1966 Tele, a short time in its company

A customer of mine brought up his 1966 Telecaster for me to look at with a view to sourcing him a similar neck for a guitar I am doing for him.

This guitar was bought in 1981 for the sum of just over £100, and has spent most of its subsequent life being gigged and used.

Quite a slim neck, a bit too much for my tastes but a superb sounding guitar all the same.

It has had some classic 80s mods done to it like a 6 saddle bridge and a brass nut, but otherwise check out the genuine road wear on this one.



Not even the best relics can emulate the scars on this fine instrument which is just about two years younger than myself.



I just had to play the intro to "Soul Man" on it just to hear if it could nail that Cropper tone.

Which it did

A classic to be sure. Although I'd be happier with the original "ashtray" and maybe Wilkinson style brass compensated saddles instead.

I was never much of a Fender guy growing up, more Gibson leaning, but I have come to really appreciate the simple elegance of the Tele in my *ahem* advanced age. It is a truly versatile guitar, and some of the neck profiles from the 60's and 70's are still among the most comfortable out there.

Very nice Tele, gotta love the classics and road wear. I think its SO cheesy how people "relic" their guitars, its just totally fake. That baby on the other hand has wicked mojo, ultra cool. Always been a Fender man, but i'm into my Strats ( perhaps that is why i have an affinity for my Spectrums).

I, too, have a weakness for butterscotch Teles.... even if I tried to turn mine into something it wasn't!! Nice!!

hobster wrote:Very nice Tele, gotta love the classics and road wear. I think its SO cheesy how people "relic" their guitars, its just totally fake. That baby on the other hand has wicked mojo, ultra cool.

You're right Hobs, I've seen nice guitars get "reliced" and it just makes me aggitated. You can't (and shouldn't try to) "make" that kind of mojo on a guitar. It's earned! The mojo on that Tele is sweet!

Nice 'old guit' worth a little more than £100. now.

Most Fenders in the early 80's were going pretty cheap. Remember various one's in good condition going for £200-300.
Although that was to most folks a fair wack at the time.

I hope that the "relic" phase passes quickly. It really is a total fraud, and truthfully who wants to pay top dollar for something that looks like it was dragged behind a pickup truck...then gnawed on by large rodents!?
We've had "Road Worn" series Tele in the shop for months now. It plays and sounds fantastic, but nobody want to pay ridiculous money for a crappy looking new guitar, pure and simple.

You must be like a kid in a candy store, all those giutars to mess with Barry. Nice eh.

Yes Damian, I have lucked into a great little gig at the local Guitars n Amps store. It doesn't pay huge money but it's cash and in my pocket (screw the tax man!)

And, I get to do repairs on all sorts of guitars, and of course play all the top end Martins, Taylors, Fenders, Gibsons and Gretsch's I can handle...through Marshalls, VOXs, Fenders and more! Candy store indeed!

Barry wrote:I hope that the "relic" phase passes quickly. It really is a total fraud, and truthfully who wants to pay top dollar for something that looks like it was dragged behind a pickup truck...then gnawed on by large rodents!?
We've had "Road Worn" series Tele in the shop for months now. It plays and sounds fantastic, but nobody want to pay ridiculous money for a crappy looking new guitar, pure and simple.

Hey Barry, check out my new signature.

Sometimes you can't make stuff up that's this good.

Impeccable taste!