There was a toploader American in the MID 80s?

[lostpick]

http://cgi.ebay.com/1983-Fender-Tele...QQcmdZViewItem

Legit??

[mellecaster]

Yep...sure was...had those kinda goofy Elite style saddles (six of em)

[yegbert]

You can find it in the Tele bible (A.R. Duchossoir's The Fender Telecaster).

The model is referred to on page 29 as the revised STANDARD TELECASTER. Then on page 30 there's narrative indicating the VINTAGE TELECASTER was listed as early as 1986, the AMERICAN STANDARD was officially introduced at the Jan 88 Winter NAMM Convention in Anaheim, and this other model is described in comparison to the American Standard as the 1983-85 variant.

There's a picture of one on the bottom of page 44, with a caption that reads Revamped 1983 Standard model with Elite bridge saddles.

The bridge is pictured on page 70 with a caption that reads 1983 Standard bridge with Elite saddles.

Fender Japan adopted the bridge design at some point and is still using it today on some models. Some Squier Teles made in Korea during the '90s also used that bridge design. The MIM Standard Teles in the early '90s, some Squier Teles made in Mexico in th e'90s, and CII Squier Teles made from 1998-2000 used the same plate shape and screw hole locations; but those models used the old '70s vintage-style six barrel saddles which have a different screw/string offset, so the intonation screw holes in the plate are located differently. And those '98-00 CII Squier Teles use a slightly different plate (same as Mighty Mite 2112C) which has string through holes. The location of those string through holes is farther away from the point where the strings rest on the saddle, than the vintage spec.

You can still buy a close replica of the 83-85 revised Standard Tele bridge as an aftermarket item, it combines the Elite style saddles and the string through hole locations of the CII Squier / Mighty Mite bridge.

The the American Standard Tele obviously evolved from the 83-85 revised Standard Tele, it kept the same screw mounting holes for the bridge and thick L-shaped plate.

I don't know if that one in the auction is legit. The pictures are too few and too small to pick up any good clues. Besdies, my knowledge of all the details on that model is rather limited, so I could be fooled.

[yegbert]

Originally Posted by mellecaster

Yep...sure was...had those kinda goofy Elite style saddles (six of em)

I find a certain beauty in their aesthetics. But then Dr. Seuss is an almost daily read for me, so I'm acclimated to goofy.

[Joe M]

I had one in sunburst so it's the real deal. Don't know about the auction, though. Like yegbert said, the pics are pretty bad to get any kind of a good look at the guitar.

[Ira7]

Next question:

Why would a neckplate be after-market, yet he's not claiming anything else to be? What can go wrong with a NECKPLATE!?

Plus, I used to live in Canarsie, Brooklyn...two miles from Staten Island...so I would be real, real careful with THOSE guys!

HAH!!!!!!!

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by yegbert

I find a certain beauty in their aesthetics. But then Dr. Seuss is an almost daily read for me, so I'm acclimated to goofy.

I'll have to stock up the Library @ The Ville...before your next visit.....

[GuitarJonz]

THE low point in tele evolution IMO.

[kludge]

Originally Posted by yegbert

The bridge is pictured on page 70 with a caption that reads 1983 Standard bridge with Elite saddles.

Fender Japan adopted the bridge design at some point and is still using it today on some models. Some Squier Teles made in Korea during the '90s also used that bridge design. The MIM Standard Teles in the early '90s, some Squier Teles made in Mexico in th e'90s, and CII Squier Teles made from 1998-2000 used the same plate shape and screw hole locations; but those models used the old '70s vintage-style six barrel saddles which have a different screw/string offset, so the intonation screw holes in the plate are located differently. And those '98-00 CII Squier Teles use a slightly different plate (same as Mighty Mite 2112C) which has string through holes. The location of those string through holes is farther away from the point where the strings rest on the saddle, than the vintage spec.

You can still buy a close replica of the 83-85 revised Standard Tele bridge as an aftermarket item, it combines the Elite style saddles and the string through hole locations of the CII Squier / Mighty Mite bridge.

Any idea where I can find one of those bridges? Left-handed? I'm doing work on a project for a friend, and it'd be PERFECT. The idea is to build a left-handed copy of Jeff Buckley's Tele, and a left-handed toploading bridge would be a big plus.

[yegbert]

Here's one of the right handed bridges I was saying is a close replica.

Here's a lefty that looks like the same screw hole pattern but the intonation screws are all offset in the same direction; directionally instead of reflectionally symmetric like the 83-85 Standard design.

Here's an ebay search, if you want more of a match for what you're looking for you could check that often and hope.

Fender Japan still makes Teles using a bridge of the same design. Something you might want to research is whether FMIC or Fender Japan either one ever made a lefty with that style bridge.

Jeff's was a right handed Tele. You could use a right handed Tele and string it upside down. It would be more accurate, and yet totally wrong, both at the same time.

[kludge]

Originally Posted by yegbert

Here's one of the right handed bridges I was saying is a close replica.

Here's a lefty that looks like the same screw hole pattern but the intonation screws are all offset in the same direction; directionally instead of reflectionally symmetric like the 83-85 Standard design.

Here's an ebay search, if you want more of a match for what you're looking for you could check that often and hope.

Fender Japan still makes Teles using a bridge of the same design. Something you might want to research is whether FMIC or Fender Japan either one ever made a lefty with that style bridge.

Jeff's was a right handed Tele. You could use a right handed Tele and string it upside down. It would be more accurate, and yet totally wrong, both at the same time.

Thanks. She plays strung upside-down, but a righty Tele upside down means she's always banging her arm into the controls. But she LOVES the sound of my Tele, and of course Jeff Buckley's Tele. A lefty is definitely the solution.

I'm considering recommending a right-handed bridge on a lefty body, though, even if it means some routing and doesn't look quite right. I'm pretty sure the pickup angle matters tonally, and since she strings upside-down, a righty bridge would preserve the correct angle. Plus it's a LOT easier to find right-handed bridges!

[Misfit1]

Hey guys, I just found you were talking about the guitar I just bought. I felt the same way,
(Is it legit?), and had reservations about buying it, but I figured, what the hell. If it’s not what he says I can still part it out and make up my money. Well it just arrived tonight and let me tell you, this Telecaster is like brand new! There is not a scratch on it. I took the neck off and it’s dated June 1, 1983. The body was not hogged out for the EMG’s. And yea, the strange thing about the neck plate, that scared the crap outa me, is it’s a early Japanese neck plate, I think, with the Ser # A000973. It covered the micro tilt, oh well I can always get a replacement. I am very happy about this purchase.
Dave