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Post subject: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 6:31 am
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I've found some of the information I'm after on this and other forums, but would still like to know: Can anyone provide or point me to a succinct but comprehensive summary of all the changes introduced over the years to the American Standard Tele?


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:34 am
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Telecaster


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:52 am
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I'll give it a shot - the American Standard Tele came out in 1987; from what I've read they really didn't get the Tele into production until fairly late in the year although a prototype was shown at the Summer NAMM show in 1986 and the official introduction was at the Winter NAMM show in January (or possibly February) 1987. Brief specs rundown:

1987-circa 1997: 22-fret neck, medium jumbo frets, maple or rosewood fingerboard, 9.5" radius, alder body on solid colors/3-color burst (poplar with alder veneers used on some circa 1992-1995) or ash body on 2-color burst and some transparent colors, 6-saddle bridge with satin-finish cast saddles, "American Standard" alnico pickups (flat polepiece bridge pickup), volume, TBX tone, 3-way switch with modern wiring, sealed tuners (equal height shafts), white 3-ply pickguard on most colors.

circa 1997-July 2000: TBX tone control replaced with no-load tone control.

July 2000 - 2007: Revised version now called the "American Series Telecaster". Changes include rolled fingerboard edges, sealed tuners with staggered-height shafts, revamped alnico pickups (I believe the bridge pickup had staggered-height polepieces), parchement pickguard (instead of white).

2008-circa March 2012: Revised version, "American Standard" name restored. Slightly revamped neck shape (per Fender specs the nut width went from 43mm to 42.8mm), revamped alnico pickups, new bridge with bent steel saddles.

March 2012 - present: pickups change to Custom Shop Twisted Tele neck and Broadcaster bridge.

This doesn't count the other Tele models based on the American Standards.


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:16 am
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Thank you, John C -- that is very helpful! It fills in considerable more detail around some of what I already knew. Aside from my own parts-caster custom Tele builds, I've got a 1998-99 American Standard and a 2012 American Vintage ("Pure Vintage") '52. I love 'em both, but I've modded the AS over the years, most notably by replacing the pups with Dawgtown Alnico 3s and scrapping the "no load" circuit in favor of the simpler two pots & a cap arrangement. I'm interested in what Fender has done with the AS Tele in the 2000s and 2010s, and am eyeing some of those alongside the AV '64 for my next acquisition.


Last edited by TumblinTele12 on Tue Dec 09, 2014 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:33 am
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Don't forget the belly cut that was added in 2012. I think this was a pretty significant change and makes the American Standard Telecaster seem rather non-standard.
I'm waiting for the full slab body to return as a "Classic Telecaster".


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 12:09 pm
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Yeah, I know about the belly cut and have mixed feelings -- I never found the need for it, and though I don't particularly dislike it I remain more of a purist when it comes to Leo's simple design. There are, to my way of thinking, good reasons why Strats are Strats and Teles are Teles. I like my Teles secure in their own identity and not morphing toward something else.


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:24 pm
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Oops - I completely forgot to mention the belly cut. Sorry about that. :oops:


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 8:31 pm
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John C wrote:
Oops - I completely forgot to mention the belly cut. Sorry about that. :oops:


The belly cut is a feature which was previously available on the 2nd generation Pluses and the American Deluxes. You'll miss the bound top, though! :mrgreen:


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 8:29 am
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chromeface wrote:
John C wrote:
Oops - I completely forgot to mention the belly cut. Sorry about that. :oops:


The belly cut is a feature which was previously available on the 2nd generation Pluses and the American Deluxes. You'll miss the bound top, though! :mrgreen:


True, but the OP is talking about when it was added to the American Standards, not the Tele Plus or American Deluxe. Unfortunately I got in a hurry and left it off my list.


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 7:58 am
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John C wrote:
True, but the OP is talking about when it was added to the American Standards, not the Tele Plus or American Deluxe. Unfortunately I got in a hurry and left it off my list.


Thanks for the clarification, I added the notice just for general information purposes.


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 5:05 pm
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I like the belly cut - I'm not a slim as I once was, and the Tele sits better on me with the belly cut :)


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:37 pm
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The "American Standard" Tele goes at least as far back a the Smith era, Fullerton, CA, 1983-84 Teles, which had 12 inch radius necks with jumbo frets and the Schaller/Fender, Elite saddle, top-loader bridge.
I love these bridges.
These bridges were only used for two (2) years, at a time when these guitars were considered to be the last Fender guitars to be made in the USA, with all future models to be made in Japan, prior to the CBS/Employee sale and move to Corona, CA.
There were no string holes through the body.
Contrary to well worn mythical tales, a top-loader bridge sounds no different than a through the body strung Tele, and may possibly have improved sustain.

Image


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:43 pm
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MickJagger wrote:
The "American Standard" Tele goes at least as far back a the Smith era, Fullerton, CA, 1983-84 Teles, which had 12 inch radius necks with jumbo frets and the Schaller/Fender, Elite saddle, top-loader bridge.
I love these bridges.
These bridges were only used for two (2) years, at a time when these guitars were considered to be the last Fender guitars to be made in the USA, with all future models to be made in Japan, prior to the CBS/Employee sale and move to Corona, CA.
There were no string holes through the body.
Contrary to well worn mythical tales, a top-loader bridge sounds no different than a through the body strung Tele, and may possibly have improved sustain.

Image


I believe those 1983/84 models were just called "Standard", not "American Standard", back in those CBS days. I wish I still had that 1983 Fender catalog, but it was lost long ago. :(


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:56 pm
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MickJagger wrote:
Contrary to well worn mythical tales, a top-loader bridge sounds no different than a through the body strung Tele, and may possibly have improved sustain.

That's your opinion. Which as usual is not backed up with anything.

With a string through body you get a more acute breakover angle, and thus a larger downward force on the bridge. This does indeed affect sound, which is why the tailpiece height can be adjusted on many hardtail bridges.

Also, compared to any other hardtail bridge except a fantail, the total string length from ferrule to peg is longer, which gives a larger stretch to tune over and allows for more accurate tuning.


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Post subject: Re: Evolution of the American Standard Tele
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 8:16 pm
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Actually there have been a number of extended tests done on bass guitars. Many Fender basses have the option of being loaded straight across the bridge, known as top load or through the body using the rear ferules. I've seen tests and video comparisons in which they say top loading is brighter and has more sustain. I've also seen other comments that through-body loading is more defined and has more sustain. I listen to the tests and clips time after time and I hear no difference and I feel my ear is pretty good, better than most. I have also tried it on my own basses, both of which have the option of both loading styles. I've never been able to discern a difference. I have always speculated the lack of difference is due to the fact that in both cases the bridge is securely mounted to the wood and in both cases the strings vibrate across the saddles, which means both ways use the same locations and means for the transfer of vibrational energy. The dead end of the string is not a factor in my opinion, except in its contribution to overall mass and stiffness of the system.

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