It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:13 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:41 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:08 am
Posts: 4
Hi guys, I hope someone can help: I'm being offered a California series Tele. It looks great: the strat pickup is right, the neck looks ok, the bridge has the Fender stamp; but it has binding on the body like a USA deluxe. I can't find any pictures of a California Tele with this body binding - did they make any or could this be a frankencaster/fake?

Thanks


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:16 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:18 am
Posts: 99
Hey I don't know much about certain series of Telecasters as I only own one atm, and it's a Jim Root Tele but think I may pick up a different one, after readind you're post I went searching for one, I found this link of a 1997 Sunburst Fender California Telecaster up for sale,
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/fende ... /104674719

Maybe there was certain years or a limited run with binding?

_________________
The only thing that will never let me down? My Guitar ofcourse.
Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:04 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:08 am
Posts: 4
That's the exact one I'm considering buying...so you've not been able to find any other examples either!

I think it's dodgy.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:35 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:34 pm
Posts: 10760
Location: Athens, Greece
Pics, please! :|


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:39 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:34 pm
Posts: 10760
Location: Athens, Greece
Image

Beautiful Tele :)


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:57 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:18 am
Posts: 99
I'm afraid I can't find any other examples of a California Series Tele with body binding. :? If this is a fake I'd say it was done well as the headstock has the right logo, and has the "California Series" logo where other examples say it, maybe you should contact the seller and ask him about the binding issue, it could have been added later or it could be a USA Deluxe body that's had the neck pup changed to a Strat single coil. Sorry I can't give more information but now it feels a tad dodgy to me and I don't have huge knowledge on Telecasters, but now I've got the Tele Fever I soon will as I'm craving a new Telecaster. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. :(

_________________
The only thing that will never let me down? My Guitar ofcourse.
Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:41 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:57 am
Posts: 40
Location: Oklahoma
California Series Tele's didn't have binding on the body.

Chances are that's a MIJ '62 Reissue body with a California Series neck.

The easiest way to confirm is to remove the neck and look for markings on the neck pocket. The MIJ guitars normally have a stamp on the neck pocket to indicate what model the guitar was originally.

There should be a stamp in the pocket showing something like "TL-62" or the like. Check out the following link and you might be able to find out...

http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/index.html


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:45 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:29 am
Posts: 937
RicOkc wrote:
California Series Tele's didn't have binding on the body.

Chances are that's a MIJ '62 Reissue body with a California Series neck.



nah i dont thnk so. that guitar body is too figured to be a normal '62 custom body. also, the '62 custom body is double bound. i have a MIJ '62 custom.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 2:52 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:57 am
Posts: 40
Location: Oklahoma
The California Series Tele is called a "Fat Tele", humbucker in the neck position, not a single Strat style pup.

I have a copy of the '97 NAMM release in front of me. I printed it when I found my California Series Strat about ten years ago and most people didn't have a clue what they were (I bought it at a Guitar Center and the manager didn't have a clue what it was). No binding on any of the California Series.

Here's a quote from the release..."The California Fat Tele houses a U.S.-made Fender Tele Humbucker in the neck position matched with a Tex-Mex Tele pickup in the bridge position".

True...The Japanese version Tele body is "double bound" I honestly didn't notice that. Thanks for pointing that out.

I also have a '94 MIJ Tele Custom with Bigsby that is double bound and has a very nice figure, although it's not single bound, it is double.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 4:16 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:08 am
Posts: 4
According to Wikipedia "There were two options of the pickup configuration: Either a "Fat Tele" pickup arrangement with a Fender USA humbucker neck pickup and a Tex Mex bridge pickup or a Stratocaster single coil pickup in the neck position combined with a Tex Mex single coil bridge pickup. The serial numbers are in an AMXN + 6 digits format while the first digit represents the year of production. AMXN7***** means the guitar was manufactured in 1997.

All Fender California Series have "Made in USA" on the headstock."

So everything seems OK except this binding. What should I do. The guy wants £450 (about $675) does the binding make it worth less or, as long as it's a genuine fender body, more?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:22 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:34 pm
Posts: 10760
Location: Athens, Greece
The California Telecaster is the precursor to the US Fat Tele which was introduced in 1998.

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Telecaster California Series.
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:43 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:29 am
Posts: 937
although everything might 'seem ok', if the binding means the body has been changed, then it could have all been changed. those could be crappy cheap pickups in an unknown body. you really need to see inside it, particuarly in the neck pocket.

keep in mind the guy selling it might have no idea what it is either. he might have been told when he brought it it was a california series, so he may be just repeating what he was told.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: