Fender Telecaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1953)
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Item #10865
Fender Telecaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1953), made in Fullerton, California, Blonde lacquer finish, ash body, maple neck, original brown hard shell case.
This is a played-in but still beautiful example of a "Blackguard" Telecaster -- the guitar that put Leo Fender's company on the map for all time. It was built just as the company was moving up from their original cinder-block factory in Fullerton, California in the summer of 1953 and retains all the classic '52 Tele features. The one-piece maple neck, aged "butterscotch" blonde-finished ash body, lacquered black fiber pickguard, brass bridge saddles, and of course the original black-bobbin hand wound pickups with a sound for the ages are all present and accounted for
This guitar carries the serial number 3766 stamped into the bridgeplate, with a neck date of 7-21-53 in pencil on the heell. The body carries a date mark of 07-19-53 in the neck pocket, with "Tadeo" (for Fender craftsman Tadeo Gomez) written above it. The masking tape note in the control cavity indicates the guitar was wired up by Mary on July 21st of '53; these dates are more closely grouped than many early Fenders. Perhaps Fender sales had a run of orders in summer '53 the factory was pushing to complete! One of the pot date codes is clearly legible reading 140-233 designating the 33rd week of 1952; the other appears to match but is partially soldered over.
This guitar has been played but not abused since it was shipped out in mid/late 1953. All parts remain original; the only alteration is the original early-style electronics rig has been re-wired to the "modern" Telecaster switching scheme and the bass-heavy "mud cap" removed. As originally set up there is a "deep bass" capacitor on the neck pickup in switch position # 1. Now the neck and bridge pickups can be combined in the middle position, which the original scheme did not allow. The very comfortable neck has a nice "C" profile, round-backed but with less of a rounded "throat" in the lower positions than some '53s we have had. The screws are pretty much all Phillips-head as is customary for 1953; the bridge has its brass saddles notched under the outside ends to make lower action setting easier, another 1953 refinement.
For many, this is one of the two classic Telecaster years, with the same look and feel of the earliest Fender Broadcaster and "No-Caster" guitars from 1950-51, but more consistent production standards. Before the introduction of the Stratocaster in 1954, the Tele and Precision Bass were the company's most innovative products, already causing a revolution in playing styles and shaking up the guitar world in a big way. The Telecaster was totally unique in look, feel, and sound, and became instantly popular, particularly with country players. In the years since, many players and collectors have come to consider the 1950-54 Telecaster the finest electric guitar ever made -- and one of the most historically important as well.
In his authoritative and beautiful book "The Blackguard", author Nacho Banos calls '53 "The year Fender got it nailed...Collectors and players alike consider 1953 a cornerstone year for the Blackguard. Some of the most legendary artists associated with Telecasters have used guitars manufactured during this pivotal year. Red Volkaert, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton, early James Burton, Keith Richards, Albert Lee, Arlen Roth and Countless others". Early Fender Telecasters of this period are universally considered as one of the most collectible and historic of all electric guitars, and this is a lovely original example.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 12 5/8 in. (32.1 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.)., 7.53 lbs.
Overall this is a very nice example of a "summer '53 Blackguard" showing some typical wear and tear but no notable alteration except the re-wiring to modern (post-1967) spec, which is also very common. The internal components all appear original, the "mud cap" itself has been removed and a few solder joints redone. Most players prefer this more convenient sonic layout, and although we blanch at altering these guitars today once it has been done the instrument is rarely requested to be changed back!
The thin lacquer body finish has ambered and checked somewhat and shows typical dings, dents, and worn spots, especially to the edges as usual, but no large areas of loss except one belt buckle spot on the center/lower back. There are a couple of fairly small case lid dings on the upper top in the common spot. An area of the upper back has some light flaking, and near the endpin something small is stuck to the finish, we are not sure what.
The finish on the back of the neck is smoothly worn down to the wood over much of its length on the treble side, with a few scattered dings and dents. The fingerboard has wear spots through the finish lightly into the wood in the lower positions, with wear spots just in the finish running higher up the board. There does not appear to have been any overspray done to the back of the neck; there may have been a light overfinish of the worn area of the fingerboard long ago but if so most of it has been subsequently worn away. The guitar retains the original small frets which show some wear but are still quite playable. The bone nut is newer.
All hardware on the instrument is original, except for one of the (hidden) screws securing the neck pickup. The pickguard has some wear through the lacquer in the typical area below the strings (and a small spot above them) from play but is not worn into the surface below. The bridge saddles and have some typical corrosion and discoloration but nothing is rusted hard and all adjustment screws are functional. The original "ashtray" bridge cover is present, with a previous owners' ID information etched into the underside; he also added two discreet initials to the upper area of the bridge plate itself.
Other than the wiring change and nut this instrument remains pretty much as it left Fullerton in summer or early fall 1953, with less wear from years of hard gigging behind it than many of these now show and none of the drastic modifications that befell way too many. Wherever it has been, this is a truly fantastic-sounding guitar, with a powerful bridge pickup that really rips or twangs sweetly as required and a nice blended "middle" position. The guitar is still housed in the original shaped, flat-bottom hard case, a major rarity in itself that has some wear to the lower edges but is still solid. This is the nicest '53 Tele we have had in a while, a splendid twang machine and serious piece of Fender -- and guitar -- history. Excellent - Condition.
