69 Thinline Classic Series neck profile

[PurpleSage]

Can anyone with a MIM 69 Classic Series Thinline give a sense of what the neck profile is like?

I know it's a 'vintage U' but not quite clear how it compares to, for example, the super fat 50s U they do on the newer Vintera 50s models? My assumption is its a similar shape but slightly thinner profile, due to the 60s period recreation?

They are hard to find in the flesh these days, and considering buying one off reverb without the chance to play it...

 

[johnnylaw]

If you like ‘em skinny like the “Modern C”, it won’t your canary.
I find them very comfortable, like a de-tuned 50s shape.
It sure is helpful to get one in your hand if possible though.

 

[PurpleSage]

If you like ‘em skinny like the “Modern C”, it won’t your canary.
I find them very comfortable, like a de-tuned 50s shape.
It sure is helpful to get one in your hand if possible though.

I know, just haven't been able to find one to play...

I definitely want something chunkier than the modern c. When you say 'de-tuned 50s' you mean a slightly softer/thinner 50s U?

 

[johnnylaw]

Yes. Also, the back of the neck is devoid of shoulders; the arc of the carve is less interrupted.
This I appreciate, as my my hands are not large. For me, it’s enough to hang on to, but not so much as to have to work around.
I use bends and vibrato, and find the U shape to be supportive of my “technique” (haha).
Modern Cs give me hand cramps after forty minutes or so.
Where I nest, there are multiple guitar shops within a two hour drive. I would never buy a guitar on line. A good friend always gets online gear from GC because they offer a thirty day return policy. If something doesn’t fit, he eats only the shipping cost. Maybe you should look into something like that.
I may have found the world’s most comfortable shoes, but you’re not wearing my feet.

 

[PurpleSage]

Yes. Also, the back of the neck is devoid of shoulders; the arc of the carve is less interrupted.
This I appreciate, as my my hands are not large. For me, it’s enough to hang on to, but not so much as to have to work around.
I use bends and vibrato, and find the U shape to be supportive of my “technique” (haha).
Modern Cs give me hand cramps after forty minutes or so.
Where I nest, there are multiple guitar shops within a two hour drive. I would never buy a guitar on line. A good friend always gets online gear from GC because they offer a thirty day return policy. If something doesn’t fit, he eats only the shipping cost. Maybe you should look into something like that.
I may have found the world’s most comfortable shoes, but you’re not wearing my feet.

Thanks good description!

Yes, totally agree with you, but the Classic Series isn't made anymore so you can't buy these from a retailer with returns sadly. You either have to get lucky and find one secondhand in a local shop, or buy from another owner on Reverb or eBay...

 

[KyAnne]

Mine (to me) isn't a "baseball bat", but feels like maybe a "half of a baseball bat".
I know you didn't ask but,....... the neck p.u. was pure mud. Had to be changed out.
No amount of "tweaking" guitar or amp(s) could give it life.

 

[fender4life]

I can tell you this much....i have one of the 2002 car color special run ones in candy apple red and it is not a U at all, it's a soft V. I have played several classic series 69 thinlines and yes, normally they are a U shape but not the car color special run model. I mention this only because if you are wanting one but worried u may not like the U, find a 2002 special run. Only thing is, they are all solid colors and some are mahogany bodies. The candy apple red like mine is ash and i think one other is but i can't remember. The info is out there if u can find it. In fact, look for posts here on the subject of fsr thinlines and use my member name because i poted that info here when i got mine from another member here about 2 years ago.This much i can tell you....mine is an absolute killer. It's possibly the best sounding fender i have owned once i got rid of those crappy pickups and put some fender brass saddles on it. The richness and chiminess is off the hook. Unfortunately they are not easy to find but they are out there.

 

[PurpleSage]

interesting you both mention the pickups @KyAnne @fender4life

is the bridge rubbish too, or just the neck? I thought there were reputed to have a decent stock sound...

 

[fender4life]

interesting you both mention the pickups @KyAnne @fender4life

is the bridge rubbish too, or just the neck? I thought there were reputed to have a decent stock sound...

