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Post subject: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:50 pm
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I just received a beautiful blonde which I purchased last week and I'm needing help verifying it's age! I am new to this, so please forgive me if my questions are a bit ignorant and my thus far "research" proves false.
From what I have read so far, the serial number for a fender telecaster was printed on the bridge plate from 1952 to 1954, correct?
Gradual use of phillips head screws replaces slot head screws, change being complete in 1953, right?

So if I have a serial # reading 1284, stamped on the bridgeplate, and all screws are slot head, is it safe to assume my guitar is dated somewhere between 1952 and 1953???

Thank you very much in advance for any help. Again, I am very new to all of this and need some experienced opinions. Therefore, if this turns out not to be all that I think it is, I can quit obsessing and resume my daily activities!! lol :D

Here are a few pics:

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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:23 pm
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How much did you pay for this guitar and who did you buy it from? The wear on the fretboard and body looks faked. The bridge pickup looks new, and the bridge saddle screws do not look correct. The nut looks almost new. To be honest, based on the photos you have, this looks like a modern guitar that has been "reliced". In other words, it does not look like an authentic 50's guitar.

Here is a real 1954 Telecaster:

http://elderly.com/vintage/names/fender ... -16962.htm

If you did not pay a similar amount of money for yours, it is not an authentic Blackguard Telecaster. If you want to learn more about Blackguard Telecasters, buy this book:

http://www.theblackguardbook.com/

Also, take a look at this site by the author of the Blackguard Book:

http://www.telecasterplanet.com/default.html

In order to verify the authenticity of your guitar you must disassemble the guitar and take photographs of the neck heel, the neck pocket, underneath the pickguard, under the control plate, etc, and look for date codes on the pots and switches, handwritten dates on the neck heel and pocket and other markings that could be used to date the guitar. The Blackguard book will show you what to look for.

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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:20 pm
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Edeanne,

It looks to me like you've got a Roadworn Tele made in Mexico that somebody has added a few things to to fool you. Here's what I see...

I've got my Roadworn '50's Telecaster in front of me, and the wear along the bottom of the guitar is exact - specifically the triagular shaped divots along the bottom of the guitar and the wear patterns and divot at about the 7 0'clock position on the body. Also the divot on the top left of the body at about the 1030 position. These are machined in at the factory in Mexico, so every Roadworn will have the exact look. Yours has a few more wear marks, which are easy to add.

The Roadworn comes w/ a white pickguard and Phillips head screws, but they are easy to change. In fact, mine looks like yours. I purchased a "reliced" black pickguard and reliced machine screws off eBay to give mine an older look.

Your neck has the exact wear pattern as mine as well. Exactly. Again - done at the factory - they are the same on every Roadworn.

Your bridge has been replaced along with the saddles. That's another common change on the Roadworns.

I imagine the serial number on the back of the headstock has been removed?

So - hopefully you didn't pay more than about 600-700 dollars tops for your Tele.

If you Google "Fender Roadworn Telecaster Pictures", you'll see pictures.

Look here:
http://www.zimbio.com/Guitars/articles/ ... R+ELECTRIC

and here, specifically to compare yours to these:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... Bg&dur=133

Good luck, I hope you didn't get ripped off.

RickyD

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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:21 pm
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RickyD, I think you've nailed it. That guitar looked like it was a manufactured relic. I just did not know that the Roadworns were available in Butterscotch Blond. I also hope the OP wasn' ripped off by a phony 50's Tele. Nice guitar in any case.

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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:58 pm
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I've NEVER seen "natural" neck wear like that before. Was it never played between the 9th and 12th frets? The 12th fret dots are period correct. Does the Roadworn series have the narrow 12th fret dots?

So, has the check cleared, how much did you shell out? Come on, fess up. We got to know. :?: :)


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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 5:37 pm
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idacaster wrote:
I've NEVER seen "natural" neck wear like that before. Was it never played between the 9th and 12th frets? The 12th fret dots are period correct. Does the Roadworn series have the narrow 12th fret dots?

So, has the check cleared, how much did you shell out? Come on, fess up. We got to know. :?: :)


They're $900 on E-Bay.

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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 5:43 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
idacaster wrote:
I've NEVER seen "natural" neck wear like that before. Was it never played between the 9th and 12th frets? The 12th fret dots are period correct. Does the Roadworn series have the narrow 12th fret dots?

So, has the check cleared, how much did you shell out? Come on, fess up. We got to know. :?: :)


They're $900 on E-Bay.


OUCH!!!!


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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 7:52 pm
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Dude you've got a "Road Worn Series" MIM Telecaster there. Still a nice guitar but it is NOT from anywhere near the 1950's. I hope you didn't buy it thinking that it was from 52 - 54.

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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:40 pm
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Edeanne wrote:
I can quit obsessing and resume my daily activities!! lol :D


Yes, you can do that now!! :lol:


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Post subject: Re: 1952-1954 Tele Help Please!!
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:47 pm
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MickJagger wrote:
Edeanne wrote:
I can quit obsessing and resume my daily activities!! lol :D


Yes, you can do that now!! :lol:


You win the prize for the best post in this thread. :lol: :lol:

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