Take me back to 1978

[rattlesnakehoey]

Greetings Teleholics, I have a left hook 1978 maple neck, white scratch plate Fender telecaster in great condition. Originally black I foolishly sanded it all the way back & refinished it in a cream color. I now understand the error of my ways would like to restore it back to factory black. I hear about 'poly' thick rich paint? What is it (I am no painter) & how do I go about putting an original finish back on the tel that will match up with the nicely aged maple neck . All advice appreciated.

[keithcc]

Originally Posted by rattlesnakehoey

Greetings Teleholics, I have a left hook 1978 maple neck, white scratch plate Fender telecaster in great condition. Originally black I foolishly sanded it all the way back & refinished it in a cream color. I now understand the error of my ways would like to restore it back to factory black. I hear about 'poly' thick rich paint? What is it (I am no painter) & how do I go about putting an original finish back on the tel that will match up with the nicely aged maple neck . All advice appreciated.

You don't want to do that. Leave it as it is. If someone really wants an "all original" one they will find one, but the reason people stripped the finish is that it killed the tone.

[garytelecastor]

Welcome to the forum.
I too am an owner of a 78.
I left mine sunburst.
Keith are you saying that the finish was responsible for killing the tone of the guitar?

[telideli]

I have a '76 tele. I love the tone!...that's why I still have it as my 'one and only' tele.

[brokenjoe]

I used to have a '78. It was the first real tele I owned, but it stolen from me years ago.

For years, I took -good natured- ribbing from other guitarists who said that that era of Fender products was the worst because the pickups were different, and the finish was so thick it killed the tone. I never cared though. It sounded like a tele to me.

Nowadays, that era of Fender product fetches a LOT more than what I paid for mine.

Just goes to show -hang on to something long enough, and all of it's supposed weakness become desirables.

[rattlesnakehoey]

Thanx fer yer input guys but I really want to get it black again as per factory spec but unsure about what paint to use.

[Post Toastie]

Call fender and ask them, i am sure they will tell you.

[keithcc]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

Welcome to the forum.
I too am an owner of a 78.
I left mine sunburst.
Keith are you saying that the finish was responsible for killing the tone of the guitar?

Some of them it did, some of them it didn't. The thickness and the way the paint was mixed varied greatly. Some of those guitars really were pretty good out of the box, at least with a setup. Others were skunks in which there was a good guitar waiting to get out and still others were irredeemable.

There was a fix for everything except the dense, heavy and dead wood used in some of the bodies. Sloppy pockets could be linered and refitted. Super thick finishes could be stripped. Squealing pickups could be potted and cold solder joints redone.

'79-80 was the worst year but '75 is where the real trouble zone starts. Quality took a big step up after the eighties buyout, slacked off some, improved, slacked off... Still there never was a time when either zero or 100 percent of the Fenders were good off the line. But I'd say late 50s to the CBS uyout was 75 percent good. and at the nadir maybe twenty.

[keithcc]

Originally Posted by rattlesnakehoey

Thanx fer yer input guys but I really want to get it black again as per factory spec but unsure about what paint to use.

If it's a '78 it was sprayed with a two part polyurethane system similar to Imron or Alumigrip. I know Fender used DuPont, Ditzler and at least one or two other suppliers. Earlier post-CBS Fenders may have had a polyester paint, such as was used by Burns in England, but you can't get that stuff any more AFAIK.

You will not help the tone by spraying this on the guitar but how badly it will hurt depends on the thickness with which it is applied and how resonant the body is without it on.

Now, if you shoot it with a more modern system designed with musical instruments in mind, it will sound better and (almost) no one will know. However, no matter what you spray on there you will not get the exact look of factory paint, because urethanes age a certain way. Actually it is easier to exactly duplicate Custom Color nitro finishes than either urethanes or the commoner nitro sunbursts. The toughest thing to do exactly right is a 3 tone burst....

So what I am really saying is, you are chasing your own tail. You will never get it dead nuts on. But then again, few will really care.

[68 Shovelhead]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

Welcome to the forum.
I too am an owner of a 78.
I left mine sunburst.
Keith are you saying that the finish was responsible for killing the tone of the guitar?

The poly killing tone is very debatable, do a search you will find much on that subject. As for your finish, my opinion is guitars are only original once. Yours has already been refinished, so if you ever sold it would be sold as a refin regardless how close the color or paint material is to original. I'd leave it alone if it were mine and I liked the color.

[steveblues]

Take me back to 1978 with you!, I'd like a 78 Tele as its my year of birth. However, they are getting pricey and its not an option right now.

[nadzab]

Originally Posted by 68 Shovelhead

The poly killing tone is very debatable, do a search you will find much on that subject. As for your finish, my opinion is guitars are only original once. Yours has already been refinished, so if you ever sold it would be sold as a refin regardless how close the color or paint material is to original. I'd leave it alone if it were mine and I liked the color.

All true.

It amuses me that people are under the impression that a poly finish kills "resonance", especially when amplified, but no one seems to care about what screwing a big piece of plastic (the pickguard) down to the body will do to said resonance. And what about Fullerplast, the whole purpose of which is to harden and seal the outer surface of the wood?

But I don't want to open that can of worms again. Shovelhead is right, putting an "original" finish back on won't enhance the value, but if it's something you want to do because it will make you like the guitar better, go for it.

[rattlesnakehoey]

Thanx Nadzab

[MickM]

2 coats or 12 coats.....ain't going to make any [i]noticeable[i] difference in resonance. Listen to Waylon's Tele wrapped up tighter than......with leather.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8rAA8K2718

[giginthesky]

when i'm not using my 78 tele, the navy borrow's it as a boat anchor for the ss new jersey.