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Post subject: Help identifying a Telecaster Plus as a Deluxe!
Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 8:26 am
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Hey guys, I run a small online shop and I have a Telecaster on consignment. I don't normally do electrics so I'm a bit out of my element.

The owner claims it's a Telecaster Plus Deluxe, but I've had a couple of people tell me that the lack of a trem makes it a normal Plus version. However, it does have locking tuners and a roller nut, which apparently only came on the Deluxe version. It's a 1993 according to the serial. Anyone know what's going on? How could it have locking tuners and a roller nut but not the trem?

Here are some pics:

http://www.boutiqueguitarshop.com/htmlpics/463


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Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 9:03 am
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Ask Xhefri. He's an expert with the American Plus/Japanese Deluxe Fenders and a huge fan of Lace Sensors.

I'm sure he'll help you to identify your guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Help identifying a Telecaster Plus as a Deluxe!
Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 3:54 pm
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stream41 wrote:
Hey guys, I run a small online shop and I have a Telecaster on consignment. I don't normally do electrics so I'm a bit out of my element.

The owner claims it's a Telecaster Plus Deluxe, but I've had a couple of people tell me that the lack of a trem makes it a normal Plus version. However, it does have locking tuners and a roller nut, which apparently only came on the Deluxe version. It's a 1993 according to the serial. Anyone know what's going on? How could it have locking tuners and a roller nut but not the trem?

Here are some pics:

http://www.boutiqueguitarshop.com/htmlpics/463


Hi there! I had seen this guitar you have on sale as well and it had raised red flags with me. I had debated with myself on letting you know that it is NOT a deluxe.

In my opinion, it is a modified "std" Tele Plus. The reasons for this opinion are as follows:

1. It doesn't have and never has had a Strat Tremelo. That was the defining feature of the deluxe.

2. The swtichplate has been reveresed, so someone has been modifying the guitar at least in part.

3. The roller nut is not the type installed on the Tele Deluxe Pluses. This indicates to me that the guitar has again been modified. Here's a photo of my deluxe to show the difference:
Image

4. The locking tuners may also have been installed later.

5. The pickguard also appears to be aftermarket.

So my conclusion is that it is a standard Tele Plus that has been very nicely and carefully modified, but not a Deluxe.

What this does to the selling price is anyone's guess, but I think as a collectable guitar, it's not one of those because it's modified. It's rare because is is probably a "one off" now, but not really rare because it's just another modified tele.

I think the price you have on it is fair, so you may sell it for that. But you do need to remove the Deluxe from the description because that is incorrect and potentially misleading in my view.


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Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 4:38 pm
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Thanks for the advice. When I consulted with the owner, he said that the trem was an "option" for the Deluxes, and that this one was ordered without it. Is that possible? He was adamant that the guitar had never been altered.

He also said that he consulted with a Tele expert and they confirmed it's a legit Deluxe. But, you guys are offering some pretty concrete evidence as well, so I'm not sure what to do. He is considering pulling it off the market, so it may be a moot point.

In any case, thanks for the advice!


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Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 4:56 pm
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stream41 wrote:
Thanks for the advice. When I consulted with the owner, he said that the trem was an "option" for the Deluxes, and that this one was ordered without it. Is that possible? He was adamant that the guitar had never been altered.

He also said that he consulted with a Tele expert and they confirmed it's a legit Deluxe. But, you guys are offering some pretty concrete evidence as well, so I'm not sure what to do. He is considering pulling it off the market, so it may be a moot point.

In any case, thanks for the advice!


Whether it's a Deluxe or not is almost irrelevant to be honest. The defining feature of the Deluxe IS the Strat Tremelo - without it, who cares? :roll:

Also, it's still a modified guitar, even if the tuners and nut are original, (The nut in particular probably isn't original IMHO) because the switchplate is reversed and has a incorrect switch tip, as well as the "modified" pickguard.

If you owner didn't buy it new himself (which I suspect, because otherwise he'd have all the case candy and stuff to prove it was a deluxe), he's probably annoyed that someone sold it to him as a Deluxe and he thought he had something special.

I'd just give him the facts - that ultimately it is not a rare guitar, not is it collectable, due to the modifications in any case.

I am not a "Tele Expert", but I have been collecting Teles for a several years now and over that time have been exposed to almost all variations in design of Fender Teles. I could be wrong here as well, but unless there is documentation from the original sale indicating it's a Deluxe, I will remain skeptical. :wink:


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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:55 pm
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Which ones had a tremelo on it?

I haven't seen very many Teles with Tremelos and I thought mine was a Deluxe. Oops. Gues I'm wrong on that one!

John


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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 2:30 am
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racejell wrote:
Which ones had a tremelo on it?

I haven't seen very many Teles with Tremelos and I thought mine was a Deluxe. Oops. Gues I'm wrong on that one!

John


<mid '93 had Wilkinson nut, locking tuners and Deluxe Trem (Telecaster Plus Deluxe)

Telecaster Plus had hardtail strat bridge.

You could be right.


The above mentioned tele has an aftermarket LSR nut, aftermarket pearl-button tuners (a-la Gatton or Donaghue)

Regardless, it is a '93 plus and it is a sought after guitar noinetheless. Id buy it if I had the cash :D

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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 1:39 pm
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Definitely a Plus NOT a Plus Dekuxe, LSR nuts were a later Fender innovation and the tuners look like Schallers, but they never had pearl buttons, good guitar with sensible mods, but should be treated as a Plus only (better IMHO)

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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 7:20 pm
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If I'm remembering correctly the LSR nut replaced the Wilkinson toward the end of 1993. The one the OP posted does have a 1993 serial number decal.

