Fender Telecaster 1952 American Vintage

HandwrittenHero

tomajoha said:

I have a 2014 '64 in candy apple red and its superb and super light- it got cold this winter and the lacquer checked all over the place - this might irk some but I personally love it - a keeper

That Lacquer checking is very much like how my 52 Tele and 54 Strat have checked. Exactly how I mean with it going at stress points, i.e. originating at screwholes etc.

tomajoha

@HandwrittenHero yes same with mine at the stress points. I can't help but agree about your theory re them pulling the line due to potential impact to CS sales, I've owned 3 post 2012 AVRI this one, one that was sadly destroyed and one I simply couldn't justify keeping due to overlap with another great guitar - I have to say they are amongst the best fenders ive played old or new including my CS models.

imalrightjack

Look a bit worn?  For 2015, seems excessive!

dallcorp

I've owned two '52 reissues and loved them both....but I've ended up with a keeper MJT Blackguard relic with a 9.5" radius which suits me better. It's kinda amazing that the evidence (based on the surviving real '50-52 Nocasters and Teles) suggests that Leo was using the "modern" 9.5" radius back then!

imalrightjack

Any thoughts on the pics above? 

TINMAN82

dallcorp said:

I've owned two '52 reissues and loved them both....but I've ended up with a keeper MJT Blackguard relic with a 9.5" radius which suits me better. It's kinda amazing that the evidence (based on the surviving real '50-52 Nocasters and Teles) suggests that Leo was using the "modern" 9.5" radius back then!

I thought that was the effect of multiple refrets on these old guitars, not because they came like that from the factory. 

HandwrittenHero

imalrightjack said:

Any thoughts on the pics above? 

I’d personally be unlikely to play a bad guitar long enough to put that amount of wear on. Make sure other wear/tear related stuff eg frets are fine (or price budgets in some work) and otherwise it’s up to you. As already covered, this range is really hard to keep looking pristine.

CountryDave

I’ve owned 3 over the last 15 years.
2 were good, but got moved on in the rollercoaster of buying and selling.
One was/is great and has been my no 1 for the last 10 years.
It’s going nowhere.

RandallFlagg

That wear seems wxcessive for a 2015 model, is it real wear or relicing?

imalrightjack

RandallFlagg said:

That wear seems wxcessive for a 2015 model, is it real wear or relicing?

I’m not sure but looks fake based on the year.

TINMAN82

imalrightjack said:

RandallFlagg said:

That wear seems wxcessive for a 2015 model, is it real wear or relicing?

I’m not sure but looks fake based on the year.

Agreed, unless this is a guy using it as his no1 gigging guitar and playing several hours a day, that’s fake. I suspect the latter. Quite often see pre-owned AV strats and teles suspicious of home made relicing. I suspect in many cases the owners selling out of regret.

dallcorp

TINMAN82 said:

dallcorp said:

I've owned two '52 reissues and loved them both....but I've ended up with a keeper MJT Blackguard relic with a 9.5" radius which suits me better. It's kinda amazing that the evidence (based on the surviving real '50-52 Nocasters and Teles) suggests that Leo was using the "modern" 9.5" radius back then!

I thought that was the effect of multiple refrets on these old guitars, not because they came like that from the factory. 

Yes I have heard that theory about multiple refrets causing the flatter profile...........but if that's the case then why are there no 1953 and later Teles with that radius?.......it's likely some must have had a similar amount number of fret work by this point?

TINMAN82

dallcorp said:

TINMAN82 said:

dallcorp said:

I've owned two '52 reissues and loved them both....but I've ended up with a keeper MJT Blackguard relic with a 9.5" radius which suits me better. It's kinda amazing that the evidence (based on the surviving real '50-52 Nocasters and Teles) suggests that Leo was using the "modern" 9.5" radius back then!

I thought that was the effect of multiple refrets on these old guitars, not because they came like that from the factory. 

Yes I have heard that theory about multiple refrets causing the flatter profile...........but if that's the case then why are there no 1953 and later Teles with that radius?.......it's likely some must have had a similar amount number of fret work by this point?

How can you say there are “none”?! Plenty of strats (eg SRVs no1) with documented flatter radii. Dan Erlewhine specifically mentions in his setup books that this occurs with refrets.

ESBlonde

I bought an 52 Tele AVRI used in February 2014. It had been used and abused some, so I got it at a great price from the second owner (teenager) that wanted LP really.

No case candy etc, just a great working guitar. I have tweaked the action and need to get around to finalising the setup, but it plays well, is stable in tuning and has all those classic tele sounds from fantasticly responsive pickups.

Is it my favourite guitar? No. Does it get played a lot? Yes. The neck is quite acceptable to my hands. It inspires a lot of confidence in it's reliability.

