TAd?

[bterry]

So, this amazing '54 Esquire I have checks out all-around, but I'm a bit perplexed by the neck dating. It's signed Tad 4-54, and it certainly is a very, very lovely neck. Paint is over the pencil marks and it matches up w/ the body paint, I know it's original, but...I've never seen a Tad on a Fender Neck before - anyone out there can shed some light on it? Did Tadeo Gomez sign necks this way as well?

 

[digmeout]

First, I'm not a guitar expert, I just like to look at the cool old guitar! I saw your post and just for the heck of it I googled Tadeo Gomez Fender neck, went to images and found one that linked to a Sam Ash used gear site showing a early production fender strat with "1-54-TAd" penciled on the neck heel. It seems maybe Mr. Gomez used different configurations of his initials, and maybe a nickname to mark his work at different times/years? That's the only thing I can figure. Don't know if this helps or not.

 

[PeterUK]

So, this amazing '54 Esquire I have checks out all-around, but I'm a bit perplexed by the neck dating. It's signed Tad 4-54, and it certainly is a very, very lovely neck. Paint is over the pencil marks and it matches up w/ the body paint, I know it's original, but...I've never seen a Tad on a Fender Neck before - anyone out there can shed some light on it? Did Tadeo Gomez sign necks this way as well?

I have a very unpopular theory that, because "Tadeo Gomez" had various different handwriting styles, use different fonts and potential looked to have "signed" necks both left-handed and right-handed, that he infact did sign them all personally but they were signed in his name by various people with him - as shift foreman and leading hand.

I know this is unpopular because TG, Tad or Tadeo Gomez has been elevated to legendary super luthier status, and even the smoothed neck volute has been named after him: the Tadeo Taper, and people don't life the mythical bubble bursting.

But ask yourself this: Do you sign your name in different fonts and styles and use both left and right-hand the make that signature? No? Then why should Mr. Gomez?

I do believe he was a very skilled worker but he wasn't what we call a master luthier we know today.

So my answer. Mr. Gomez may have signed your neck (and body); or it may have been someone else on his behalf.

Peter

Disclaimer. This is my theory. Not proven; nor has any other theories about Mr. Gomez or others in those early Fullerton days.

 

[PeterUK]

First, I'm not a guitar expert, I just like to look at the cool old guitar! I saw your post and just for the heck of it I googled Tadeo Gomez Fender neck, went to images and found one that linked to a Sam Ash used gear site showing a early production fender strat with "1-54-Tad" penciled on the neck heel. It seems maybe Mr. Gomez used different configurations of his initials, and maybe a nickname to mark his work at different times/years? That's the only thing I can figure. Don't know if this helps or not.

Ha ha! Or did he?! We'll never know.

Loving this post so far!

Peter

 

[bterry]

Thanks!

Hmmm...I think the theory sounds a bit 'reversed-engineered', if that makes sense. Not sure what the purpose of doing that would have been back in '54?

The neck is great, I just hadn't ever seen a pic or heard anyone mention that Tadeo had sometimes 'signed' the necks 'Tad'. If he did (or whomever) that's cool, too...I've always just seen T.G. + month-year.

 

[Teleman57]

Regardless it's an awesome guitar..... The romance is that it could be so it is! No proof or documentation required...Love it, enjoy it, revel in it! I hope to find one next year.....

 

[Major Gruber]

All this is very recent in history and involved many people from which we're separed by very few generations. It's funny how difficult it is to get certainties about such simple facts (not talking of the stamped "D"). My feeling is that this was about crafting guitars and the markings were just details. A neck is marked Tad instead of TG, and nobody would have cared. Still for me, the writings seems perfectly coherent with other examples of TG's pencil marks.

 

[overlock]

The handwriting on the "Tad" neck looks, to me, very like that in Major Gruber's montage. The T and the 4 have very similar formations. There's a slight difference in the 5, with the top bar overhanging the downstroke, but that could be attributed to the sometimes unreliable mechanics of writing on wood. One thing is a wee bit odd: capital T and A, followed by the small d. You'd want to see more examples before calling it one way or the other.

 

[bterry]

yeah, I am not worried about the authenticity of the neck, this guitar is well-documented and was with the same owner since the early 60s. Also, I've played/owned many '54-'55 Teles/Esquires and this neck fits the profile, so to speak, and the wear on it is legit.

That '54 Strat mentioned above is the same, TAd - that's the only other pic I've seen so thanks for finding it!

 

[digmeout]

I have a very unpopular theory that, because "Tadeo Gomez" had various different handwriting styles, use different fonts and potential looked to have "signed" necks both left-handed and right-handed, that he infact did sign them all personally but they were signed in his name by various people with him - as shift foreman and leading hand.

I know this is unpopular because TG, Tad or Tadeo Gomez has been elevated to legendary super luthier status, and even the smoothed neck volute has been named after him: the Tadeo Taper, and people don't life the mythical bubble bursting.

But ask yourself this: Do you sign your name in different fonts and styles and use both left and right-hand the make that signature? No? Then why should Mr. Gomez?

I do believe he was a very skilled worker but he wasn't what we call a master luthier we know today.

So my answer. Mr. Gomez may have signed your neck (and body); or it may have been someone else on his behalf.

Peter

Disclaimer. This is my theory. Not proven; nor has any other theories about Mr. Gomez or others in those early Fullerton days.

Peter, I understand exactly what you are saying. If Mr. Gomez was the lead worker in the neck department with 2-3 people working under him and someone presented a finished neck and it was up to his standards, he would sign, inital and date it to put it into production at the next step. Makes as much sense as anything else. Now "looked to have "signed" necks both left-handed and right-handed" is very interesting to me. Could he have been ambidextrous, and this is one of the reasons he produced such exemplary necks? As you say, we may never know.

 

[PeterUK]

I suspect we'll never know. There are so many "mysteries", folklore and unknowns about the earliest days that my - or other people's - wacky theories will never be proven. Or indeed, disproven.

By the way, I wasn't suggesting yours is not authentic or original.

Enjoy it and thank you so much for sharing.

Peter

 

[digmeout]

Peter, not so much a theory as a what if? A musing I guess. Thanks, and have a good one.

 

[Jack S]

Tadeo Gomez did use TAd sometimes when signing the necks. I have seen pictures before of necks marked that way, he also signed his full name once in awhile, but most often signed T.G.

 

[bterry]

Thanks for the input, all!! Seems like I just added my guitar neck to a long-running mystery

What a neck, though!

 

[Teleman57]

Thanks for the input, all!! Seems like I just added my guitar neck to a long-running mystery



What a neck, though!

And "what a neck" is what it really comes down to after all! Enjoy!

 

[bterry]

Absolutely!

 

[Watto]

I all depends on how long his pencil was and if it needed sharpening , (not a fact, but a tongue in cheek thought)


have you ever tried to sign the end of a neck ? No where to rest your hand, not easy to be consistent .

 

[Tedzo]

Not sure how current this post is, but here's another for the pile....I'm convinced that 90% are real TG markings....but which TG? Mine has only the date.....some others as well were missing his initials.

 

[Adam Wolfaardt]

Anyone ever seen one that looks like this?

 

[PeterUK]

Anyone ever seen one that looks like this?

Does that say 67. Mr. Gomez had long gone by then.

Peter