Hello, am new to the Forum. Also am posting a wood identification question for all the Tele gurus here.

[LoveMyTeles]

Hello everyone. I just joined the Forum.

Am a long-term amateur fanatic, not a professional. Am retired, love guitars (restoring, playing, etc) and am partway through Berklee's online program as my retirement reward for myself.

Have four Tele's. My fav is a blonde US-made Nashville, with the cool binding and belly cut. I replaced the noiseless pickups, which seemed neutered to me, with a Lollar Tele/blonde set. Also have a 52 US reissue, and replaced the pickups with Don Mares' Joel Foy set. It still didn't sound right, so I replaced the passive electronics with an Emerson pre-wired kit. Sounds killer now! Something was wrong with the original Fender electronics.. Also have a Custom Shop 60's Tele that is beautiful.

My latest Tele is a 1995 MIJ TC72. I have a new Fender CuNiFe HB for the neck, and found a matching single-coil Alnico 5 for the bridge. Don't know why Fender doesn't offer this as a standalone product; possibly supply shortage.

Can anyone help me identify the body wood? The guitar weights 7.7 lbs, if that helps. I am attaching three photos: front, back and neck pocket. I wiped a tiny amount of water on the neck pocket so the grain would show in the photo, but as a result the wood is slightly darker than it naturally appears. Fender's website does not have a build sheet for this item, and I have reached out to Fender but have not heard back yet.

I am thinking either alder or ash, but most likely ash. The guitar weight, and grain swirls, make me think it is not basswood.

Might not be able to definitively solve this mystery, but all inputs are very welcome!

thank you

 

[4pickupguy]

Welcome from Tejas!

 

[ale.istotle]

Welcome!
The body does not look like ash to me. I think it may actually be poplar which I think was spec for the 1995 catalog. See post #8 here https://www.strat-talk.com/threads/identifying-wood-type-on-fender-strat-mij-1994-1995.495196/

Nice guitar.

 

[yegbert]

I’ve no clue on the wood, but welcome to the TDPRI!

 

[schmee]

Hello everyone. I just joined the Forum.

Am a long-term amateur fanatic, not a professional. Am retired, love guitars (restoring, playing, etc) and am partway through Berklee's online program as my retirement reward for myself.

Have four Tele's. My fav is a blonde US-made Nashville, with the cool binding and belly cut. I replaced the noiseless pickups, which seemed neutered to me, with a Lollar Tele/blonde set. Also have a 52 US reissue, and replaced the pickups with Don Mares' Joel Foy set. It still didn't sound right, so I replaced the passive electronics with an Emerson pre-wired kit. Sounds killer now! Something was wrong with the original Fender electronics.. Also have a Custom Shop 60's Tele that is beautiful.

My latest Tele is a 1995 MIJ TC72. I have a new Fender CuNiFe HB for the neck, and found a matching single-coil Alnico 5 for the bridge. Don't know why Fender doesn't offer this as a standalone product; possibly supply shortage.

Can anyone help me identify the body wood? The guitar weights 7.7 lbs, if that helps. I am attaching three photos: front, back and neck pocket. I wiped a tiny amount of water on the neck pocket so the grain would show in the photo, but as a result the wood is slightly darker than it naturally appears. Fender's website does not have a build sheet for this item, and I have reached out to Fender but have not heard back yet.

I am thinking either alder or ash, but most likely ash. The guitar weight, and grain swirls, make me think it is not basswood.

Might not be able to definitively solve this mystery, but all inputs are very welcome!

thank you

Looks like poplar to me. My best strat ever had a poplar body. I think it's great. It's definitely not ash.

 

[RodeoTex]

I'd also say poplar because of that green mineral streak in the neck pocket and the look of the grain.

 

[unixfish]

I would have guess alder, but @ale.istotle is probably right.

Welcome.

 

[maxvintage]

poplar judging from the greenish color in the neck pocket. No way is that Ash

 

[brookdalebill]

Howdy and welcome!

 

[LoveMyTeles]

Thank you to everyone for the thoughtful replies. Poplar wood did not appear on my initial radar screen; I had thought MIJ's of the period were ash, basswood, or alder. I am now leaning towards my new guitar being poplar.

The link/photos posted by @ale.istotle do indeed closely resemble the unpainted wood I can see in the neck pocket, thx much.. There is also some green color as noted by a couple of responders, which also suggests poplar.

The sunburst version of the TC72 does not appear in any mid-90's Fender Japan catalog I could find online. There is a TC72 in black, in poplar, as well as a couple of Strats. These sunburst TC72's are not that uncommon (always a few on Reverb, but fewer than the black ones). Not sure why it was not in the Fender catalog, but as we all know there are lots of valid Fenders Parkers Gibsons etc that don't show up in the catalogs. If Fender Japan was asked, or wanted, to make sunburst 72 reissues it makes sense they might grab available poplar bodies instead of something totally different. But, small batches made from whatever was on hand was also done. I have seen listings of this model where different sellers say, ash, basswood, or alder but they may just be guessing without specific data to back it up.

So happy with the responses from everyone, please keep the ideas coming! If Fender is able to provide any new info I will post it to the Forum.

 

[hd09]

Welcome enjoy the Tele

 

[kuch]

welcome aboard. you could always share pics of all of your tele's, or all of your other guitars too.

 

[mfguitar]

Welcome to the forum! Let me pile on by saying definitely not Ash. I would guess Poplar as well but could be Alder or Basswood.

 

[FrankJames]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[thunderbyrd]

Welcome. Just play it.

 

[FabriceKaiser]

Hello everyone. I just joined the Forum.

Am a long-term amateur fanatic, not a professional. Am retired, love guitars (restoring, playing, etc) and am partway through Berklee's online program as my retirement reward for myself.

Have four Tele's. My fav is a blonde US-made Nashville, with the cool binding and belly cut. I replaced the noiseless pickups, which seemed neutered to me, with a Lollar Tele/blonde set. Also have a 52 US reissue, and replaced the pickups with Don Mares' Joel Foy set. It still didn't sound right, so I replaced the passive electronics with an Emerson pre-wired kit. Sounds killer now! Something was wrong with the original Fender electronics.. Also have a Custom Shop 60's Tele that is beautiful.

My latest Tele is a 1995 MIJ TC72. I have a new Fender CuNiFe HB for the neck, and found a matching single-coil Alnico 5 for the bridge. Don't know why Fender doesn't offer this as a standalone product; possibly supply shortage.

Can anyone help me identify the body wood? The guitar weights 7.7 lbs, if that helps. I am attaching three photos: front, back and neck pocket. I wiped a tiny amount of water on the neck pocket so the grain would show in the photo, but as a result the wood is slightly darker than it naturally appears. Fender's website does not have a build sheet for this item, and I have reached out to Fender but have not heard back yet.

I am thinking either alder or ash, but most likely ash. The guitar weight, and grain swirls, make me think it is not basswood.

Might not be able to definitively solve this mystery, but all inputs are very welcome!

thank you

Hey, I think it looks more like alder than Ash although alder tends to darken when exposed to air for a while.
Also, given that we're apparently dealing with an older guitar, my money is on poplar, which was commonly used in the 90's.

 

[ClashCityTele]

I'm no expert but...poplar seems to be popular!

 

[Chester P Squier]

Not a wood expert here. Sorry I can't help.

But welcome to the TDPRI! It's a great place.

Make yourself at home.

 

[arlum]

Welcome to TDPRI. So glad you were able to pull the wood masters away from their stills. When the boys come to take you into the woods for your initiation it's a good idea to bring your own cup. The one they gave me to use was really nasty.

 

[Stringbanger]

Welcome to the fold!

Sb