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Post subject: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:58 pm
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Ok....re: early 1950's Telecaster, esquire, no-caster, ashtray covers ....I heard have a solder drop on the inside of them. I was told this is because when getting treated, a grounding wire was attatched.... hence the left over solder drop. Does anyone know of this....when/what years it ended, years start to finish, and do all of these early covers have em? Pictures would help as well. Silly question for some, but Fender buffs love this stuff. Thanks for the input!


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 4:42 pm
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curtisjamesmusic wrote:
Ok....re: early 1950's Telecaster, esquire, no-caster, ashtray covers ....I heard have a solder drop on the inside of them. I was told this is because when getting treated, a grounding wire was attatched.... hence the left over solder drop. Does anyone know of this....when/what years it ended, years start to finish, and do all of these early covers have em? Pictures would help as well. Silly question for some, but Fender buffs love this stuff. Thanks for the input!


Ok....That presents as more, "Infallible Web Dogma" and is a new one on me! :lol:

First, it makes no sense to do such a thing during the plating process (if this is what you mean by, "getting treated"). Moreover, I used to own a '54 Esquire and I can assure you, the underneath of the bridge cover had no such solder drop. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:21 pm
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Well I was presented this question and started fishing around...google....whatever, and came across someone selling there 54 and mentioning this "detail" in their description. "Bridge cover with solder drop" it was the first ive ever heard of this........ Obviously you as well. Thanks 4 ur response


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:28 pm
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curtisjamesmusic wrote:
Well I was presented this question and started fishing around...google....whatever, and came across someone selling there 54 and mentioning this "detail" in their description. "Bridge cover with solder drop" it was the first ive ever heard of this........ Obviously you as well. Thanks 4 ur response


Evidently, the solder drop was an "upgrade".

Glad to clear this up!

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:15 pm
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neither of mine have said drop.

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 12:35 pm
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I had a '50 Nocaster. The ashtray had a drop of solder with a little piece of wire coming out of it. I was told from a reputable vintage guitar dealer that there was a wire that held the cover (ashtray) attached to the guitar so it wouldn't get lost or separated from the guitar. Everyone cut these off of course, because the ashtrays were unpopular.


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 3:56 pm
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No mention of anything like this in "The Blackguard" by Nacho Banos. Given the amount of research he did in writing the book and the number of photos in the book, something like this would surely have been mentioned.

http://www.theblackguardbook.com/

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:36 am
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hot2tube wrote:
I had a '50 Nocaster. The ashtray had a drop of solder with a little piece of wire coming out of it. I was told from a reputable vintage guitar dealer that there was a wire that held the cover (ashtray) attached to the guitar so it wouldn't get lost or separated from the guitar. Everyone cut these off of course, because the ashtrays were unpopular.

Craziest thing I've heard yet. Just imagine a nice heavy chunk of loose metal (with some nice pointy edges) hanging off your guitar while you're performing on some stage... wham, thunk... instant relic. I think said reputable vintage guitar dealer been smokin' something. :shock:

If there was a little piece of wire on your ash tray it might have resulted from early plating, dipping methods, but so you wouldn't lose it while you are playing.......? :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:16 am
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According to Duchossoir's The Fender Telecaster. "The early 50s units display a distinctive solder drop (or at least its mark) on the inner face. This detail comes from the fact that in the old days a wire was soldered to the cover as a contact for electro-plating. Later bridge covers were snapped on racks with spring clips for plating, which explains why they do not have a solder drop on the inner face."


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bridge/Ashtray Cover Solder drop..Anyone?
Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 9:08 pm
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I have a 1952 Telecaster that does certainly have the solder spot on the inside of the ashtray. To the poster that said he had a 1950 Nocaster, the Nocaster was only made for about 3 months in 1951 when Fender started clipping the "Broadcaster" name off of the decal, so I doubt you had a 1950.


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