Post by Kevin on Oct 29, 2008 12:19:42 GMT
From: MSN NicknameSheendigs (Original Message) Sent: 09/12/2007 20:03
Hi There
What would be the best signs I have to look for, so as to be sure that the Telecaster I intend to buy is legitimate from the 60's..Thanks for the info beforehand!
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Recommend Delete Message 2 of 6 in Discussion
From: Charlie Hall Sent: 09/12/2007 22:24
Hi Sheendigs,
Neck position dots at the 12th fret should be more or less under the 5th and 2nd strings, not between the 4th and 5th, and 3rd and 2nd strings as seen on many reissues.
The neck should have a date code and neck width code (I think A to D but usually B) stamped on the end but this can only be seen if the neck is removed, or at least loosed enough to tilt the end upwards away from the body. On early 60's necks it was a stamp, I think the stamping code style was changed around '69. The first digit of the code should be 3, which indicates a Tele or Esquire neck.
What year is it supposed to be? Is it rosewood or maple board? Either way, the board should be separate from the neck as one piece maple necks with skunk stripe down the back of the neck were not manufactured in the 60's. If very early 60's, a rosewood board should be the slab type, and showing a flat profile at the join with the neck when viewed from the bridge end. From around '62, this became a thinner curved fitting.
Late 50's Teles did not have through body stringing. Through body stringing was re-introduced around '59 or'60. Some bridges had the holes for the strings to pass through for top loading even if through body stringing was used. The ferrules at the back should be flush with the body or even recessed, until '66, after that they were raised slightly from the body.
All Teles of that era came with a bridge cover that completely covered the bridge plate. If it is missing, it could be seen as devaluing the instrument as it is not all original as might be described (although the remaining parts could be all original). Same with frets, originals would surely be worn out if used regularly at the time even if not since.
I had 60's Strats that were only about 3 years old and they needed refretting. Original frets are very thin and usually nicely finished at the edges. But these are minor considerations compared with whether the body finish is original or not.
Pickups are more difficult to check but on the bridge pickup make sure the 3rd and 4th string poles are raised equally. Some bridge pickups had white string wound around the coil, others had black string. I am not sure of the years the different string colours were used.
The serial number should be on the neck plate and around 44000 upwards. When they reached 100000 around 62-63 an L was added in front of the number until around '66, when numbers from 100000 were used, up to around 280000 at the end of the 60's. Serial numbers were never in line with strict date order, so the rules can be broken by anything up to 2 years or so.
Threaded bridge saddles (not plain with a single groove for the string) were used up to around '68.
Up to about '67, the tone selector was #1, neck pickup with bassy preset sound, #2 neck pickup alone, #3 bridge pickyup alone. After that time the pickup selection was as it is now, neck, neck and bridge, bridge only. A capacitor was also added to the volume pot at about the same time, which retained a lot of treble (noticeably thinner sounding with little bass) when the volume control was backed off.
Paint was nitro cellulose up to around '68. After that polyester was used until around '81.
Regards,
Charlie
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Recommend Delete Message 3 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameSheendigs Sent: 10/12/2007 12:12
Hi Charlie
Thanks a lot..I have built up a checklist based on your info..WIll have to check the guitar and see how close the guitar rates, in comparison...
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Recommend Delete Message 4 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameSheendigs Sent: 23/12/2007 20:39
Hi Charlie
Thanks for all the info..we checked everything and it was always on the dot...aside from one thing ..the guy or somebody else..repainted it..the only glitch! And one cap has been changed..Man, and are those pots 'grinchy'..
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Recommend Delete Message 5 of 6 in Discussion
From: Charlie Hall Sent: 23/12/2007 21:55
Hi Sheendigs,
The repaint has made it worth around half of what it could have been otherwise.
Regards,
Charlie
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Recommend Delete Message 6 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameSheendigs Sent: 24/12/2007 00:45
Yes..Charlie...on the 2007 books..it is supposed to be worth a lot of money...and now the guy selling it has some problems reselling it...
