This is the very first guitar I purchased at NAMM 2026—exactly three minutes after the show opened… I saw it, and how can I put it…? Through its US-based Xotique workshop, the American brand Xotic offers a true marvel, firmly rooted in a Fender Telecaster-inspired register. We were already familiar with Xotic basses and a few guitars, including the Allen Hind Signature models and some XSCPRO-2 from the “budget” series, but obviously this is a completely different story. Californians are incredibly lucky: everything is there, including the best Fender-style workshops (and of course Fender itself) such as Anderson Guitarworks, Suhr, and for several years now Xotic—which, quite frankly, blows Suhr away and seriously challenges the quality of Tom Anderson guitars. With this one-off instrument built for NAMM 2026, the small custom, handmade Xotique workshop of Xotic demonstrates the outstanding quality of their craftsmanship and the insane tonewoods they have at their disposal.

The Xotic Xotique XTC Custom is a stunning guitar with a stunning look—and since everything about it is stunning, it would almost be redundant not to use the word “stunning” over and over again… Built with the very best selected woods, this unique XTC crafted by the small American Xotique workshop represents the absolute top tier of the Xotic brand, featuring every possible option. The guitar retains the classic Telecaster shape but features an ultra-light ash body. It is finished in a gorgeous Root Beer Sparkle color (or stunning, depending on your point of view) and comes in a New Old Stock finish, meaning no aging. The nitrocellulose lacquer allows the body to breathe, delivering beautiful organic tones, and this guitar truly resonates.

The neck on this XTC Custom is simply spectacular: 5A Flame Roasted Maple. The 5A figured option is a real bonus, and the grain and figuring are absolutely mind-blowing—no photo can do it justice. With a modern C-shaped neck profile, a 12″ radius, and Jescar 6150 Medium Jumbo frets, the neck feels extremely comfortable and familiar.

Vintage-style Gotoh locking tuners and a Gotoh vintage-style bridge provide outstanding tuning stability and intonation. A Lindy Fralin P90 in the neck position and a Raw Vintage TE-1 in the bridge position deliver a powerful tone with real punch, excellent clarity, and a perfectly balanced response. Raw Vintage pickups are a key feature of the Xotic California Classic series, and on this XTC Custom, the pairing with the Lindy Fralin pickup and the wood combination results in a truly unique guitar with absolutely insane tones.

This ultra-light guitar is a real killer and easily holds its own against the very best Californian Custom Shop guitars and high-end production models. It is delivered in a Deluxe ABS hard case.