Ok, maybe i'm being overly critical. But they certainly are not anything to write home about and the guitar can be improved a lot with a good set. For $50 a set of bootstraps will be a big improvement, and fender compensated saddles will improve the basic sound a lot too. Subjective yes, but i defy anyone to find less than a majority of players who wouldn't think so. There are few low to mid range fenders that are ever equipped with their best saddles and pickups because if they did that a lot fewer people want their higher end. They tend to use saddles and pickups to lower the tone quality compared to their higher range guitars because otherwise the same designs will sound the same. The bridge plate is fine and i have had a AVRI plate on it and there was no difference. But the saddles are not the best for tone. At about $20 a set of fender compensated brass will make it sound bigger and richer. Like i said, mine sounds so good i might say it's the best sounding fender i've ever owned or certainly right up there with the best. BUT, before i upgraded the saddles and pickups it was good but not great. It's so cheap to upgrade it i don't see the sense in leaving it stock when theres such a great improvement. As to neck pickup vs bridge, both are not great buy as KyAnne said the neck is worse. Like many tele neck pickups it';s pure mud.

 

[KyAnne]

Li'l' 59 went into my bridge and Wilde Keystone deluxe went into neck. The one meg pots didn't do this guitar any favors either. Both were changed to 250K. Vast improvement.

 

[fender4life]

Li'l' 59 went into my bridge and Wilde Keystone deluxe went into neck. The one meg pots didn't do this guitar any favors either. Both were changed to 250K. Vast improvement.

Mine had 250k's. Are you talking about a 72 thinline with WRHB pickups? Because those had 1M pots, (i think) but i'm not aware of any fenders with regular tele single coils that came with 1M pots. The original 72 thinlines had 1M so when they did the reissues they used 1M at least in some of them from what i have heard. I had one but i can't remember if it had 1M because that was about 10 years ago.

 

[Junior59]

I have a 2007 MIM Classic 69 Thinline. As described above- neck doesn’t really have ‘shoulders’. I would categorize it as being ‘round’. Not a baseball bat, but it has a little more girth with the roundness, than a ‘slim’ neck.

For comparisons- I’m a Les Paul Jr player, and I find the MIM 69 TL neck acceptable, if a little smallish compared to what I’m used to.

 

[KyAnne]

Mine had 250k's. Are you talking about a 72 thinline with WRHB pickups? Because those had 1M pots, (i think) but i'm not aware of any fenders with regular tele single coils that came with 1M pots. The original 72 thinlines had 1M so when they did the reissues they used 1M at least in some of them from what i have heard. I had one but i can't remember if it had 1M because that was about 10 years ago.

My MIM '69 Thinline came with both single coils. It was made in 2009. I bought it as new "on the wall" at a Mom/Pop operation going out of business for $651 total, inc. tax. Street price at the time was $940. Didn't come with a case either!

 

[fender4life]

My MIM '69 Thinline came with both single coils. It was made in 2009. I bought it as new "on the wall" at a Mom/Pop operation going out of business for $651 total, inc. tax. Street price at the time was $940. Didn't come with a case either!

Thats strange. I never heard of fender using 1M pots except on the models with wide range humbuckers. Maybe it was a mistake at the factory. Great deal tho. I got mine for $500 used from a member here who lived near me. It's a true keeper. Your deal was great for a new one tho. I got a similar deal on a '06 MIM classic 60s tele in '14 that the ma and pa i've gone to forever had in thier storeroom for 8 years ! They had put it there after it had been on the floor for a long time and they needed showroom space for new guitars so they put it in storage and forgot about it till i asked if they had one and the computer showed it in storage. The sold it to me for about what you paid, $640 OTD if i recall correctly. It's one of those guitars i kicked myself for selling.

 

[johnnylaw]

The ‘69 Thinline is notorious for having been shipped from Fender with 1meg pot.
They must be an acquired taste or something.

 

[fender4life]

The ‘69 Thinline is notorious for having been shipped from Fender with 1meg pot.
They must be an acquired taste or something.

I guess because mine was a FSR or maybe some eras they just used 250k, but thats what mine had. Who knows. Seems bizarre tho because the only time in history i know fender used 1M was with the WRHB's because they were such a unique pickup and could sound right with 1M. Guess they were dark sounding maybe.

 

[PurpleSage]

Curious to know what pups people have subbed into classic '69 thinlines with success?

