Fender Telecaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1969), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 266182, blonde finish, ash body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is a fine playing Fender rosewood fingerboard Telecaster from 1969, with features particular to that specific early-CBS era. The maple neck carries an early "green code" stamp dating it to November 1969. The original 1950's style one piece neck had at this point just recently been re-introduced after being discontinued in 1959; now if rosewood fingerboards were ordered the wood was laid over neck blanks already slotted for the "skunk stripe" on the back and a plug at the headstock. This is a peculiarity just begun around this time that lasted well into the '70s.
The Fender headstock logo is in the newer large-letter style which had been introduced in 1967, for better visibility on TV according to CBS theory. The tuners are the Fender "F" logo style that replaced the earlier Klusons in 1967, and the pickguard is 3-ply white plastic with a pearloid underside, which allowed the same stock to be used for Mustang guards. The original 1 Meg pots date to 34th week of 1966, when a huge quantity were bought in by the CBS purchasing department, supplies of which lasted into the 1970s. The Telecaster was switched to these by 1968, likely to use up a large stock of them bought for Jaguars and Jazzmasters that would never be built! This does have the effect of brightening the output, and helping create the famously bright, snappy Tele tones of the era.
The neck and body are finished in the transitional style typical of 1968-9; the coating is a bit heavier than the mid-60s lacquer but not the more plasticky "Thick skin" finish adopted in the early 1970's. The body has lost the "cigarette rout" under the pickguard between the pickups and is finished in blonde with some ash grain still visible; it has yellowed a bit over 55 years. At 7.56 lbs. this guitar is lighter than many late 1960's examples and handles very well. Even slipping into that "true-CBS" Fender period it has the classic period Tele sound and character in spades.
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.)., 7.56 lbs.
This Tele is nicely preserved overall in excellent playing condition; the rosewood fingerboard has been expertly refretted with period style wire. The original finish on the back has not been disturbed, remaining very clean with only a few tiny dings and dents. The body finish shows more chips, dings and scratches, especially along the edges as is typical with slab-sided Telecasters but is not heavily worn.
All hardware including the pickups and wiring, pickguard, bridge unit, tuners, pots and switch and strap buttons remain original; there are a couple of shrinkage pulls at the pickguard screws and one split at an upper corner. The snap-on bridge cover is long gone.
Overall this is a very nice period Telecaster, housed in a the original black Tolex HSC with some extra studs along the end. It is lighter than many from the period, with a lovely bright but full sound, a bit less spiky and shrill than many 1969-70 examples. Overall Excellent - Condition.
