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Post by allclaphands on Feb 22, 2013 9:25:56 GMT
Just something I was reading about in a guitar book.
The Fender Esquire was the first production line solid-body
guitar came out in 1950 just before the Telecaster.Production
was discontinued in 1970.As any member come across one or
know of any guitarist that used and recorded with one to hear
what it sounded like?
All replies welcome
Pete
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Post by somebodyelseuk on Feb 22, 2013 9:45:56 GMT
It's a Telecaster with one pickup. I don't think it came out before the Tele. It was either the swame time or just after. They were the first 'production' solid bodies - there was the Paul Bigsby Merle Travis solid bodied guitar in the mid-late 1940s.
Bruce Springsteen's butterscotch one that he played for decades is an Esquire with a neck pickup added. Jeff Beck played one in the 60s after the Yardirds... they sound exactly the same as a Tele on the bridge pickup.
Cheers, Julian
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Post by frankmarvin on Feb 22, 2013 10:50:41 GMT
Didn't the Telecaster used to be called the Broadcaster before they changed the name? I seem to have read that somewhere:
Frank:
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Post by frankmarvin on Feb 22, 2013 11:26:17 GMT
Oh, I just remembered, many moons ago someone brought me a Fender Lead 1 to look at, I had never seen one before ( or since), it wasn't very good but it was apparently made by Fender and not a * farmed out* one:
Anyone know anything about these guitars? got one? etc:
Regards: Frank:
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Post by kipper on Feb 22, 2013 13:42:37 GMT
thats right frank it used to be called the Broadcaster before they changed the name. peter
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Post by somebodyelseuk on Feb 22, 2013 14:23:25 GMT
Yup, Broadcaster. Gretsch did a drum kit called the Broadkaster and asked Fender, politely, to change the name, hence the period of 'Nocasters' between that and the Telecaster in 1951.
I remember the Lead I & II from the 70s. At that time, there was only one place on the planet that made Fenders - Fullerton. The Leads were a sort of budget guitar, about half way between the Bullet and the Telecaster. They stopped making the Lead around 1982 and moved Bullet production to Japan.
From what I remember the Lead I had two single coils and the Lead II had two humbuckers, with coil taps, and it was any colour you like as long as it's black.
As for the quality... they were made in the 70s, not Fender's best era.
Cheers, Julian
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Post by allclaphands on Feb 22, 2013 14:24:17 GMT
Hi Frank and Julian Thanks for your replies interesting to read. Julian yes the Esquire only had the one single coil pick up were as the Telecaster had the 2. So that is probably why they stopped making them. Frank your spot on (you 3 starer you) the Telecaster was originally known as the Broadcaster but the name was already in use so they changed it in 1951 As for the Fender Lead 1 I can not find anything in the book i'm looking at with reference to it but would also be interested to hear from any one who might know. Frank. At a Irish wedding reception the D.J. yelled would all the married men stand next to the one person who as made your life worth living. The Bartender was almost crushed to Death. But he is expected to survive eventually.  Pete  |
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Post by oldynewby on Feb 22, 2013 14:24:52 GMT
The Esquire was Fender's first solid body production guitar and was, as Julian says, a Telecaster with one pickup. Esquires came out on 1948 I think, don't quote me as I'm in work and unable to check. Telecasters were made alongside Esquires and shared all the same components except scratchplate and neck pickup. The Esquire switching was such that you could get a very bassy tone or the normal bright tone from the bridge pickup.
Telecasters came out in 1950 and were originally called Broadcasters but Gretsch did a line of drums at the time called "Broadkaster" and complained about Fenders use of the name so, while they were thinking of a new name, the word "Broadcaster" was cut off the decals to just leave the Fender name while the stock of decals was used up, hence "Nocasters".
Paul,
Useless information is my speciality!
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Post by somebodyelseuk on Feb 22, 2013 14:36:50 GMT
The Esquire went on sale at the same time as the Broadcaster/Telecaster in April 1950.
If you take the scratchplate off an Esquire you find it's already routed for the neck pickup. The Tele wasn't an evolution of the Esquire. It was a two pickup guitar from day 1.
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Post by allclaphands on Feb 22, 2013 14:36:55 GMT
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Post by Charlie Hall on Feb 22, 2013 14:40:49 GMT
Jeff Beck used one in the Yardbirds. Saw them live in '65 and he was playing the Esquire and a Les Paul. He played the Esquire for Shapes Of Things so that's probably what he used on the record as it sounded to me exactly like the record.
Basically the sound of a Telecaster bridge pickup but still with a three way switch, one position I think cuts out the tone control for a little added high end.
Regards,
Charlie
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Post by allclaphands on Feb 22, 2013 15:00:00 GMT
I also saw The Yardbirds along with The Moody Blues at a
open air venue in the summer of 1965 at the old rugby
ground in Cheltenham It was like you wished at the time
that it would go on for ever Happy Days
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Post by oldynewby on Feb 22, 2013 15:54:51 GMT
The Esquire went on sale at the same time as the Broadcaster/Telecaster in April 1950. If you take the scratchplate off an Esquire you find it's already routed for the neck pickup. The Tele wasn't an evolution of the Esquire. It was a two pickup guitar from day 1. Sorry Julian I have to argue with you. I concede the point on the date of 1950 but the two pickup guitar was originally sold as an Esquire before the name was changed to Broadcaster. It also gained a truss rod where the single pickup Esquire didn't (for a while). The Esquire and Telecaster were consolidated as 2 separate models in Jan/Feb 1951 although the Telecaster name didn't appear on the headstocks until the old decals ran out in April '51. Paul. |
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Post by allclaphands on Feb 22, 2013 15:56:26 GMT
Hi Julian Your right the Telecaster was not a take off of The Esquire it was an alternative to it Yes they were both made at the same time 1950 possibly the Telecaster were individually made where as the Esquire on a production line type basis hence the term first production line guitar. Thanks Julian for your replies Pete |
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Post by frankmarvin on Feb 22, 2013 16:27:27 GMT
Paul: OK I concede that you know more useless information than me, BUT, I think on sheer quality, mine is more useless: Cheers, Frank: OH, I thought that the Lead 1 I mentioned only had the one pickup , but its yonks since so maybe I remembered wrong - dunno: |
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Post by kipper on Feb 22, 2013 16:40:19 GMT
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Post by allclaphands on Feb 22, 2013 16:49:24 GMT
Hi Peter
Thanks for the lead.If you drop the s of the
htpps it will become live
Cheers
Pete
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Post by kipper on Feb 22, 2013 17:11:11 GMT
Hi Peter Thanks for the lead.If you drop the s of the htpps it will become live Cheers Pete magic. thanks peter |
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