When did Fender officially discontinue the Tele Plus Deluxe? Is it possible they had some necks with the locking tuners and LSR nuts in their inventory and decided to use them on regular Tele Pluses to use them up?

The other thing to consider is possibly the guitar in question started life as a Tele Plus but has a replacement body, pickuguard and bridge? Note that the bridge does not have anodized saddles with offset intonation adjustment screws (even if the original bridge had replacement saddles they should still have offset adjustment screws).


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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 2:21 am
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Oops, didn't look at the bridge. I got out my '92 Tele Plus for a direct comparison, and this one looks more and more like a wrong 'un.
Probably a Tele Plus body, very wrong bridge but pickup surround - hard to find - looks right. Neck could be any '93 Tele, tuners are wrong, string tree is wrong and LSR shouldn't be there. Probably a great project guitar but too many wrong elements to be sold on as a proper Tele Plus, definitely NOT a Deluxe. IMHO of course.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:08 am
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John C wrote:
When did Fender officially discontinue the Tele Plus Deluxe?


The Tele Plus and its Deluxe version had been officially taken out of production with the advent of the American Deluxe series in 1998.


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:28 am
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chromeface wrote:
John C wrote:
When did Fender officially discontinue the Tele Plus Deluxe?


The Tele Plus and its Deluxe version had been officially taken out of production with the advent of the American Deluxe series in 1998.


No, actually the Tele Plus Deluxe was gone before that - sometime between 1993 and 1995. The Deluxe (i.e. trem version) was gone before the Tele Plus was updated in 1996.

The Tele Plus 1996 update completely changed the guitar- it went from that S/H configuration with hot Lace pickups (single blue label neck Lace/dual red or red/blue bridge Lace) to a "Nashville" Tele configuration of a chrome-covered Tele-sized neck Lace, a chrome covered Strat-sized middle Lace, and a black-covered Tele-sized bridge Lace. All were "gold" label Laces. The bridge also changed to the American Standard Tele bridge with the long plate. The guitar had binding and the back bevel, and it had a mini-toggle on the control plate (between the two knobs) to add the neck and bridge pickups together in positions 1 and 5 of the 5-way switch.

This configuration carried over to the American Deluxe Tele when it replaced the Tele Plus in 1998 - with of course all the updates to the neck, body wood, and the Vintage Noiseless pickups. The middle pickup was dropped from the American Deluxe Tele and it reverted back to standard 3-way switching in mid-1999.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:21 am
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Hi Folks,
Was wandering the forum and thought that I'd look this one up.
According to the Serial number this Tele traces back as a 0108500721
TELE PLUS RW NAT W/C

Specs for that were:

Model Name: Tele® Plus
Model Number: 010-8500 and 010-8502
Series: U.S. Plus/Deluxe Series
Body: Poplar with Ash Top and Back
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood #010-8500 and Maple #010-8502
No. of Frets: 22
Scale Length: 25.5" (648mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.650" (42mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender standard
Bridge: American Standard Tele
Pickguard: 3-Ply White
Pickups: 1 Blue Fender LaceTM Sensor (Neck), 1 Red Dually Fender Lace Sensor (Bridge)
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade Switch with 3 Position Mini-Toggle Bridge Selector
Controls: Master Volume, Master TBX Tone
Colors: (721) Natural,
(737) Antique Burst,
(759) Ebony Frost,
(761) Crimson Frost,
(762) Blue Frost,
(778) Firestorm Red

Later:
(807) Vintage Blonde,
(819) Mystic Black,
(828) Crimson Burst,
(836) Blue Burst,
(837) Antique Burst
Strings:
Unique Features:
Source: U.S.
Accessories: Case, Strap, Cable
U.S. MSRP: $999.99
NOTICE: Prices and Specifications Subject to Change Without Notice
INTRODUCED: 1990
DISCONTINUED: 1996
*****
There was a newer model introduced in 95 through 98 w/3 Gold lace sensors...still std nut.
The Deluxe Tele Plus (1991-1992) had the following specs-
**********
Model Name: Deluxe Tele® Plus
Model Number: 010-9000 and 010-9002
Series: U.S. Plus/Deluxe Series
Body: Poplar with Ash Top and Back
Neck: Maple With Wilkinson Roller Nut
Fingerboard: Rosewood #010-9000 and Maple #010-9002
No. of Frets: 22
Scale Length: 25.5" (648mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.650" (42mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender Deluxe Locking Machines
Bridge: Deluxe Tremolo System
Pickguard: 3-Ply White
Pickups: 1 Blue Fender LaceTM Sensor (Neck), 1 Red Dually Fender Lace Sensor (Bridge)
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade Switch with 3 Position Mini-Toggle Bridge Selector
Controls: Master Volume, Master TBX Tone
Colors: (721) Natural,
(737) Antique Burst,
(759) Ebony Frost,
(761) Crimson Frost,
(762) Blue Frost,
(778) Firestorm Red
Strings:
Unique Features:
Source: U.S.
Accessories: Case, Strap, Cable
U.S. MSRP: $1,099.99
NOTICE: Prices and Specifications Subject to Change Without Notice
INTRODUCED: 1991
DISCONTINUED: 1992

Sorry the specs are a long read LOL!
Hope that helps a bit!
All the best to all,
rob


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Post subject: Re: Help identifying a Telecaster Plus as a Deluxe!
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:52 am
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I have a Plus Deluxe in 'ebony frost'. It has the locking machines, roller nut and tremelo. Bought in 92. I made a stainless steel scratchplate back when I was a sheetmetal worker which really adds to the body colour scheme. The metalwork (not scratchplate) has tarnished a little mainly around the bridge and control plate but otherwise not in bad nick for its age. I had no idea these guitars had become rarities until reading this and other threads recently. Thanks for the hedsup.

ImageImage


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