all the country players, turned me onto the sound when I started to dig deep into the blues,” he explains. “Especially Prince, 'cause then I found out how funky these things can get.”
In Prince's case, he coloured outside of Fender's lines with his Tele picks. There was his unique Sadowsky model, and of course, the Hohner “MadCat” he played at his legendary and vengeful Rock Hall showing in 2004.
Kingfish, meanwhile, went down a different route on his quest for a solution. The Custom Kingfish humbuckers in his signature guitar deliver rich, chunky tones ideal for his brand of hot blues, pushing twangier sounds to the sidelines.
The new signature model, finished in Daphne Blue – a contrast to its older sibling’s Mississippi Night look – may appear different, but the core sound remains the same.
“I wanted a sound that could really punch and hit heavy,” he says. “But being that I come from church, I wanted a guitar that doesn't scream. I can dial back the volume if I want to. I wanted the sound of the '57 [Tele].”
The all-new Fender Kingfish Delta Day Telecaster Deluxe is available now for $2,249.
Head to Fender for more.