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This is a played-in but still beautiful example of a "Blackguard" Telecaster -- the guitar that put Leo Fender's company on the map for all time. It was built just as the company was moving up from their original cinder-block factory in Fullerton, California in the summer of 1953 and retains all the classic '52 Tele features. The one-piece maple neck, aged "butterscotch" blonde-finished ash body, lacquered black fiber pickguard, brass bridge saddles, and of course the original black-bobbin hand wound pickups with a sound for the ages are all present and accounted for
This guitar carries the serial number 3766 stamped into the bridgeplate, with a neck date of 7-21-53 in pencil on the heell. The body carries a date mark of 07-19-53 in the neck pocket, with "Tadeo" (for Fender craftsman Tadeo Gomez) written above it. The masking tape note in the control cavity indicates the guitar was wired up by Mary on July 21st of '53; these dates are more closely grouped than many early Fenders. Perhaps Fender sales had a run of orders in summer '53 the factory was pushing to complete! One of the pot date codes is clearly legible reading 140-233 designating the 33rd week of 1952; the other appears to match but is partially soldered over.
This guitar has been played but not abused since it was shipped out in mid/late 1953. All parts remain original; the only alteration is the original early-style electronics rig has been re-wired to the "modern" Telecaster switching scheme and the bass-heavy "mud cap" removed. As originally set up there is a "deep bass" capacitor on the neck pickup in switch position # 1. Now the neck and bridge pickups can be combined in the middle position, which the original scheme did not allow. The very comfortable neck has a nice "C" profile, round-backed but with less of a rounded "throat" in the lower positions than some '53s we have had. The screws are pretty much all Phillips-head as is customary for 1953; the bridge has its brass saddles notched under the outside ends to make lower action setting easier, another 1953 refinement.
For many, this is one of the two classic Telecaster years, with the same look and feel of the earliest Fender Broadcaster and "No-Caster" guitars from 1950-51, but more consistent production standards. Before the introduction of the Stratocaster in 1954, the Tele and Precision Bass were the company's most innovative products, already causing a revolution in playing styles and shaking up the guitar world in a big way. The Telecaster was totally unique in look, feel, and sound, and became instantly popular, particularly with country players. In the years since, many players and collectors have come to consider the 1950-54 Telecaster the finest electric guitar ever made -- and one of the most historically important as well.
In his authoritative and beautiful book "The Blackguard", author Nacho Banos calls '53 "The year Fender got it nailed...Collectors and players alike consider 1953 a cornerstone year for the Blackguard. Some of the most legendary artists associated with Telecasters have used guitars manufactured during this pivotal year. Red Volkaert, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton, early James Burton, Keith Richards, Albert Lee, Arlen Roth and Countless others". Early Fender Telecasters of this period are universally considered as one of the most collectible and historic of all electric guitars, and this is a lovely original example.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 12 5/8 in. (32.1 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.)., 7.53 lbs.
Overall this is a very nice example of a "summer '53 Blackguard" showing some typical wear and tear but no notable alteration except the re-wiring to modern (post-1967) spec, which is also very common. The internal components all appear original, the "mud cap" itself has been removed and a few solder joints redone. Most players prefer this more convenient sonic layout, and although we blanch at altering these guitars today once it has been done the instrument is rarely requested to be changed back!
The thin lacquer body finish has ambered and checked somewhat and shows typical dings, dents, and worn spots, especially to the edges as usual, but no large areas of loss except one belt buckle spot on the center/lower back. There are a couple of fairly small case lid dings on the upper top in the common spot. An area of the upper back has some light flaking, and near the endpin something small is stuck to the finish, we are not sure what.
The finish on the back of the neck is smoothly worn down to the wood over much of its length on the treble side, with a few scattered dings and dents. The fingerboard has wear spots through the finish lightly into the wood in the lower positions, with wear spots just in the finish running higher up the board. There does not appear to have been any overspray done to the back of the neck; there may have been a light overfinish of the worn area of the fingerboard long ago but if so most of it has been subsequently worn away. The guitar retains the original small frets which show some wear but are still quite playable. The bone nut is newer.
All hardware on the instrument is original, except for one of the (hidden) screws securing the neck pickup. The pickguard has some wear through the lacquer in the typical area below the strings (and a small spot above them) from play but is not worn into the surface below. The bridge saddles and have some typical corrosion and discoloration but nothing is rusted hard and all adjustment screws are functional. The original "ashtray" bridge cover is present, with a previous owners' ID information etched into the underside; he also added two discreet initials to the upper area of the bridge plate itself.
Other than the wiring change and nut this instrument remains pretty much as it left Fullerton in summer or early fall 1953, with less wear from years of hard gigging behind it than many of these now show and none of the drastic modifications that befell way too many. Wherever it has been, this is a truly fantastic-sounding guitar, with a powerful bridge pickup that really rips or twangs sweetly as required and a nice blended "middle" position. The guitar is still housed in the original shaped, flat-bottom hard case, a major rarity in itself that has some wear to the lower edges but is still solid. This is the nicest '53 Tele we have had in a while, a splendid twang machine and serious piece of Fender -- and guitar -- history. Excellent - Condition.
