Odd 72 Thinline?

[ezrydr]

Hi Guys,
I sure would like some help with this guitar.
I have a Thinline Telecaster with an odd set up that I'd like some help identifying.

According to the serial number 398540 this may be a 1972 or 73.
From some info I have gleaned eslewhere on the web and other forums the pups are not original, nor is the pickguard.

I got what I beleive to be the original pups and pickguard with the guitar. The pickguard is a multi-ply pearly thing but is so badly warped I doubt that it can used any longer.

The odd thing is the controls.

Take a look at these pictures (sorry they are not the best but my good camera is on the fritz)

My questions are - did somebody mod this to have these controls? or were there some that came from the factory this way?

The guitar is not for sale but I would like to have some idea of value for iinsurance purposes. How and where does one go about getting something like this appraised?

Any info will be greatly appreciated

BTW - the guitar sounds and plays amazing! I'm running it through a Hughes & Kettner Matrix 100 and it rocks!:

thanks!
Steve

[nhojie]

nice thinline tele u got there,ezrydr!

[jivetrain]

if you have the original pickups, you may want to consider using them for a while to see how you like them. they're very unique in construction and sound and are becoming some of the most valuable pickups out there because of it

[ezrydr]

nhojie,
thank you - I really love it. Best guitar I've ever had. Not that I've had all that many in the 30 years or so I have been playing.
Had a Les Paul Custom once and had a Stratocaster something waayy back when.

This one's a keeper - I just wish I could find out some more about the odd control set up. All the pics I have found of the 72 thins show 2 pots only.

I can only guess that this is a mod someone did way back when.

I have had the pickguard off and all the routing is original.
I never knew a factory tele had enough room for 4 pots in there.

Steve

[sean79]

I thought they didn't add the two extra pots until 1976. I could be wrong... I usually am.

[KevinB]

I don't belive that '72 Thinlines ever came from the factory with more than a single volume and a single tone control. It looks to me like someone wanted the same controls as a Tele Custom or Deluxe and made their own pickguard. Is there any evidence of extra routing under that pickguard?

[ezrydr]

jivetrain - I did not realize that. I may do that. Now I am curious

sean79, that's what puzzles me, I have not seen any 1972 thinlines with 4 pots.

KevinB,
I had the pickguard off and looked but I cannot see evidence of any routing other than factory.

I have never seen under another tele pickgiard, would they normally have enough room to add additonal control pots?

Did the 1972 thinlines have the stratocaster type brdge saddles like this one?


thanks for all the help guys
Steve

[jwells393]

It's been modified. Like KevinB said, it's probably been wired like a '72 Deluxe. A '72 Thinline would be routed like this.......



Yours has got to look different under the pickguard. If it doesn't look butchered under the pickguard, it was skillfully done.

Did the 1972 thinlines have the stratocaster type brdge saddles like this one?

Yes ...... that is often referred to as the Stratocaster hardtail bridge.

[ezrydr]

jwells393,
it sure looked like a factory job under there to me so whoever did this did a nice job. Next time I have it apart, (which may be soon as I am tempted to put the original pickups back in it) I'll get a photo of it and post.

I do like the dual control set up, makes it easy to flip the selector switch for rythm volume to lead volume like a, er, um if you'll pardon the expression, Les Paul.

Thanks for all the info.

One other thing guys - do you think the guitar is worth insuring? I have no idea if its valuable or not. How does a guy get something like this appraised? (if its even worth appraisal)

Steve

[jwells393]

You may be able to straighten that original pickguard by clamping it between a couple of pieces of 3/4 in MDF and placing it in an oven at low heat for 15 to 30 minutes.

I did it using plywood .......... I should have used MDF. See this post.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/1019735-post21.html

[ezrydr]

here's a little nicer picture of the guitar

and a picture of the original pickups and what I assume is the bridge cover.

So what do you think, should I put the original pups back in her?

What's the deal with the offset adjustable poles on these pickups? How should they be oriented on the guitar?

Steve

[jwells393]

My friend it looks like you have an original set of Fender Seth Lover Wide Range Pickups. Read about them here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Wide_Range

Yes ........ by all means put them back in.........assuming they work.

I'm sure there are others here more knowledgeable than I that can tell you about them.

