My old '57 Tele after 47 years!

[Rhomco Guitars]

Anticipation is not the word to describe how excied I am to get to hold my old '57 tele once again after a 47 year old absence. I used to own this most unique tele for a brief time back when I was 17 or 18 years old. Why was it unique? Read on.
The story goes like this:
Sometime in 1967 or thereabouts when I was a 60's teenage guitar freak like everyone else I came accross and old telecaster guitar and traded something I cant recall for it. It was unique because someone had stripped the finish off the body and marquetry inlayed a small rose figure into the top and a large rose figure into the back of the guitar. It was clear coated over the woodwork in what we now refer to as a "Natural Finish". Probably lacquer but I will know for sure after tomorrow. Imagine "Fender Custom Shop" but there was no such thing back in those days. I well remember how conflicted I was to play this thing because I could not decide if it looked "cool" or "sissy" with my Beatle Boots, bell bottom pants and long white Doctors coat. I remember it played really nice but would feedback terribly at the then normal extreme stage volumes we always played at. I suspect the pickups had gone "microphonic" but we never knew anything technical about our guitars back then, all we wanted to do was play them....loud. Back then an old Tele was pretty much a bottom feeder guitar beside our expensive British band look-alike Rickenbackers so I thought nothing of trading it off for a pair of Gibson PA Speaker Cabs.
I ran into an old friend five years ago who remembered me playing that guitar as a teenager and told me she thought she knew who has it now. Well....I finally connected with the current owner who has agreed to let me come see it, touch it, play it and photograph it again after all these years. I am travelling Friday to do the deed of documenting every detail of this guitar for my replica
More to come with photos galore.
Rob
PS: I hope to discover the history of origin for this guitar after introducing it to our forum. Just what if someone knows someone who has photos or recordings of this old girl. Back in the 60's a lot of Country Music pioneers passed through little Abilene, Texas to gigs along US 80 (now I-20). Perhaps it was a starving picker down on his luck that pawned it there. Could have been a horney Airman at Dyess Air Force Base that let it go. I sure hope to learn more about her.

[jonnyfez]

Can't wait to see this!!

[ROADMAN]

that's very cool....kinda like meeting an old girlfriend...( you hope she'll look like you remembered but it might not be the reality)

can't wait to hear the outcome....do you think the owner might sell it back to you ?

[garymaddox]

Count me in too!

[Alamo]

Cool story. I can literally feel the exictement building up.
looking forward to see those pics.

[telex76]

Cool.

[indiobravo]

very nice story!

[tpaul]

Can't wait to see "Rose."

[5am5]

great story - looking forward to seeing the pics :)

d

[christhee68]

Be careful--finding your old guitar is like finding your old girlfriend.

[Elias Graves]

Originally Posted by christhee68

Be careful--finding your old guitar is like finding your old girlfriend.

Yup. Here's hoping she's not fat and toothless with a dozen no account kids who won't move out. :D

EG

[blue metalflake]

Great story - you're vey lucky. Look forward to the pics.

[telekaster1999]

Take two handfuls of cash, you will probably need it.

[tpaul]

Originally Posted by telekaster1999

Take two handfuls of cash, you will probably need it.

What he said.

[acalan]

Are you thinking of buying it again? Good luck.

[TexasTwang]

if shes anything like my ex, shes probably doing much better, and is much happier without you. be prepared for that:)

[Omiewise65]

Glad you can hold your baby real close after all these years .
I think this must be tears i have in my eyes right now .
Can't wait to see those pics of the rose .

[Rhomco Guitars]

Originally Posted by acalan

Are you thinking of buying it again? Good luck.

Not a chance he would sell it and most likely I could not afford it if he did. The resulting divorce would just cost too much.
Rob

[musicmatty]

Kind of sad really...like seeing an old dog you gave away and then realized what a friend you had that you gave up on

[PMF1954]

Great story. Looking forward to the pics.