Quote:
|
Yes, I am sure that we have all noticed this. . .
|
Indeed….. as have I…..
Hot flash… those that think the last Tele to roll off the assembly line Friday has the same exact body shape as the first Esquire cranked out in 1950 . . . heheh… HAHAHA. .. . BUWAAAYAYAYAAA. . .. Sorry…. And there have been bunches of variations over the years, some slight, some not so. . .
I restate, back when I made the originals of my templates. NO one gave much of a hoot about the long check list of details that are so diligently checked and re-checked today when looking for a real vintage guitar.
A guitar that would easily bring 30,000 bux today could be had for 50 bux in any one of a number of pawn shops back then. This might come as a surprise, but people rarely spend time and money verifying that a 50 dollar guitar is all original. Today it’s a different story. When you’re plopping down 30 large on a collector’s item, you wanna be certain it didn’t originate in some obscure shop in Kowloon, thus, people are now hyper detail oriented.
All I really recall about the original guitar I made the templates from was it was a rank old piece that had been refinished several times, and the date on the neck was from ’54.
Now, last night I sat down with Nacho’s book and did a bit of reading and comparing…. While the neck was indeed from a ’54…I remember that vividly, I now don’t think the body was. I’d love to go back 25 years and check again, but that ain’t gonna happen, so all I have are memories and Nacho’s book.
Why don’t I think the body came from ’54? Well first, while it was indeed a Fender body, in the early ‘80’s I don’t know of anyone that was making replacement bodies for guitars that could be had for 50 bux from the used market. So that rules out Warmoth, USACG and a handful of others that didn’t exist then.
As I go through Nacho’s book, I see there is only one time frame where a body similar to the templates I made existed. No notch, very slight or no neck pocket lip, virtually no flat spot, although I DID remove that from the templates to facilitate drilling the 7/8th inch hole, and the electronics rout had round ends on both ends. . . see page 40 in the Blackguard book. And, of course the neck pocket lip could have been removed by whatever good intentioned person doing one of the many refinishes.
I see there is virtually no flat spot on the body in the book and the return to the bass side of the neck pocket is skewed slightly as it is on my templates, as SOMEONE so kindly and erroneously pointed out as being a flaw in my templates as he flamed them in virtually every forum in which he could find bandwidth. SO if I could only remember if there was the name Eddie in the pickup route . . .hehehe. Thus the body may have an even earlier origin than the ’54. It may be one of the earliest of Esquires, which would be a truly remarkable find today, not so remarkable 25 years ago. But don’t argue the point, there’s no way to verify one way or the other.
Now those gasping for air… remember, I’m recalling this based on the mind-set of the early 80’s, when for the most part, Teles, Esquires, et. al. were NOT the universally highly regarded guitars they are today. This was the early age of Shredding. Also the body I used to make templates had been refinished several times, you know how that goes, and Lord knows what was removed while it was being sanded, if anything. It’s entirely possible the body from one guitar was put with the neck from another, remember its 1982 here…
Since this is a recurring theme, perhaps common sense will put it to rest. Naaaah. . I know better, but none-the-less, consider . . . Anyone have any idea how many prime candidates for templates come through the door over time in this business? How many Kids that have no idea what they have, but just want their Grandpa’s guitar fixed so they can learn Stairway. I can tell ya . . . bunches.
Over the recent years I have made templates from the original guitars of a ‘55 Tele Bass, 56 Precision bass, a ’62 Jazz Bass, ‘61 Jazz Master, ’54 (subject of discussion) Tele, ’62 Strat, ‘91’ CS Strat (way different from the ’62) and there are bunches others I have passed on. And probably others I did make and have just forgotten that are stashed out back somewhere. Note, none are made from no stinking blue prints, these were all the real deal and I have photos of the process, or most of ‘em. So when some detail oriented woodworker emails flaming me for something that is present, or not present… well yeah… you DID want ‘em like the originals didn’t ya?
The only time I make a change is when something is a major hang-up for the amateur, for instance, the ’62 Strat clearances in some of the electronics routs allow virtually NO wiggle room, so I corrected that, and the ferrules routs/string holes on the Tele are now straight. These are both features that varied over the years, so there is NO universal standard.
Now here’s where common sense comes in, why would I make templates of a Tele using any other method/body than I did with all the rest….? I could have used any one of all the Vintage Reissues that walk in. The only reason I don’t have photos of making the originals is it was 1982 (as I recall) and there just wasn’t any dawggone reason to do so. There was no Internet, no TDPRI, and no dorks trying to shoot down every accomplishment anyone achieves. (Not you guys, there are some evil forums out there; I just don’t go there anymore.)
But. .. just to make the naysayers happy, I have zeroed in on what is believed to be a 1950/’51 Broadcaster or Nocaster body, an ugly body. . . I went to the guys place and made templates from it, and am negotiating with the guy now to let me scrape paint out of the neck pocket, to see if it’s what we think… that’s gonna cost me a whole guitar.
For those that want dead on accuracy, just remember this little rant the next time you’re taping a picture of a guitar to a piece of MDF….there IS a better way.
And for those that for some reason wonder if all the parts fit and the guitar plays, there’s a few within the TDPRI that can so attest. Just ask.
Sorry, it’s just another nasty, cold, rainy day and I don’t wanna be out there seeing how painful my knees can get on a day like this. I’d rather be in here typing forgetting that there is a splinter right smack dab in the middle of my finger. OUCH!!
Ron Kirn