Reimagining Mike Bloomfield’s Damaged Bob Dylan Telecaster]

When Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, it was a watershed moment for the trajectory of popular music – and the Telecaster that his foil, Mike Bloomfield, played on that day was instrumental in ‘killing folk.’

Now, Eastwood Guitars has recreated the guitar for the masses – including its rather garish cutaway – in the form of the Mad Cat MB63.

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So, while the guitar never looked like it does now while in Bloomfield’s hands, Eastwood’s recreation of the electric guitar is being used as a way of honoring its most famous player.

“The Eastwood Mad Cat MB63 tips its hat to one of the great troublemakers in guitar history,” it says. “The original wasn’t precious. It had that famously rough upper horn cutaway and a straight-to-the-point, workmanlike feel. It looked like someone simply decided it needed to be different and made it so. That’s the spirit we wanted to keep.”

Crafted to a 25.5″ scale length, it also has a 12″ fretboard radius, 20 Jumbo frets, and aged white inlays. It has been designed to look worn and pre-loved – complete with that gruesome cutaway.

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Eastwood Guitars Mad Cat MB63(Image credit: Eastwood Guitars)

“Taking inspiration from the vintage car world, we decided to add a clear coat over the distressed body finish to seamlessly blend the old with the new,” Eastwood explains.

“At its core, this is still a no-nonsense single-cut with all the snap, bite, and clarity you’d hope for. It’s for players who like their guitars a little rough around the edges and a lot big on personality.”

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Mike Bloomfield Newport Folk Festival Telecaster — Mike Bloomfield’s Newport Folk Festival Telecaster(Image credit: Retro Fret)

Priced at a not-too-shabby $1,399, it certainly saves players the job of taking a hacksaw to their own beloved Teles, and stands as one of 2026’s most unique guitar tributes. The original guitar sold for $275,000 in January 2025, so Eastwood’s version is also a damn sight cheaper.

See Eastwood Guitars for more.

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