[Telakaster]

Originally Posted by ezrydr

One other thing guys - do you think the guitar is worth insuring? I have no idea if its valuable or not. How does a guy get something like this appraised? (if its even worth appraisal)

Steve

If your guitar hadn't been modded it would be worth 4-5 grand. Even with the extra routing it is still a very desirable guitar. You seem to have all the parts to put it back to (visibly) original condition. I'd get it insured for at least $3000.00

[ezrydr]

jwells393 - wow I am pleasantly surprised by that info!
I will definitley put them in and see what they do.
thank you!


TeleKaster - again WOW! I feel like I've just been on the antiques roadshow. I had no idea this guitar could be that valuable.

I was fooling with the chrome bridge cover shown in the picture. How do these fasten, do they snap onto the bridge somehow? I cannot seem to see how it goes on and stays on.

Thank you all very much!
Steve

[62_Inca_Esquire]

Beautiful guitar !

As a bit of a related "aside", those original Seth Lover Tele Hummers are my favorite humbucker ever made. The "reissues" don't hold a candle to them. BIG difference in the materials used. You're a lucky man to have found that guitar !

[Durtdog]

By all means put the original pickups back in. It will be nice to have the guitar in its original state.

But don't be disheartened if you don't like them. I had a Thinline many years ago, and did not care for the Fender WR HBs. In fact, most of the players I knew in the '70s didn't like them. Folks rave about them now though, and you may like them too.

Times change.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by jwells393

You may be able to straighten that original pickguard by clamping it between a couple of pieces of 3/4 in MDF and placing it in an oven at low heat for 15 to 30 minutes.

I did it using plywood .......... I should have used MDF. See this post.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/1019735-post21.html

Great post, great info, great idea, great sharing great stuff like this!!!


I'd put those originals if I had to tape them in with no PG to just hear them.

Are the new pots 500k and the original 250k ??? Just a guess??

[slack]

Originally Posted by jwells393

It's been modified. Like KevinB said, it's probably been wired like a '72 Deluxe. A '72 Thinline would be routed like this.......

Just for the sake of accuracy, an actual 1972 Thinline II is routed differently than that picture. The control area is routed larger than that, with the lower portion rounded, somewhat following the contour of the lower bout. However, I do not think that there is room for the four pots as are pictured on the guitar that is the subject of this thread, but it's difficult to say for sure based only on the pics provided. The pup routings are also more squared off and it is mostly open from the neck pocket to the pup routes on an authentic, early 70s Thinline II.

Besides having the Strat hardtail bridge and saddles, you can find Pat Pend Strat saddles on some of the earliest examples.

[ezrydr]

Slack,
thanks for the interesting bit of info there. Last time I had the pickguard off it sure looked like factory original routing.
We'll see for sure when her apart this weekend and see about putting those original pups back in. I'll get some pics of the underbelly.


Robt57,
I'll see what values those pots are when I have it apart.
What resistance were the originals? 250 or 500k?


Thanks,
Steve

[whitebread]

Just a side note, but you said it's been in this configuration for 30 years, right? Have you looked at the humbuckers that are in there now? They could be worth something on their own. Wouldn't it be something if they had little "Patent Applied For" stickers on them! Hey, stranger things happened in the 70's.

[jwells393]

Slack .......... how about giving us a look under the pickguard of your '72 Thinline?

[rhomco]

Man I either need a photo with the pickguard off or a napkin.....this drooling is making a mess
Rob

[ezrydr]

"Have you looked at the humbuckers that are in there now? They could be worth something on their own. Wouldn't it be something if they had little "Patent Applied For" stickers on them! Hey, stranger things happened in the 70's."

I did look at them but never even thought about how old they were!

And yes some strange things happened in the 70s alright. But, as I recall, they had very little to do with this guitar as much as they did with hanging out with musicians! good times...sigh

[winny pooh]

Definitely re-install those original pup's, they are my favourite humbuckers ever!
1meg pots were in the original, if those are replacement pots then definitely change them out to add some more sparkle.

[jivetrain]

winny pooh is right, the original pickups came wired to 1 meg pots, so if you want them to sound right be sure that you have 1 megs to wire them to.

also, the wide range humbuckers may not fit in your pickguard. they're slightly larger than most humbuckers and may require using your original pickguard (after repairing it).