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

[adambet2]

I am trying to figure out what telecaster Robertson is playing in these photos: (scroll all the way down to the color pic)

http://theband.hiof.no/band_pictures..._sia_1972.html

it has 8 holes in the pickguard. i want to buy a tele just like this one, and i've been looking into a '52 reissue, but the color on his is more of a solid color, while the '52 reissue photo on musiciansfriend.com is lighter and shows the wood grain (which might not look good with a white pickguard). i understand the "blonde" color has many variations.

so can anyone tell me the model, the color, and if i can buy a new one?


(i read that he had the humbucker installed, so for now we don't need to discuss that)

[Tremolux]

Seems to be the same guitar as in the b&w photos. Looks like a natural finish. Probably an old Tele that had been stripped. Quite common at that time.

[adambet2]

yes, the guitar is the same in all the photos. i just said to look at the one to see it in color. it doesn't look like a stripped guitar, though. i think it definetly is some sort of blonde but i don't know which.

[jwells393]

Pictures were from 1971. Eight hole pickguards began around 1959. So I'd say it's probably a '60s something Telecaster that he modified by putting a humbucker in the neck position.

[garytelecastor]

There is a humbucker in the neck, looks like a 61 or 62, IMHO.

[Elliot Easton]

You could tell a lot and date it pretty easily if you could get a closer look at the logo. Check the DVD of 'Festival Express'. He's playing that guitar. Personally, I always associate him with the black one from the 2nd album.

[63dot]

looks right in between the '65 spaghetti logo tele i had and the '68 black logo i sold

i would say it's a '66 or '67

added humbucker, of course

stripped finish as i don't recall any blonde teles from transition period

the closest thing out there is a 60s reissue fender telecaster...the '52 reissue is way too old and the '62 reissue has binding on it, so get the fender 60's reissue classic telecaster and put a gibson '57 reissue PAF humbucker in it and i think you will be right there

the only thing i remember is that the 60s reissue only comes with rosewood fretboard and the '65-'67 cbs fender teles had a maple neck with rosewood or maple cap fretboard

neck blanks were cut w/o fretboard and added with a rosewood or maple cap at the end to finish it off before frets were added

maybe not the best way to make a maple neck with maple fretboard, but this was a cost cutting thing fender did then which helped cement the bad reputation of cbs takeover of fender

but today, a guitar like the transition tele is fully considered a collectible in its own right

[Elliot Easton]

Originally Posted by 63dot

looks right in between the '65 spaghetti logo tele i had and the '68 black logo i sold

i would say it's a '66 or '67

added humbucker, of course

stripped finish as i don't recall any blonde teles from transition period

the closest thing out there is a 60s reissue fender telecaster...the '52 reissue is way too old and the '62 reissue has binding on it, so get the fender 60's reissue classic telecaster and put a gibson '57 reissue PAF humbucker in it and i think you will be right there

I've got a masterbuilt '67 in black w/maple 'board built by Dennis Galuszka. I'm a huge Robbie fan and ordered it to look like the one he played during '67-70 or so. It's a killer Tele, one of my fave guitars.

[Tremolux]

The pic directly above the color shot shows the bottom end of the guitar. With all that woodgrain showing, I don't think it can be anything but stripped.

[62_Inca_Esquire]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Y98...eature=related

[adambet2]

this pic gives a better view:

http://theband.hiof.no/band_pictures/aerie/rr_71.html

you guys know more about this than i do, but it really looks like a blonde finish to me. if it were stripped, wouldn't you see the grain more? i agree with the post above that you can see the grain on the side of the guitar, but the first (color) pic in my original post shows the top, and it looks like it is a solid color. the video posted above and the footage in Festival Express looks that way as well.

so i can't buy a new tele that looks like that one? i love that finish with the white pickguard.

[Bill Hullett]

look at the video that inca supplied and at the very end you'll see a shot of the neck back.....no skunk stripe which says its a maple cap tele circa 67
`68

Bill Hullett

[jwells393]

Here are a couple of shots from that video.

