Fender Telecaster Custom Solid Body Electric Guitar (1976)
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Fender Telecaster Custom Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1976), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 7611941, natural polyester finish, ash body, maple neck, black gig bag case.
This is a very nice example of one of Fender's best regarded 1970s instruments, the second-generation Telecaster Custom. This model has no older equivalent, being a product of the CBS/Fender design labs at the beginning of the '70s when Gibson's Les Pauls were experiencing a wave of popularity. The re-designed Custom is a factory-built reflection of a modification many players were making in the field, fitting Fender's Telecaster with a Gibson humbucking pickup in the neck position.
This style Telecaster Custom was introduced in 1972 and differs from the standard Telecaster primarily in carrying a new Fender "Wide Range" humbucking pickup in the neck position, while retaining the traditional Telecaster lead pickup at the bridge. This configuration offers the maximum tonal range of any Fender from the period. The unique pickup itself and the wiring layout owe much to Fender's employment of Seth Lover, the man who designed the classic Gibson electronics of the 1950s. The wiring functions in a Gibson-like mode with a tone and volume for each pickup and a 3-way selector switch on the upper bout. Even the internal wire has the braided metal shielding traditionally favored by Gibson!
The one-piece maple neck carries the newer "bullet" style truss rod adjustment and 3-bolt tilt neck attachment, another new feature not applied to standard Telecasters. The natural ash body and maple neck are finished in the heavier Polyester Fender used at the time. The new-for '76 serial number decal adorns the headstock; visible codes on the original pots indicate the 33rd week of 1976, with one tone pot dated to 1975. The traditional Telecaster bridge pan is fitted with 6 adjustable saddles. At a bit over 9 pounds this is not a lightweight Tele, but far from the heaviest from this period we have had!
This style Telecaster Custom has proven enduringly popular, widely regarded as one of the most well thought out of Fender's newer 1970s designs. The Fender humbucking pickup was not seen as a big hit at the time but has grown greatly in status over the years as players have discovered its unique combination of clarity, punch, and character. Notable users of this model when new included Keith Richards and Mick Green and many others have joined in since. This natural finish example is not a particularly rare instrument but remains very clean and plays and sounds great, exuding a particular 1970s cool.
Overall length is 38 11/16 in. (98.3 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.)., 9.11 lbs.
This nearly 50 year old Telecaster has survived not showing many signs of serious use, with only light wear to the fairly sturdy finish. There are some light scuffs and tiny dinks overall, a few chips to the fingerboard edges. After all the advantage of this 70's Poly is it can take abuse and still look clean! There is one "classic" small cigarette burn on the headstock face below the low E tuner. The humbucking pickup cover and black pickguard are a bit scuffed on the face but the guard is not cracked or chipped at the corners.
The guitar remains all original with the hardware intact including the signature mixed lot pickups, pots and wiring, even the snap-on bridge cover. The control cavities neatly are neatly lined with shielding foil; at this point 1970s Fenders were issued this way. The original frets have some light wear in the lower positions but still play fine. This Tele appears to nave not seen too much use since the US Bicentennial year and plays and sounds exactly as it should, an excellent gigging guitar and cool, funky piece of '70s Fender history. It did not arrive in a hard case but resides in a serviceable gig bag, oddly enough the original manual and inspection tag are still with the guitar. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is a very nice example of one of Fender's best regarded 1970s instruments, the second-generation Telecaster Custom. This model has no older equivalent, being a product of the CBS/Fender design labs at the beginning of the '70s when Gibson's Les Pauls were experiencing a wave of popularity. The re-designed Custom is a factory-built reflection of a modification many players were making in the field, fitting Fender's Telecaster with a Gibson humbucking pickup in the neck position.
This style Telecaster Custom was introduced in 1972 and differs from the standard Telecaster primarily in carrying a new Fender "Wide Range" humbucking pickup in the neck position, while retaining the traditional Telecaster lead pickup at the bridge. This configuration offers the maximum tonal range of any Fender from the period. The unique pickup itself and the wiring layout owe much to Fender's employment of Seth Lover, the man who designed the classic Gibson electronics of the 1950s. The wiring functions in a Gibson-like mode with a tone and volume for each pickup and a 3-way selector switch on the upper bout. Even the internal wire has the braided metal shielding traditionally favored by Gibson!
The one-piece maple neck carries the newer "bullet" style truss rod adjustment and 3-bolt tilt neck attachment, another new feature not applied to standard Telecasters. The natural ash body and maple neck are finished in the heavier Polyester Fender used at the time. The new-for '76 serial number decal adorns the headstock; visible codes on the original pots indicate the 33rd week of 1976, with one tone pot dated to 1975. The traditional Telecaster bridge pan is fitted with 6 adjustable saddles. At a bit over 9 pounds this is not a lightweight Tele, but far from the heaviest from this period we have had!
This style Telecaster Custom has proven enduringly popular, widely regarded as one of the most well thought out of Fender's newer 1970s designs. The Fender humbucking pickup was not seen as a big hit at the time but has grown greatly in status over the years as players have discovered its unique combination of clarity, punch, and character. Notable users of this model when new included Keith Richards and Mick Green and many others have joined in since. This natural finish example is not a particularly rare instrument but remains very clean and plays and sounds great, exuding a particular 1970s cool.
Overall length is 38 11/16 in. (98.3 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.)., 9.11 lbs.
This nearly 50 year old Telecaster has survived not showing many signs of serious use, with only light wear to the fairly sturdy finish. There are some light scuffs and tiny dinks overall, a few chips to the fingerboard edges. After all the advantage of this 70's Poly is it can take abuse and still look clean! There is one "classic" small cigarette burn on the headstock face below the low E tuner. The humbucking pickup cover and black pickguard are a bit scuffed on the face but the guard is not cracked or chipped at the corners.
The guitar remains all original with the hardware intact including the signature mixed lot pickups, pots and wiring, even the snap-on bridge cover. The control cavities neatly are neatly lined with shielding foil; at this point 1970s Fenders were issued this way. The original frets have some light wear in the lower positions but still play fine. This Tele appears to nave not seen too much use since the US Bicentennial year and plays and sounds exactly as it should, an excellent gigging guitar and cool, funky piece of '70s Fender history. It did not arrive in a hard case but resides in a serviceable gig bag, oddly enough the original manual and inspection tag are still with the guitar. Overall Excellent Condition.