No idea of the age and I'm not bothered tbh. When I need those tones I throw the strap over my head and play it.

Funkfingers

For anyone who cares, the book The Blackguard by Nacho Baños illustrates approximately ten Broadcaster, Esquire and “Nocaster” guitars with a 9.5” fingerboard radius. (Mostly 1950, a few 1951 and one 1952.)

Taking one example at random, 1950 Broadcaster s/n 0187, page 48, the book states that the guitar has been refretted at least once. If its fingerboard has ever been planed, it also been refinished and worn through all over again.

Somebody with greater knowledge than me might be able to confirm how many, if any, completed non-truss rod necks Fender withdrew and modified to have a rod, plug and adjuster inserted.

dallcorp

TINMAN82 said:

dallcorp said:

TINMAN82 said:

dallcorp said:

I've owned two '52 reissues and loved them both....but I've ended up with a keeper MJT Blackguard relic with a 9.5" radius which suits me better. It's kinda amazing that the evidence (based on the surviving real '50-52 Nocasters and Teles) suggests that Leo was using the "modern" 9.5" radius back then!

I thought that was the effect of multiple refrets on these old guitars, not because they came like that from the factory. 

Yes I have heard that theory about multiple refrets causing the flatter profile...........but if that's the case then why are there no 1953 and later Teles with that radius?.......it's likely some must have had a similar amount number of fret work by this point?

How can you say there are “none”?! Plenty of strats (eg SRVs no1) with documented flatter radii. Dan Erlewhine specifically mentions in his setup books that this occurs with refrets.

I'm by no means an expert, I'm just another amateur guitar nerd who enjoys disappearing down the vintage guitar rabbit hole......so I'm not stating definitively that there are "none"......and of course heavily played and repaired examples will muddy the waters but the weight of evidence, (i.e guitars examined by Nacho and others) seems to identify a transition from 9.5 to 7.25" during 1953.

TINMAN82

dallcorp said:

TINMAN82 said:

dallcorp said:

TINMAN82 said:

dallcorp said:

I've owned two '52 reissues and loved them both....but I've ended up with a keeper MJT Blackguard relic with a 9.5" radius which suits me better. It's kinda amazing that the evidence (based on the surviving real '50-52 Nocasters and Teles) suggests that Leo was using the "modern" 9.5" radius back then!

I thought that was the effect of multiple refrets on these old guitars, not because they came like that from the factory. 

Yes I have heard that theory about multiple refrets causing the flatter profile...........but if that's the case then why are there no 1953 and later Teles with that radius?.......it's likely some must have had a similar amount number of fret work by this point?

How can you say there are “none”?! Plenty of strats (eg SRVs no1) with documented flatter radii. Dan Erlewhine specifically mentions in his setup books that this occurs with refrets.

I'm by no means an expert, I'm just another amateur guitar nerd who enjoys disappearing down the vintage guitar rabbit hole......so I'm not stating definitively that there are "none"......and of course heavily played and repaired examples will muddy the waters but the weight of evidence, (i.e guitars examined by Nacho and others) seems to identify a transition from 9.5 to 7.25" during 1953.

Very interesting if that’s true. Never heard that before. I wonder what the thinking was behind the change then.

Funkfingers

I doubt that there was much thinking behind the change at all.

HYPOTHESIS 1
Initial batches of the one-piece necks were made with a 9.5" fretboard radius. Subsequent batches had the 7.25" radius. There will have been an overlap period when necks of each radius will have be in stock, waiting to be removed from production line storage bins and fastened onto bodies. 

HYPOTHESIS 2
The exact fingerboard radius was notional, subject to arbitrary variation during the final belt sanding. (The Nacho Baños book notes that, on 1950 guitars, the body edge radius is similarly inconsistent.) Good ol' human error.

Pick your favourite.



Earlier in this Discussion, I speculated that Fender may have withdrawn non-truss rod necks with the intention of having them modified to accept truss rods. On reflection, it is far more likely that the old bugger would have sold off what he already had in stock before introducing the revised version. Worst case scenario, a non-truss rod neck fails and the company has to supply a replacement under warranty. 

imalrightjack

Ok, change of idea. 62 Made in Japan Tele. Anybody know much about them?

fendermadlewis

I've just got a 2012 52RI and it's probably the best tele fender has made in a while. I sold a 2003 Nocaster and bought it to keep a blackguard in the house. It's genuinely every bit as good if not nicer. Mine has a light 1 piece ash body and just the right amount of blonde colour. The neck is a nice chunky shape, not what I'd call fat but not bigger than a 60s C. The neck pickup is a little dull and murky, but there are many alternatives. They crop up at £1000 often and worth every penny imo