Can you date a telecaster body without taking off the neck?

[daryl69tele]

Are there any clues to determine the age of a telecaster body without looking in the neck pocket?

[KevinB]

Only on older bodies where the use of older technology (no CNC routers) resulted in notches, router humps and oversize neck pockets. Cavity routes changed a little too, but of course you'll have to take the pickguard off to see them.

Lots of stuff at http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html#specs

[StratBluesRock]

Just man up and take the neck off.

[ToneShark]

Jack the Ripper would say no. If he dated Telecaster bodies.

[daryl69tele]

Its a 69 telecaster, but I think it has had some work done in the early eighties. Been in my family since mid eighties.

I'm not worried about taking the necks off on any of my other guitars, but this one has been set with that white paste stuff and its setup so well and sounds so good that I don't want to disturb it. Especially when there may not even be a usable date under there.

It is probably all correct. The neck is may 69, the pick guard looks right and is pearloid underneath indicating 68 / 69, looks like the bridge pickup looks original to me but I think it was rewound by the sticker underneath which says 'Kent Armstrong REWORKED', neck pickup has been swapped.

I'm sure its fine and correct age.

[Robert H.]

Sure... Material. Cut. Finish. Serial Numbers. Hardware. All give "clues."

[KevinB]

Well of course Kent Armstrong is now a pickup manufacturer, but back in the day he repaired and rewound them, originally for his father Dan. Kent moved to London from New York in 1971 to go to school, but continued with pickup repairs.

I'm not sure what you mean by "set up with that white stuff"? It was/is common for white polishing compound to get in cracks and crevices (and neck pockets) as the body was polished out. Do you mean that stuff? But you are correct - there may not be a date in the neck pocket. Mid-60s models onwards rarely have them.

[StratBluesRock]

If the pots are original/period, they should have dates on them.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by StratBluesRock

If the pots are original/period, they should have dates on them.

With CBS, who knows how far back in the Fender inventory they will dig to make a guitar? A pot, heck even entire neck from let's say an Esquire, can be far from date finished guitar left factory. Esquire necks had a way of sitting around Fender for a long time.

The best way to get an idea is from neck, pots, body, characteristics and get a consensus. Some Esquire necks were dated a full four years before leaving the factory in a completely finished product thus explaining discrepancies between neck date and some features on body/pickguard/pickups/parts. Certain necks were OK with all other parts and features but the stickers on them (Spaghetti logo Fender) were backdated to an earlier time at Fender confusing the issue.

Here's a '67 Esquire Custom with typical mid-1965 (or before) Fender spaghetti logo:

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/...22614&p=354947

[blue metalflake]

A few pictures may be a start ....

[Mur]

Not exact date, but probably guess within 6 months by inspection.

[StratBluesRock]

Originally Posted by 63dot

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/...22614&p=354947

I'm not normally a fan of sunburst Teles but that thing is awesome!

[pbenn]

The deepest part of thumb cutaway should be past 17th fret for a '69.

Before summer '69 (Duchossoir p. 54) 45 degree wiring route disappears.

[Ed P]

Originally Posted by StratBluesRock

Just man up and take the neck off.

Now yer talkin'!

[63dot]

Originally Posted by StratBluesRock

I'm not normally a fan of sunburst Teles but that thing is awesome!

It seems to be a tad bit faded and going with somewhat of a honeyburst or un-burst where there should be more red. It brings out the border of the visible sunburst and gives it a unique look. This phenomenon is much more common on Les Pauls with cherry sunburst:

[bluenote23]

The knowledge I have comes almost completely from this forum so take it with a grain of salt.

You won't necessarily find markings or date codes in the neck pocket so taking off the neck may not be conclusive. You will see if there are extra holes in the neck pocket that could indicate a later date for the body.

If you have a middle channel route (between the neck and the bridge pickups) then the body and neck probably match. But not having the middle route for a '69 is normal too.

Check that there is a notch on the bass side at the 17th fret. Check the pot dates. Lots of late 60's Fenders will have 1966 pot dates. If you unscrew the copper plate on the underside of the bridge pickup, there might be a date code underneath.

If the finish is transparent or thin enough, you might be able to make out the paint post holes on the back of the body. These are holes that were made and then plugged up. There is one about halfway between the neckplate and the ferrules and another about two inches from the bottom bout more or less in line with the bottom strap pin and the middle of the neck plate.

I have seen some date codes that were printed just under the pickguard but barring that, finding a precise date for the body is inexact at best.

[gypsy jim]

Originally Posted by ToneShark

Jack the Ripper would say no. If he dated Telecaster bodies.

I knew there was a joke in the title somewhere. Can I date a blonde with a skinny neck without looking at her bridge?