Hi There
What would be the best signs I have to look for, so as to be sure that the Telecaster I intend to buy is legitimate from the 60's..Thanks for the info beforehand!
First Previous 2-6 of 6 Next Last Delete Replies
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 2 of 6 in Discussion
From: Charlie Hall Sent: 09/12/2007 22:24
Hi Sheendigs,
Neck position dots at the 12th fret should be more or less under the 5th and 2nd strings, not between the 4th and 5th, and 3rd and 2nd strings as seen on many reissues.
The neck should have a date code and neck width code (I think A to D but usually B) stamped on the end but this can only be seen if the neck is removed, or at least loosed enough to tilt the end upwards away from the body. On early 60's necks it was a stamp, I think the stamping code style was changed around '69. The first digit of the code should be 3, which indicates a Tele or Esquire neck.
What year is it supposed to be? Is it rosewood or maple board? Either way, the board should be separate from the neck as one piece maple necks with skunk stripe down the back of the neck were not manufactured in the 60's. If very early 60's, a rosewood board should be the slab type, and showing a flat profile at the join with the neck when viewed from the bridge end. From around '62, this became a thinner curved fitting.
Late 50's Teles did not have through body stringing. Through body stringing was re-introduced around '59 or'60. Some bridges had the holes for the strings to pass through for top loading even if through body stringing was used. The ferrules at the back should be flush with the body or even recessed, until '66, after that they were raised slightly from the body.
All Teles of that era came with a bridge cover that completely covered the bridge plate. If it is missing, it could be seen as devaluing the instrument as it is not all original as might be described (although the remaining parts could be all original). Same with frets, originals would surely be worn out if used regularly at the time even if not since.
I had 60's Strats that were only about 3 years old and they needed refretting. Original frets are very thin and usually nicely finished at the edges. But these are minor considerations compared with whether the body finish is original or not.
Pickups are more difficult to check but on the bridge pickup make sure the 3rd and 4th string poles are raised equally. Some bridge pickups had white string wound around the coil, others had black string. I am not sure of the years the different string colours were used.
The serial number should be on the neck plate and around 44000 upwards. When they reached 100000 around 62-63 an L was added in front of the number until around '66, when numbers from 100000 were used, up to around 280000 at the end of the 60's. Serial numbers were never in line with strict date order, so the rules can be broken by anything up to 2 years or so.
Threaded bridge saddles (not plain with a single groove for the string) were used up to around '68.
Up to about '67, the tone selector was #1, neck pickup with bassy preset sound, #2 neck pickup alone, #3 bridge pickyup alone. After that time the pickup selection was as it is now, neck, neck and bridge, bridge only. A capacitor was also added to the volume pot at about the same time, which retained a lot of treble (noticeably thinner sounding with little bass) when the volume control was backed off.
Paint was nitro cellulose up to around '68. After that polyester was used until around '81.
Regards,
Charlie
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 3 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameSheendigs Sent: 10/12/2007 12:12
Hi Charlie
Thanks a lot..I have built up a checklist based on your info..WIll have to check the guitar and see how close the guitar rates, in comparison...
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 4 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameSheendigs Sent: 23/12/2007 20:39
Hi Charlie
Thanks for all the info..we checked everything and it was always on the dot...aside from one thing ..the guy or somebody else..repainted it..the only glitch! And one cap has been changed..Man, and are those pots 'grinchy'..
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 5 of 6 in Discussion
From: Charlie Hall Sent: 23/12/2007 21:55
Hi Sheendigs,
The repaint has made it worth around half of what it could have been otherwise.
Regards,
Charlie
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 6 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameSheendigs Sent: 24/12/2007 00:45
Yes..Charlie...on the 2007 books..it is supposed to be worth a lot of money...and now the guy selling it has some problems reselling it...