How can the Custom Shop get simple things wrong?

[scotabilly]

I was just playing my '67 relic Telecaster the other night, and every time I take it out, I wonder why they put a "mint" pickguard on it. I'm pretty sure standard Teles didn't come with those, just the Tele Customs, until the mid-60's when they all changed to white 3 ply. And it's not wrong per se, but it would've been cool if it had the transition logo instead of the black one. Just me ranting about an otherwise pretty good guitar. Carry on...
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[Killing Floor]

It's a beauty. Change the guard if you prefer. Why not?

 

[scotabilly]

Thanks, I was going to change it, but believe it or not, I couldn't find a lefty pickguard with the exact same hole pattern, and I didn't want to make new holes.

 

[JL_LI]

I could live with the logo. The mint guard would be gone the day I got the guitar. Otherwise, pretty cool. And I've changed all my stamped metal string trees for disks, but that's a personal thing. BTW, I have a CS heavy relic '69 Strat. Lots on it isn't the way it was on the original, including a sunburst reverse headstock and a back angle bridge pickup. If you ordered it with a different guard and logo, bad on them. If it was purchased from reseller stock, it is what it is. Enjoy your "pretty good" guitar. I'd wager that it's a lot better than that.

 

[middy]

The “mint” pickguards were meant to be white, but the celluloid was translucent and let some of the black layer show through as grey green. As they aged they got even more green. Every instrument from 59-64 or maybe 65 that had a 3 ply guard had the mint effect, some more than others.

But yeah, by 67 they had changed back to pure white.

Since we’re playing pretend anyway, just pretend it’s a 62 with a 67 neck.

 

[57joonya]

I love mint pickguards, but it does look off on that one for some reason. Nice guitar though .

 

[goonie]

The guard is the least if your problems, the whole damn guitar has been built backwards!

 

[scotabilly]

The “mint” pickguards were meant to be white, but the celluloid was translucent and let some of the black layer show through as grey green. As they aged they got even more green. Every instrument from 59-64 or maybe 65 that had a 3 ply guard had the mint effect, some more than others.

But yeah, by 67 they had changed back to pure white.

Since we’re playing pretend anyway, just pretend it’s a 62 with a 67 neck.

I have a ‘69 with a ‘76 neck, but that’s another story.

 

[Fretting out]

The “mint” pickguards were meant to be white, but the celluloid was translucent and let some of the black layer show through as grey green. As they aged they got even more green. Every instrument from 59-64 or maybe 65 that had a 3 ply guard had the mint effect, some more than others.

But yeah, by 67 they had changed back to pure white.

Since we’re playing pretend anyway, just pretend it’s a 62 with a 67 neck.

Ha! Sometimes I play “time machine” I like to pretend if I went back to the period of my reissue guitars how I could justify them not being 100% correct

Like my 88 mij paisley tele has wide dots so for that one if I had to go back to 1969 id justify it by it being a 58 that was refinished in paisley…. I know… I’m sick

 

[Fretting out]

I was just playing my '67 relic Telecaster the other night, and every time I take it out, I wonder why they put a "mint" pickguard on it. I'm pretty sure standard Teles didn't come with those, just the Tele Customs, until the mid-60's when they all changed to white 3 ply. And it's not wrong per se, but it would've been cool if it had the transition logo instead of the black one. Just me ranting about an otherwise pretty good guitar. Carry on...
. View attachment 944507

What year was it built?, I find the older ones are usually less accurate

And… at the point of it having that CBS logo it probably would have had f-tuners

Although since lefties were less common they probably had a surplus of kluson’s, and the tele was one of the last models to get F-Tuners

 

[Tele-friend]

I would leave it as it is. Great guitar!

 

[kennl]

because they had a left-handed mint guard gathering dust and your guitar was an opportunity to reduce the inventory

 

[Chicken Curry]

The “mint” pickguards were meant to be white, but the celluloid was translucent and let some of the black layer show through as grey green. As they aged they got even more green.

That's exactly it, why can't custom shop re-create that?! I would want a pickguard with celluloid that is translucent letting some of the black layer show through as grey green and, as it ages I want it to become more more green.

 

[scotabilly]

because they had a left-handed mint guard gathering dust and your guitar was an opportunity to reduce the inventory

Exactly!

 

[scotabilly]

What year was it built?, I find the older ones are usually less accurate

And… at the point of it having that CBS logo it probably would have had f-tuners

Although since lefties were less common they probably had a surplus of kluson’s, and the tele was one of the last models to get F-Tuners

It's a 2008

Ha! Sometimes I play “time machine” I like to pretend if I went back to the period of my reissue guitars how I could justify them not being 100% correct

Like my 88 mij paisley tele has wide dots so for that one if I had to go back to 1969 id justify it by it being a 58 that was refinished in paisley…. I know… I’m sick

The Fender Custom Shop plays that game too, like a Paisley Thinline "Nocaster".

 

[middy]

I have a ‘69 with a ‘76 neck, but that’s another story.

Actually, it makes sense. A 62 would have had a rosewood fretboard. I don’t think maple was even an option again until a few years later.

So if someone with a 5 year old Tele in 1967 wanted a maple fretboard, he could buy a new neck from Fender and it would look just like your guitar.

 

[middy]

I would request a new pickguard from Fender, though. Maple and mint together hardly ever occurred back in the day.

 

[Fenderbaum]

WD sells custom pickguards. They must do for lefty´s.
Tell em to ship you a guard without screw holes. Put the old one on top (secure with scotch tape so it don't wander)and mark off the holes with a pin punch.
You can use anything sharp and pointy to just give the tiny pinprick in the plastic so your drill wont slip off once you start drilling. just get em dead center.
Drill 'em holes..
Use a handheld countersink to bevel the holes.
All these tools can be found inexpensive.
All done.

 

[naveed211]

If I’m paying a custom shop price, the guitar better be better than “pretty good.”

 

[Telenator]

Just buy a white guard from someone else and have it made without the mounting holes. Then drill the holes yourself. Problem solved.