About to pull the trigger on a 69 Tele - few Q's...

Looks like a cool axe. I would guess the body is a 3 piece, but it's difficult to tell with all the checking. The headstock looks like it was refinished or something, the way it peeled is unusual. If the action is good now, there's a good chance you wil never need to adjust the truss rod, I'm not sure if it's possible to fix or replace a frozen one. I would give it a little WD-40 to try to loosen it, beware leaving it too "wet"; it can attract dust, which will hold moisture and could make the corrosion worse. Good luck!

 

Looks like 3 pieces.
Original bridge (without saddles) I've seen on ebay. I think the seller had more of them.
Scratchplate would be safest in repro or scan Reverb and eBay for a while.

 

Great looking guitar!

 

You would be surprised at what that brass bridge would sell if you would put it on Ebay with the right description

 

Great looking instrument there. I don't consider any period mods as detractors at all, but the bridge is a little late for my taste. I like everything else, but would use something other than WD-40. WD-40 is designed to displace moisture, not so much loosen frozen parts and there isn't much place for water to go inside the truss rod cavity. I think I would drizzle some Kroil in there instead.

Really great instrument, I am jealous.

 

I have a 68, was cut for a humbucker that year and installed the same brass 6 saddle. That looks like a "Badass" brass, out of production now. I still have it but recently put back the original 3 saddle. Highest offer so far was $45 so I never sold it. Looks like the bridge Keith Richards uses on his 5 string. Intonates better for jazz standards and has a warmer sound than the original steel 3 saddle.

Suggest you buy a good aftermarket bridge or new Fender bridge as mentioned, change the control,panel, re-wire it the way it should be. I wouldn't search or pay for original parts - they aren't better IMO just expensive and there's a lot of bs out there. I recently installed a Dimarzio DP211 humbucker to avoid overpowering the bridge p/u. Back to the way it was in 68 but now with an Area T noiseless bridge p/u for recording. Not as much guts as the original but no ice-pick. I also use an Area T neck p/u with a new pickguard as the original neck p/u went south. A common problem from what I've read.

I found a new pickguard that fits, installed noiseless single-coils. Walked into a local music store, he had about 15 pickguards and one of them fit right on, didn't even have to re-drill the screw-holes but had to float the neck p/u. Doesn't look original but gets the job done and I can switch into either configuration with a soldering gun and 1/2 hour of my time.

 

Based on the look of that bridge I expect it to be an original old Schecter bridge. These are highly sought after by Keith Richards/Micawber fans. They look specifically for Schecter (not Badass/Gotoh/Kluson, although I cannot tell the difference). If you offer it on Ebay as Schecter with the words Keith Richards Micawber in the description I am sure you will get a good price. This is a completed auction for a NOS original Schecter (sold for $267). Yours has a superior and exactly right patina for a Micawber copy. It will look much more authentic.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1970-039-s-1980-039-s-SCHECTER-TELECASTER-GUITAR-BRIDGE-ORIGINAL-BRASS-GOLD-MINT-/371944059392?hash=item569997f200:g:844AAOSw42JZEKBV&nma=true&si=R%2F0YZmURqUZdjNAXtuvVzBOwzRA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

BTW I love the look of that 69 "as is". That specific 70s modified look is historically significant. It is a look that is as classic as the original look. A prime example of a stripped hippie finished neck humbucker modified Tele! It even has the brass bridge and the phase switch. It inspired Fender to introduce the 'Natural' finish and Tele Custom model in the 70s. They even had their own version of the high mass brass bridge.

Don't 'restore' it!! It is much cooler and interesting as-is.

 

Me...

I would put a white buck-to-SC route cover in the neck and stick an SC in there.

 

That looks stripped/natural to me.
That alone cuts the value by half.
I'd forget buying original parts...the used parts market is sick.
'69 has an oddball pick guard.
Probably set you back $600+ for a decent one.

 

.. don't let WD40 near it again....as already pointed out its not really a penetrating oil but a preservative gunk,designed to leave a sticky film on metal that inhibits corrosion.In fact try to avoid petroleum based oils near wood,esp bare wood,at all times.they can cause wood to swell and soften and are almost impossible to remove.
Leave the rod unless you really need to adjust it.I'd need to see the corrosion to make a proper suggestion but carefully heating the nut is one way to free it....there is another scarier variation but really a stuck truss rod nut on a nice old instrument is an experienced pro job....
There are plenty of places that will do a custom scratchplate cheaply if you want to replace the pickup...for a '69 you need the pearloid on the bottom,thats if you want authentic!
If you want it back pretty original,use reliced or age your own modern parts.
Natural was not a standard finish for these in '69,came in about '72 for solid teles.I'd leave it,grain looks fine and it looks like an old job.You'd spend big money for an authentic refin and most amateur jobs look exatly that,amateur.Really all you need is bridge and scratchplate with the original neck p/u to get it looking classic vintage.

 

Yes, back in the day MANY players refinished their Teles in natural wood to the point that Fender made it a stock finish in response I think.

For what it's worth my April 1969 neck date Tele has a serial number of 2447xx.

 

I think it looks awesome and would not change a thing about it unless it doesn't play well or you hate the tone.

 

Well, congratulations on a deal well done. That's the best outcome that could be had. I like stories like that.

 

Nice! Congrats!