NGD: 1967 Telecaster

[E Baxter Put]

I hate to mention things on NGD threads. It is a cool guitar.

The bridge plate should have Fender and a patent number on it as well, and some wear. These white finishes did usually yellow quite a bit. The color in the neck pocket looks like what I would expect. The switch looks new as well. And neck overspray. The white pickguards were usually pearl on the back, but not always.

The finish is thin nitro over a tough fullerplast.

[JVG]

The bridge plate should have Fender and a patent number on it as well, and some wear.

That’s a curious change to make. I wonder if it had a double humbucker setup at some stage, perhaps with a shorty bridge, and the original got misplaced. Would be interesting to see if there's any extra routing under the bridge.

OR

Is it a case of lefty parts not having the standard markings, in which case it may be original?

[garyptaszek]

Wow that’s very cool

[sal paradise]

I hate to mention things on NGD threads. It is a cool guitar.

The bridge plate should have Fender and a patent number on it as well, and some wear. These white finishes did usually yellow quite a bit. The color in the neck pocket looks like what I would expect. The switch looks new as well. And neck overspray. The white pickguards were usually pearl on the back, but not always.

The finish is thin nitro over a tough fullerplast.

Thanks everyone for the extra info!

Things to investigate so far:
- body refin
- humbucker route in neck
- replacement pickguard
- replacement bridge
- non-original pickup switch

Took the bridge up. Pat numbers underneath.

Is it a case of lefty parts not having the standard markings, in which case it may be original?

Just read somewhere that in the 50s Fender used to just bend the sides of the bridge plate the other way for a lefty due to so few orders. Does this mean it's the correct bridge plate?

When I say “took the bridge up”, I mean I had to pull it off with some force. And the paint came up with it. What is going on with this? It's like plasterboard...!


Presume the bridge pickup looks ok?


The selector switch has the model number & Pat numbers, although looks pretty new aside from the metal. Concerns?



Bridge & guard change makes sense if the noiseless pickups he installed didn’t fit. The rest just doesn’t add up given the way he described looking after the guitar. He told me about things like the pickup change. They were swapped back in the last 20-30 years. Maybe he just forgot about the body work. He is 80. But memory was pretty sharp & specific about loads of stuff.

[E Baxter Put]

Maybe that is an original switch, or from the era? It is a different color plastic than mine and in very good shape.

That makes sense with the bridge that they would just stamp it upside down for the opposite hand guitar. Very cool.

I wonder if the goop under the bridge was some sort of compound that they put to stop it from vibrating? These pickups tend to be microphonic, and dampening the bridge could help it stop squealing, and sit flat.

I don't know about the pickups. I'm not an expert at all. I think my tele pickups have cloth wire though. My bridge pu has white string wrapped around the coils. I'

[garyptaszek]

Oh boy… what on earth is that under the bridge?!

[JSett]

That looks like a whole load of polyfiller

[mekhem]

Wow,

That is in such great shape for being a players guitar and it has a great story too!

[JVG]

That’s a cool discovery with the bridge!

Seems like the old boy forgot to mention a few things about the guitar, and maybe that’s fair if the changes were done incrementally over many decades.

It’s still a very cool guitar. I’d be looking at getting a proper refin (and possibly the neck pickup cavity returned to stock size), then enjoy playing it.

[MattK]

What a score! The neck carve looks like heaven in the headstock shot. Also, fascinating about the bridge plate.

[sal paradise]

Seems like the old boy forgot to mention a few things about the guitar, and maybe that’s fair if the changes were done incrementally over many decades.

It’s still a very cool guitar. I’d be looking at getting a proper refin (and possibly the neck pickup cavity returned to stock size), then enjoy playing it.

Just dropped him a message about the refin, body routing & to ask if he’s still got the original guard. If I can get some money back to cover a proper refin I’ll be happy.

Realised yesterday how much of a rookie error I’d made: buying a guitar based on the excitement of the opportunity & its story. I don’t know what I’m looking for in a 60s tele, and never owned a nitro Fender. Only researched the neck/decals, didn’t think to go any further as I trusted the seller. And didn’t ask to open it up when I collected.

Work case, I’ve paid about what a shop would charge for a refinished 67. So a lucky escape, and hopefully learnt the most important rule in buying expensive vintage guitars: always be politely sceptical.

The guitar remains to be awesome & I’m in love with it. Thank you all again for your help, appreciate everyone’s input & advice here. This forum continues to be the best place on the internet

[zhivago]

It's great to hear that all this hasn't soured your feelings towards the guitar.

Vintage Telecasters historically are some of the most messed around guitars..it's like people couldn't help themselves and made all sorts of mods, so buying one is always tricky.

It sounds like you didn't overpay, so that's great to hear....and really cool to see the upside down stamp on the bridge, I had no idea this happened for lefty guitars, but it makes sense.

You can probably get the guys over the Tele forum to help too...they are very knowledgable.

https://www.tdpri.com/forums/vintage-te ... -1974.100/

Rock on!

[sal paradise]

It's great to hear that all this hasn't soured your feelings towards the guitar.

Vintage Telecasters historically are some of the most messed around guitars..it's like people couldn't help themselves and made all sorts of mods, so buying one is always tricky.

It sounds like you didn't overpay, so that's great to hear....and really cool to see the upside down stamp on the bridge, I had no idea this happened for lefty guitars, but it makes sense.

You can probably get the guys over the Tele forum to help too...they are very knowledgable.

https://www.tdpri.com/forums/vintage-te ... -1974.100/

Rock on!

Cheers, yes still love it. The neck happens to be the most comfortable 25.5” neck I’ve ever had, and I finally understand what that worn in feel is like, that people talk about with old necks

forever guitar, and I’m giving money to the very person who gave this guitar so much of its cool.

Think I’ve got account on TDPRI, will pop some photos on there & see what they think. Good idea!

[zhivago]

Oh yes, those old Fender necks feel almost fossilised...and the feel on the back is just the best!

[fuzzjunkie]

That polyfill or wood filler under the bridge is odd. I wonder what sort of repair that was for? Perhaps the wood underneath the bridge rotted a bit from sweat or something? I’ve never seen anything like that before.

The body is a refin, but I disagree that it was stripped down to the bare wood and that there is no Fullerplast. I can see the yellowing on the bare side of the pocket and the original paint stick shadow here:



The other thing I noticed was that the nail holes on the neck have been filled too. You can see them here between the upper screw holes:



On my ‘61 Tele there’s only one nail hole and here there’s two, so I wonder if that’s because it’s a left handed neck? I don’t know Fender’s manufacturing process but the neck would get a nail to hold it in place. I’m guessing someone added the nail on the right side (same place as mine) out of habit before realizing it was a supposed to be a left hand neck and moved it to the correct place.