help needed identifying a tele - Robbie Robertson (of The Band)

[tonewoods]

No Tele content, but if you're a Band fan, you just gotta check out "King Harvest" from this clip.

It's just "perfect".....

[adambet2]

does the '60s reissue have the same pickups/electronics as his teles from that period? i ask because i know some reissues are not as good as the originals. is the quality on those reissues good? I would prefer an American made one, but the '60s reissues are made in Mexico.

also, what humbucker is he using in the neck position in those pictures? somebody earlier suggested a Gibson '57 humbucker... is that the same one? (does anybody have a link?)

Robbie's tone on "Rock of Ages" is my favorite guitar tone. How do you think he's using the humbucker on that recording? When he's playing rhythm, the sound is real warm and subtle, sits perfectly in the mix, and when he solos, the sound is like a razor. In the Don't Do It video posted earlier, you can see him kind of adjust the pickup selector and volume/tone knobs.

[Telemarkman]

"Rock Of Ages" is (one of) my all time favorite albums, and the solo on "Unfaithful Servant" is my favorite Robbie solo.

I think he uses the bridge pickup for most solos, with the tone control rolled off a bit. For much of the rhythm parts he uses both pickups, sometimes the neck alone.

As for the MIM 60's Classic, it's closer to the original 60's Teles han any American made Tele with the possible exception of some CS models.

The "king Harvest" clip is great, but on the original recording he's using a Tele. (Someone knowledgeable correct me if I'm wrong).

[Elliot Easton]

I believe the the recording is the Riviera as well. Check out the "classic albums" DVD of 'The Band'.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by Telemarkman

As for the MIM 60's Classic, it's closer to the original 60's Teles han any American made Tele with the possible exception of some CS models.

i have looked for a similar tele to my transition era '65 for years and telemarkman is right on que

i wish fender usa made some close examples of robbie's transition tele guitar that wasn't something expensive from the custom shop, but somehow fender has really missed the boat on that one

fortunately or unfortunately, you are still best off getting a 60's mim classic, if you want that specific feel and tone...the usa '52 ri has a flat pole pieced bridge pup and that has too much midrange...the hard to find '62 ri usa model not only has rosewood fingerboard, too, but has binding and is a different beast altogether but at least has the '60s staggered bridge pup you need

the mim 60s classic just needs a humbucker, if you could live with a rosewood fretboard, but overall it's your closest, easy to find shot

but if you want perfection, and i have in the past, too on a specific tele model, then get a cs model from fender that you design and they build...but you will have the guitar the same as robbie's tele right off the bat that way but it could cost you five grand as a special order with case

but before you do that, find out if robbie uses the older PAF or a 60s stock gibson patented humbucker though that may only be a minor point but if you are going to go usa custom shop, you might as well get it right all the way

[adambet2]

the price on the '60s reissue is very good, right within my price range. i couldn't afford a 5 grand guitar just yet. i think i'd prefer the rosewood fretboard, as it wouldn't show wear like a maple would.

so can anyone help identify that humbucker he's using?

[Elliot Easton]

Originally Posted by adambet2

the price on the '60s reissue is very good, right within my price range. i couldn't afford a 5 grand guitar just yet. i think i'd prefer the rosewood fretboard, as it wouldn't show wear like a maple would.

so can anyone help identify that humbucker he's using?

There was only one company making humbucking pickups at that time. Wanna take a wild guess?

[adambet2]

Gibson? I wasn't sure what was meant by a "PAF", etc., humbucker.

[Elliot Easton]

Go to the head of the class! Yes, it had to be a Gibson. PAF refers to 'Patent Applied For', a sticker that was applied to the bottom of the early humbuckers from '57-'61 or so, but if I were you, I'd give either Jason Lollar or Lindy Fralin a call and describe to them the type of sound you're looking for. They're both great and should nail it for you.

[adambet2]

so that would be this?:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...kup?sku=306000

i noticed on his tele the screws/poles (?) on the pickup are on facing the bottom, while on some Gibson guitars i've seen they are facing the top. why is that? could a guitar shop install one into the neck position pretty easily, ie no cutting or anything?

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Telemarkman

Here's my 60's Classic in Olympic White with an all-white aftermarket pickguard from WD Music:

What a superb look. Very nice.