......
......

The maple cap neck could make it as early as '66.

......

[Elliot Easton]

maybe it is the black one, stripped of it's finish...

[62_Inca_Esquire]

Originally Posted by Bill Hullett

look at the video that inca supplied and at the very end you'll see a shot of the neck back.....no skunk stripe which says its a maple cap tele circa 67
`68

Bill Hullett

Thats pretty much what I came up with as well. The video was the best "pics" I could find of it.

[Elliot Easton]

These are some of the images that actually made me want a Telecaster in the first place! This to me is classic Robbie, and I think that it's quite possible that it's the same guitar Dylan played on the '66 tour with the Hawks. Of course, Dylan was on Columbia and Columbia (CBS) owned Fender at the time, so Fender equipment would have been plentiful and readily on offer to the guys. On that basis, I'd probably date the black one to '66. I have a feeling that it's the same guitar you're wondering about...

[adambet2]

so the closest i could get, without getting an original of course, would be a '60s tele reissue? what is the difference between a '60s reissue and a '62 reissue, and which one would be closest to the sound of Robertson's?

[Elliot Easton]

Originally Posted by adambet2

so the closest i could get, without getting an original of course, would be a '60s tele reissue? what is the difference between a '60s reissue and a '62 reissue, and which one would be closest to the sound of Robertson's?

Robbie would sound like Robbie on any guitar, and he does. Just get a nice Tele that you're comfortable with and study his style, attack and phrasing. You'll get there with any guitar, it's not really that important or crucial which one. Just find one that speaks to YOU!

[adambet2]

i agree with all of that, but i just would like to know which one would be the closest to his model.

[Elliot Easton]

A '67 Custom Shop reissue is pretty much an exact replica of what he played up through "Stage Fright", which means most of his best work! The live "Rock of Ages" looks like the stripped down one you were originally asking about (which I believe is the black one anyway), but regardless of the added humbucker, he mostly used the bridge pickup. Hope this helps!

[adambet2]

the '67 custom shop is nice, but at 3 grand probably out of my price range. are the '60s, '62 and '67 reissues vastly different from each other? the '67 is the only one with a maple fretboard... how great is the difference in sound between a maple fretboard and a rosewood?

[Elliot Easton]

There was a CIJ model, called the '70 Tele available. That should get you where you wanna go for around $700-it's a really nice guitar.

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by adambet2

the '67 custom shop is nice, but at 3 grand probably out of my price range. are the '60s, '62 and '67 reissues vastly different from each other? the '67 is the only one with a maple fretboard... how great is the difference in sound between a maple fretboard and a rosewood?

Personally I hear no difference in sound between a maple and a rosewood fretboard. The difference is in the aesthetics, and the maple having a finished surface IMHO.

Both the 60's Classic and the CS '67 Tele have the post-'67 (AKA "modern") wiring, and I'm certain that Robbie's tele had the same.

I've had two '65 Telecasters, and the 60's Classic comes VERY close to the originals. If you learn a bit of Robbie's technique and style, a 60's Classic will do the job (as will most Teles actually).

Get this DVD ..... Jim Weider demonstrats the styles of many of the greats, including Robbie Robertson:http://www.amazon.com/DVD-Get-That-C...8938127&sr=1-1

[shoretyus]

Not sure if there is an Ontario connection. Robbie being Canadian and all. I have a 66' that originally came out of Toronto. Same mod with the humbucker.

I met Jim Cuddy from Blue Rodeo when they were recording their first album. He had a 66', again with the same humbucker mod. His was black and mine at the time was as well.

I have a feeling that somebody in Toronto was doing mods like this or at least the monkey see monkey do factor.

[tuuur]

On a sort of related note... I remember seeing an interview on youtube where Robbie explained how he wrote one of the Band's songs. He played some of that song on a very old battered Tele... I can't find that clip anymore, and no pics of that guitar as well. Does anyone else know?