| Comments | I have to say that this instrument caught my eye very quickly – long ago, I spent years slaving over one of these on small stages, through either a Fender Twin Reverb (and an XFL 1000!) or a blackface Fender Vibrolux. This 1974 Black Fender Telecaster Custom really brought back some memories, and my ears are still ringing!
The Telecaster Custom was made during two periods, and the guitars are quite different. The first version was built between 1959 and 1972, and was very much just a standard, rosewood fingerboard Telecaster with binding on the top and back of the body. It was available in sunburst, which is perhaps most commonly seen, and various custom colours. The second version, seen here, was built between 1972 and 1981. On this version, the body is not bound, standard colours were used (I’ve mostly seen the ‘natural’ or clear finish, and black) and a maple neck was used. The last major difference is indeed major – a large pickup covers nearly half the top, supporting a 3-way toggle switch on the upper bout, a full-size humbucking pickup at the neck, and individual volume and tone controls. Both Telecaster Custom versions have been reissued, with the bound version even appearing in Fender’s low cost (but remarkably high quality) ‘Classic Vibe’ series. This 1974 example is in good playing condition, with the wear and tear you’d expect from a 40-year old instrument. It’s still got a lot of playing life left; the Fender design is extremely durable. |
| Serial Number | 559778, built during 1974 at the Fender plant in Fullerton, California, USA. |
| Pricing | |
| Neck | Maple neck with ‘skunk stripe’; clear gloss finish over the original frets (this is one of the easiest ways to tell whether guitars from this period have been refretted or not; at the time, Fender fretted maple necks and then applied the finish). 25.5 inch scale length |
| Frets | Original frets with some play wear. |
| Body | Classic Fender Telecaster shape, likely alder given the visible rays in the finish checking; |
| Finish | Original poly finish with expected play wear. The body is black, and the neck is clear gloss. There are some dings and checking on the body, plus pick marks. Some wear through the finish at the edges of the fingerboard – this is normal, as it’s one of the places most in contact with the player’s hands. |
| Hardware/electronics | All original! F-branded tuners, ‘Fender’ stamped 6-saddle bridge with white-wound bridge pickup; Fender humbucker at the neck position; pickup selector on the upper part of the pickguard, and individual volume and tone controls. The output jack is in the usual place for a Telecaster, on the side in a recessed cup. |
| Playability/Action | Plays well as is with the orginal fretwire. At a weight of 7.25 lbs, this is a reasonably comfortable guitar to wear for some hours. |
| Case | Original case included. |
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