I'm looking for a nice clean country twang with that semi-hollow warmth.

@KyAnne how does the lil 59 sound with the semi-hollow body?

Played a solid alder body with 51 nocasters in it yesterday and really like them, despite the fact they're said to be a little hot. Wondering if they would sound good in a semi-hollow body. Maybe it would take a little of the edge off and round out really nicely??

Haven't been able to get my hands on a thinline with any of the 60s vintage voiced pups, maybe fender got it right and thats the way to roll.

 

[KyAnne]

Curious to know what pups people have subbed into classic '69 thinlines with success?

I'm looking for a nice clean country twang with that semi-hollow warmth.

@KyAnne how does the lil 59 sound with the semi-hollow body?

Played a solid alder body with 51 nocasters in it yesterday and really like them, despite the fact they're said to be a little hot. Wondering if they would sound good in a semi-hollow body. Maybe it would take a little of the edge off and round out really nicely??

Haven't been able to get my hands on a thinline with any of the 60s vintage voiced pups, maybe fender got it right and thats the way to roll.

The Wilde Keystone in neck has a clear bell-like clarity but the li'l '59 is a HB and has more output and can get nasty. I don't know if it would do you well if you're looking for twang.

 

[KC]

no good at describing pickups but I love the lollar / gvcg pickups in my shell pink 69 and so does everybody else that picks it up. Now made as the AL3 model, I think. Classic spanky telecaster noise.

 

[fender4life]

Played a solid alder body with 51 nocasters in it yesterday and really like them, despite the fact they're said to be a little hot. Wondering if they would sound good in a semi-hollow body. Maybe it would take a little of the edge off and round out really nicely??

Oh oh oh !!!! Yes ! Well, sorta....i have had nocasters and i really liked the bridge but eventually moved on because it would at times sound kinda thin. That was a few years back, fast forward to today. Just installed a Bootstrap extra crispy a week ago. Same specs as the nocater and i LOVE it ! Never gonna have those moments where it sound too thin like the fender nocaster because it just never does. This is one of the best if not THE best tele bridge pickups i have tried to date even tho i usually go for lower output pickups. Like you said, they are a tad hot but not a lot by any definition. But 2 things...1- it still sounds great with lower gain amp settings and 2-bootstrap also makes a lower wind with the same A3 mags and 42 gauge wind that i suspect will sound very similar but a tad less middy and brighter and lower output, and in fact i have one on order because i have 2 teles and i think it may be perfect having one with the same great sustain and balance and richness as the extra crispy but with a lower output and less mids. Not that the EC is overly middy by any means but i'd like my already more middy sounding 60s tele tele to be a little more scooped than the other. The EC is in my thinline and i am absolutely loving it. And any slight added mids works great with that guitar's brightness. Putting it in that guitar was a wow moment. Had that tele for a couple years and after having tried 3 or 4 pickups in it the EC sounds like a match made in heaven. But i will try the original recipe in both and if i find i like it even more in both i may order another OR or unwind the EC till it's 6.4k like the OR. But maybe not because i am just loving that EC as is. The EC is wound to over 7k like a nocaster.

Till i get the OR i can't tell you that would be the better option, (even if i could it's still subjective) but the EC is heaven in my thinline and sounds to me like better version of the nocaster. As for necks, i have a dimarzio twang king in the thinline but my other tele has a bootstrap pretzel. They are similar with the same A5/42AWG but the dimarzio is 6.2k and the pretzel is 5.6k and therefore a bit cleaner and chimier. I'm sorta torn between which i like better but given the choice i'd choose the BS since it's 1/2 the cost. But i will likely leave the dimazio in the thinline sine output wise it's probably a slightly better match for the EC in the bridge. In any case, if you liked that nocaster i would more then strongly suggest you try the EC in the bridge. And if u don't like it he will exchange it and u don't even have to pay shipping. He sends you a bag with a prelableled postage paid box in it and even includes the exchange pickup in it so you don't even have to send yours back first then wait for the new one to arrive. Killer customer service. And if you decide you love the sound but want a bit less mids and output, exchange it for the OR. You just cant lose. And u would be lucky to find a used nocaster bridge pickup for twice the cost of one EC. No brainer !