Vintage Fenders With Gold Hardware

[fendercollection]

I've been doing research these past few days trying to find the answer to this question:

Should 1950/60s Fenders with original gold hardware have a gold truss rod screw?

I've asked around the community and have heard both yes and no. Interested to hear from you all, especially those of you who have ones with gold hardware. I've only owned one and it had gold on the truss rod screw. Feel free to post drool-worthy pics of gold hardware Fenders as well

[zhivago]

The Mary Kaye Stratocasters had gold truss rods for sure...not sure the Jags JMs would have them though.

I always thought that feature was specific to just the Mary Kay guitars...

Would love to see photos of offsets with the gold truss rods though

[Maulden7]

From 8 Fenders of all sorts (1963-1972) with gold hardware, I can safely say that at least 7 do not have the truss rod head gold plated.

The odd one I can't be absolutely sure about is a 72 Tele. This truss rod screw has clearly seen a lot of screwdrivers over the years, & any gold finish could have been destroyed. However, if I was to make an informed opinion I would say that it is also not gold plated.

So, no evidence of gold plated truss rods here!

Dave M.

[fendercollection]

From 8 Fenders of all sorts (1963-1972) with gold hardware, I can safely say that at least 7 do not have the truss rod head gold plated.

The odd one I can't be absolutely sure about is a 72 Tele. This truss rod screw has clearly seen a lot of screwdrivers over the years, & any gold finish could have been destroyed. However, if I was to make an informed opinion I would say that it is also not gold plated.

So, no evidence of gold plated truss rods here!

Dave M.

Just playing devil's advocate here

Here are three photos of some Jags and JMs with the gold truss rod screw (just ones I could easily find, there's more examples). However, I have seen offsets for sale with "original gold hardware" that did not have a gold truss rod screw. I like to assume every custom ordered Fender is fake until proven otherwise due to the amount of fakes on the market. It's also easy to swap hardware. Just curious to see if anyone has one without a gold truss rod screw that has provenance to show that it is indeed original.

It seems odd to me that Fender would do it on some and not others. Although, we have to remember that not every guitar that left the factory was consistent.

[Maulden7]

I can assure you that all the guitars I referred to are original gold metal parts.
Acquired over many years & a number from when they could be bought for a few washers!
You're looking for Fender production consistency!!??

Dave M

Edited to add - remembered that I acquired two of them together from the same guy (a retiring professional musician) in Wales, & he had owned them from new (CAR Strat & Tele) The story was that the Tele had been offered when new to Tony Hicks via a dealer in Wales (a name some here might recognise - & still playing / touring with the same band) but Tony didn't like it! However, I have no idea if this was true or not!

[eggwheat]

The few I've had..all jaguars from the 60's..had gold plated truss rods.

[Maulden7]

Mine are clearly all fakes then?

Dave M.

[eggwheat]

Hah..I’m sure they’re not. Can only say what I’ve seen with my own eyes..I had one pre-cbs 60’s jazzmaster too with gold hardware but I never took the neck off to see..

[hornz]

Trevor Boone from ECG has just posted a video on YouTube featuring a '58 Strat with gold hardware. During the video he says (to paraphrase him) that the truss rods were gold plated in the 50s but this practice ceased in the 60s, as seen on an Jaguar they acquired recently.

Fender were consistently inconsistent.