[Elliot Easton]

The '57 Classic is a fine choice. The reason for flipping the pickup so that the polepieces are on the bottom edge is to pick up the string vibration a bit further down, toward the bridge. This will yield a slightly brighter, less muddy tone. The famous Peter Green Les Paul has the neck pickup oriented the same way. This will not only affect the tone in the way I have described, but also the 2 pickup setting will have a bit more chime, not a bad thing at all. Installing the humbucker in a stock Tele will require some routing in the body to accommodate the larger pickup, but a good repairman can do it easily. Here's another possible reason for reversing the pickup: on a Strat, or even a Les Paul, the polepieces of the neck pickup fall directly under the 2nd harmonic, sort of where the 24th fret would be. This is always preferable as it will give a more ringing, harmonically rich tone. One more idea: if you have a push-pull tone pot installed, you can split the humbucker to a single coil for that great 2 pickup jangle that is such a great sound on a Telecaster. Although it won't sound exactly like a stock Tele neck pickup, it will be close, giving you the option of having the guitar get all of the classic Tele sounds plus the humbucking tone. I doesn't require any extra cutting or routing, but you'll have a couple of more useable sounds on the guitar. Just a thought...

[Telehackster]

Originally Posted by Elliot Easton

I'm a huge Robbie fan and ordered it to look like the one he played during '67-70 or so.

OK, this is either a strange coincidence or Elliot is part of an elaborate conspiracy: Afer reading this thread earlier, I decided it was time to pick up some more Band CDs; when I added them to my Amazon cart, one of the recommendations that came up was this one! Seems like fate to me.

[Elliot Easton]

That is wild! No conspiracy, just great minds thinking alike! 8>)

[62_Inca_Esquire]

For those with some extra $$$ to burn, these are $2700, and DEFINITELY capture the "spirit" of Robbie's guitar in the pictures....

[IPLAYLOUD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0z0a...eature=related

Same guitar before the Humbucker?

My guess...early 50's body with a newer ('66 to '69) Maple Cap neck. It has a butterfly retainer and no filled plug on the headstock. No "new" Tele could yellow that much, that fast (even with the way they smoked).
Yes, the pic showing grain was stripped...most probably the same body.
Robbie goofed with Guitars...his famous 50's Strat was done in a Brown, a Black Guard, and the middle pickup moved next to the bridge.

(He flipped the neck humbucker around to throw us off...he knew it would play with our heads 35 years later!)

[Elliot Easton]

Who knows? It could be the same neck w/a different body, or the same body before it was stripped! Impossible to know for sure. I'm friends with Robbie's son Sebastian. I could ask him, but he probably won't know, and even Robbie might not remember!

[nosuch]

IMHO it's cool that in these days the musician just grabbed a guitar from the normal production and optimized it for their needs. no custom shop blabla, no fear of ruining the value. players they were!

[adambet2]

so does this mean that his wasn't a '60s tele? i'd really like to make sure before i buy one...

[Elliot Easton]

It was a '60's Tele.

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by adambet2

so does this mean that his wasn't a '60s tele? i'd really like to make sure before i buy one...

The one he used for "Tom Thumb's Blues" is definitely a typical early 60's "white" (blonde) Telecaster with a white guard and a rosewood board. This was the standard Tele in those days, played by Robbie, Bloomfield, Cropper, Bernie Leadon, Chris Hillman and even myself (Some years later) ...

The one with a humbucker and the natural looking finish may be a 60's as well; At least the neck is consistent with a late 60's Tele, but the first picture I've seen of him with this Tele is from 1970 or 1971 ("Rock Of Ages" was recorded in 1972). But as IPLAYLOUD said, it may be an older body with a newer neck, pickguard and humbucker added later.

And thank you boris for the kind words ..... Coming from you, that means something I guess ...

[Elliot Easton]

I think at this point you've gathered all the information you need to make an enlightened choice. Just relax, find a sweet one and enjoy the ride! Anyway, that's my call.

[adambet2]

i noticed that in all the Band photos he is using a maple neck. i just would be dissapointed if i got the '60s reissue, only to find out later that his Band teles were not '60s.

[Elliot Easton]

Most of his best stuff was recorded in the '60's so how could the guitars be '70's? At this point you're overthinking the whole thing. Let it go already!

[milocj]

Just out of curiosity, what amps did Robbie use during his days with The Band? The Last Waltz looks like he may be playing through a tweed Bassman and the King Harvest clip looks like maybe a SF Bandmaster.