Every Interstellar Tone Traveler has that one guitar — the one that's been everywhere, seen everything, and still shows up ready to work. The Tom Anderson T-Icon Shorty in Dakota Red In-Distress Level 3 is that guitar. The aged nitro finish tells the story of a working instrument: not a relic artificially tortured for the sake of aesthetics, but a masterfully worn companion that looks like it's logged light-years of gigs, sessions, and late-night battles — cared for deeply, trusted completely, played without mercy. The Level 3 aging is the most aggressive distressing Anderson offers, and in their hands it means copper-worn edges, faded red depth, and the kind of honest mojo that can't be faked. Underneath that battle-hardened shell sits an alder body delivering the clarity and punch Tele players live for, now dialed up through a short 24.75" Gibson-scale length that fattens the midrange, thickens the low end, and gives single coils a warmth they rarely find on a full-scale instrument.

This is a Nashville Tele configuration — three single coils, with Tom Anderson's VA7.2 pickups in the neck and middle positions bringing Strat-like air and articulation, and the TV7+ bridge pickup delivering all the snap and twang that made the Telecaster a legend. The T-Plate 5-way switching system opens up a galaxy of tonal options including a M+B split with V-Quiet hum canceling — dead quiet when you need it, wicked when you don't. Anderson's J-Trem keeps the vibrato smooth and the tuning rock-solid no matter how deep you dig in. Locking tuners, heavy stainless frets, a compound 12-14" radius caramel maple neck with rosewood board, and a featherweight 7 lbs. 2 oz. — this is the main axe. The one you reach for when the mission demands everything you've got.

Model: T-Icon Shorty
Body Wood: Alder
Body Finish: Dakota Red In-Distress Level 3
Neck Wood: Caramel Maple w/Rosewood Board 
Headstock Finish: Satin Natural 
Neck Back Finish: Satin Natural 
Neck Shape: Even Taper +.050 
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Inlay: Dots
Scale: 24.75"
Radius: 12-14 (Compound)
Frets: Heavy Stainless Steel
Bridge: J-Trem
Tuners: Locking
Hardware Color: Nickel
Neck Pickup: VA7.2 (Black Cover)  
Middle Pickup: VA7.2 (Black Cover)  
Bridge Pickup: TV7+
Pickguard: Tortoise Shell 
Switching: T-Plate 5-Way, 3 = M+B with Split and V-Quiet Hum Canceling 
PU Rings/SW Tip: Black
String Gauge: .010-.046
Weight: 7lbs 2oz. 
Case: Anderson Deluxe Gig Bag