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Post subject: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:18 pm
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Here is my guitar, I don't really know anything about it. I am trying to figure out what year it is. I Think it from the 70's but don't really know. the neck plate says 503685
And When I switch it to the neck pickup, it sounds like a bass?

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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:08 am
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hey.

I looked it up on guitar dater project,

Guitar Info
Your guitar was made at the
Fullerton Plant (Fender - CBS Era), USA
in the Year(s): 1973 - 1974

Dave.

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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 2:25 am
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One of the last notched Teles from the CBS period.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:42 am
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what is a notched tele ?

also that neck pickup doesnt look stock, probably changed when the bigsby was fitted. bridge pup looks off centre aswell.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 6:42 am
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Aw, did you know?

CBS did a few changes to the Tele body shape during the second half of 1974. Notchless Telecasters had a less pronounced notch in the crook where the upper bout meets the neck.

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The notchless body style was discontinued in 1982.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:35 am
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Interesting piece; it looks like it has a "maple cap" neck since there isn't a skunk stripe on the neck. I thought that Fender was back to using 1-piece maple necks by that time frame (I know they changed in 1969 on Strats, not so sure about Teles) but it could have been an older neck that was still hanging around the factory that finally got used in late 73/early 74. It would be interesting to see the date stamps on the neck and markings on the body.

The bridge pickup looks like a DiMarzio replacement pickup of some kind - based on the allen screw polepieces. The rewiring could also explain what is going on with the neck pickup because a 70s Tele should have modern wiring but it appears this one has vintage wiring since it gets the bassy sound from the neck pickup.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:43 am
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@John C

The notchless body styling debuted during the second half of 1974. True or false?

The guitar is question was (supposedly) produced a couple of months before CBS began producing those notchless Telecasters.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:46 am
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Well thats cool, I really like it because it has lots of character (very rough), but its a handfull to play, the bridge is a mess, a lot of the screws are missing so adjustments are not the greatest, I did notice that bridge pickup was not centered, and the fact that it only has one really usable pickup. I have been thinking of getting a new guitar but I want to give this tele a fair shot, I have had it for a while, I think its time for some upgrades. I might get some pics of the insides later today.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:14 am
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chromeface wrote:
@John C

The notchless body styling debuted during the second half of 1974. True or false?

The guitar is question was (supposedly) produced a couple of months before CBS began producing those notchless Telecasters.


I'm sorry but I'm not sure; I know it was in the early 1970s but I'm not sure of the exact date. I pretty much wanted a Strat from day one so I've spent my entire playing life (since 1979) looking at Strats, reading about them, and getting familiar with their evolution. I hate to admit it but I really overlooked the Tele until recently so the CBS years are pretty much a mystery outside of knowing that the bullet-truss rod Tele Custom, Tele Deluxe and Thinline models came out in 1972 and were discontinued in 1982 while the "regular" Tele stayed pretty much the same. I know about the body change we're talking about but I'm not 100% sure when it happened.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:25 am
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Notch/no notch dates.

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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:42 am
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Butterscotch wrote:
Notch/no notch dates.

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A picture is worth a thousand words... :D

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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:49 am
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Guild's T-200 and 250 came with that notchless body design and If my memory serves Warmoth and Chandler did a couple of those notchless Teles.

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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:47 pm
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So Its Getting more interesting... Found a bunch of messed up wiring and the bridge pickup is jammed in the hole, like it was almost too big but somebody made it fit...
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If You guys want any specific pics I can take them..
It had a ground wire going from the Bigbsy to the switch cover on the outside of the body, its pretty rigged up. But apparently its a 73 with a 67 neck.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:46 pm
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Hmm - that almost looks more like a Strat bridge pickup than a Tele bridge pickup. Pretty curious; as you say a '67 neck with a later body. Lots of mods going on there but it's still a cool bits and pieces Fender.


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Post subject: Re: Older Telecaster With Bigsby ID Help
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:00 pm
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A Strat pickup huh? well that would go along with the bits and pieces


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