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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:25 pm
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I just put a black single ply pick guard on my 68 telecaster bass......it looks mint. Put the white one away in it's origional case. I also purchased a new fender tweed case for it....she's a beauty.


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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:25 pm
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I just put a black single ply pick guard on my 68 telecaster bass......it looks mint. Put the white one away in it's origional case. I also purchased a new fender tweed case for it....she's a beauty.


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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:33 pm
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I have a question for anyone who wants to answer.....

I ordered an Olympic White 1957 re issue P Bass (through a fender dealer), when it arrived I opened the box/case and it was vintage white....which they don't offer in that color basically Fender made an error so obviously I kept it (for the same price) because it looks a lot better than Olympic White. My question is what's the worth and would it be considered as custom shop?


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Post subject: Re: 68 Telecaster Bass
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:45 pm
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bkeller850 wrote:
I'm restoring a 68 Telecaster bass and am trying to find out the composition of the original pickguards for these guitars. One photo I saw showed a one piece solid white. Another one I saw on eBay was 3 ply, white/black/white. The seller claimed it was original.

Anybody out there know for sure?


I have an all original 1972-73 Telecaster bass (according to the s/n as per this Fender site). The body is cream colored (turning yellow with age). The pickguard is 3-ply ivory/black/ivory. It appears to be plastic, but I don't know how to identify celuloid or whatever. The pickguard still looks pretty intact and doesn't have any cracks or anything liket that. It may even have been white when new, but it's a nice ivory color now. I'm almost 100% sure it's the original pickguard. Only thing this is a 1972-73 model not a '68 so I don't know if there was a change between yours and mine.

Hope this helps.

old shooting star


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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:50 pm
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desertwriter wrote:
The original tele bass pickguard was a single-ply made of nitro and often crumbled to pieces over the years. I hear that these were also thicker than the knock offs being made by WDparts, etc. I just had one made by these people and it fits improperly and the screw holes do not match up.

I have an April 1968 tele bass. Does anyone have an original that can be accurately traced that I can pay for same so I can submit for accurate copy? Many thanks.


As per another just posted, I have a '72-73 model with the original pickguard. I would be glad to trace it for you if it's the right one. It's 3-ply with 15 screw holes. If you think this is the right one, let me know. I'll take it off, trace it, and even measure the thickness. I'll also post a picture of the bass tomorrow if I can figure out how to do it.

old shooting star


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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:01 am
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BCbassman wrote:
Sorry everybody, but you are wrong on the single ply pickguard. The 68- 72 Telecaster basses with single coil pickups, had 3ply laminated pickguards but they were cut with no bevels on the edges, so when you look at most straight-on photos of these basses, they appear to be single- ply.

The edges on these basses' pickguards were also left rough.

I know. I own a 1969 Telecaster bass.

Bassman Bill


Maybe not exactly as you say for all of them. Mine is a 72-73. Everything on it is original The pick guard is indeed 3-ply like you say, Bill, but it IS bevelled indeed and kinda rough on the edges also.

old shooting star


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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:16 am
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BCbassman wrote:
docfowler wrote:
Actually, they used both...check out "The Fender Bass:an Illustrated History" by Black & Molinaro Hal & leonard pub. for more details.


.......................Trust me they came with 3 ply guards and they were a straight cut out with no bevel and they were Mother of toilet seat on the back side. The finger rests interacted with the PG plastic and they left a back mark on the pick guard when removed. That's how to tell if your pickguard is original.
I also own a 1973 Tele bass with the large chrome humbucker. It has a beveled pickguard that is made of different plastic that turns mint green.

BCbassman


After reading this post, I just took off my finger rest and sho 'nuff, there are black lines around the edge on the pick guard. Holy smokes did it ever change color! It was definatley white once, but is now an ivory color, not so much mint green. Also, mine has the big chrome pickup with Fender engraved on it. The pole pieces are staggered like on a P Bass, but there is only one screw pole piece per string. Is this a humbucker, or a single coil all encased in one cover?

Old Shooting Star (from Canada)


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Post subject: More on my '72 Telecaster Bass from Old Shooting Star
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:38 am
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Sorry guys, I should have read ALL the posts on the pick guard issue before replying but anyhow,

Bill you got my curiousity up so I just now took the pick guard off my bass. I discoverd some interesting information:

-The neck is stamped "23 APR 72 B". The serial number, stamped on the neck plate is 352326 which dates it 1972 to 1973 according to the reference on this Fender web site. The neck stamp seems to indicate it was put together in 1972.

- The neck plate has the fender "F" logo engraved on it. It is a 3-screw "triangular plate" and it has a micro-tilt screw for neck pitch adjustment.

- The finger rest is black hard brittle plastic and is just a hollow shell, not a solid block.

-The pick guard is 3-ply with a roughly bevelled edge, but some parts are more bevelled than others. It looks to me like it was done by hand with some kind of router or whatever. It was white once and now is just like aged ivory in color. I discovered this when I removed the finger rest.

- The lowest layer is still "toilet seat" white like Bill says. I can't tell you what the upper side of the lower layer is like, but I'm not about to even try to pry the layers apart. On the underside is large handwriting in red felt pen. There is a numeral "8" and directly underneath it are the letters "R V". There is also a small stamp in dark ink with letters about 1/8" high that reads "JUL 11 ??" I can't make out the last two characters since they are faded too much. They could be a P and an M or they could be a something else and a "4". The middle layer is black.

- The pickguard has cracked right across the thin area between the end of the neck and the top of the pickup.

- The body finish under the pickguard is the original cream color and is way lighter than the rest of the exposed body. The main body is a deep creamy yellow now. I know that most of this darkening has occurred well before I got the guitar in 1990 because it's been in it's case almost all the time since then and I haven't played it that much at all since about 1993. I think it must have been in a lot of smokey bars in it's early days.

OTHER INFO:

- The tone and volume knobs are knurled steel.
- The bridge is the original telecaster style (two strings per saddle with slotted height adjustment screws.
- It has a chrome bridge cover but I took it off and left it in the case when I bought it.
- The tuners have open gears and each one's mounting plate has 4 screws and the "Fender" logo on them. The keys are the large "shamrock-shaped" ones.
- The neck is all maple with black position dots. The logo decal on the headstock reads "Fender Telecaster Bass PAT. 2,968,204"
- The truss rod nut is chrome bullet shaped.

I am the third owner. I bought it from a fellow band member in 1990 for $75.00!! He had it for about 10 years before he sold it to me.

I'm positive everything on it is original.

Just posting all this for interest sake and to maybe assist anyone else trying to date their Telecaster Basses.

Old Shooting Star in Canada


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:23 am
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I guess I stand corrected on the first Tele basses and the single ply pickguards. I do remember some early owners of Telecaster basses having trouble with the plastic pickguards disintegrating and in the process of disintergrating , the plastic used in the pickguard emitted a gas that corroded the metal parts of the bass.

Because of this problem the single ply was replaced by the triple ply plastic pickguard.

The first Tele basses had a larger headstock decal too

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Post subject: Tele bass timeline
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:49 am
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1968- Telecaster bass first appears with single coil pickup with white string around it. Single ply pickguards on first versions and large TV headstock decals saying Fender Telecaster Bass in script.
These single coil basses have pickup and bridge covers like the 52- 57 Precisions and they are arguably the first Fender Reissue bass.

1968- 69- Tele bass reverts to small decal on headstock. Triple ply pickguards that are not beveled.

1969- Telecaster bass in Pink Paisley and Blue Flower Power finishes introduced along with matching Telecaster guitars.

Mid 1972- Telecaster bass is changed to a single Humbucking pickup with four offset pole pieces.(designed by Seth Lover who did the Gibson humbucking pickups)

This new Telebass also has a bullet truss rod, a three bolt neck and a new shape for a pickguard that eliminated the chrome control plate and the chrome pickup cover since the bass humbucker is now chrome.
The new pickguard is thre-ply beveled and it still has a finger rest or tug bar as Leo called it.
This version of the Telecaster bass lasts until 1979 or 1980 when it is finally dropped from the catalog.

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Post subject: Re: Tele bass timeline
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:32 pm
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BCbassman wrote:
Mid 1972- Telecaster bass is changed to a single Humbucking pickup with four offset pole pieces.(designed by Seth Lover who did the Gibson humbucking pickups)

This new Telebass also has a bullet truss rod, a three bolt neck and a new shape for a pickguard that eliminated the chrome control plate and the chrome pickup cover since the bass humbucker is now chrome.
The new pickguard is thre-ply beveled and it still has a finger rest or tug bar as Leo called it.
This version of the Telecaster bass lasts until 1979 or 1980 when it is finally dropped from the catalog.


Bill,
This mid 1972 version fits mine to a tee! Thanks for all your research into this. Much appreciated.

Old Shooting Star

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:17 am
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Let's play a game... who ever has the best looking bass, give it to me!!! lol jk unless you guy are up for it?

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:02 pm
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Hi. I had a 68.One of the first 50 neck date june28,68. I found it in a want add for 175 in 1990.The guy wanted his money that he paid for it in 1973, not knowing what he had!I sold it in 95 with bad frets for 800,I wish i still had it. Thank's Rarebird


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Post subject: Re: 68 Telecaster Bass
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:44 pm
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bkeller850 wrote:
I'm restoring a 68 Telecaster bass and am trying to find out the composition of the original pickguards for these guitars. One photo I saw showed a one piece solid white. Another one I saw on eBay was 3 ply, white/black/white. The seller claimed it was original.

Anybody out there know for sure?


Fender used a three ply pick guard in 68 so its been Fener-stiened as in Frankenstien. Its an after market pickguard ... I have a 68 orginal Telecaser Bass so I can speak from first hand knowlege and I am also a Luiter ... But if it plays great get a three ply one .... Check out Telecaster Bass 1st Version on pg.14 by Klaus Blasquiz @ Borders Books for Pic's ...

Best regards,

Tom Barry Bass [list=][/list]


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:53 pm
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jj homie wrote:
I have a question for anyone who wants to answer.....

I ordered an Olympic White 1957 re issue P Bass (through a fender dealer), when it arrived I opened the box/case and it was vintage white....which they don't offer in that color basically Fender made an error so obviously I kept it (for the same price) because it looks a lot better than Olympic White. My question is what's the worth and would it be considered as custom shop?


No its not a custom shop bass all 1957 reissue P-Basses look like that !!!
Yes I agree it looks more vintage and sounds wonderful I bet, must be a bute, so enjoy and wear that fret board down, its worth more to you if you play it and like it better ....

Respectfully yours,

Tom Barry Bass


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