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Provenance of Tele

Discussion in 'Telecaster Discussion Forum' started by meddle71, Nov 25, 2020.

  1. Nov 25, 2020 #1
    meddle71

    meddle71 NEW MEMBER!

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    Hi from Australia - I was wondering if anyone can help me establish the authenticity and provenance of a Fender Custom Shop (?) Guitar that I have purchased 2nd hand from a private seller in Melbourne, Australia. The guitar shows no serial number and no Made in USA markings anywhere. I assume the serial number is hidden on the base of the neck.

    I have seen an email that shows that the guitar was originally purchased from Wildwood guitars in Louisville, Colorado.

    These are the details I have:

    2007 Fender Telecaster 1962 Re-issue Custom Shop Wildwood Special Run

    Serial No: SE04089

    Custom Shop Pickups and 9.5” Radius

    I have tried contacting Wildwood, but they do not have records going back to 2007. I have also contacted Fender in the USA and Australia, but they cannot help. There seems to be no record of my Serial Number anywhere.

    The guitar is very similar to this one in every way, but is not a relic:

    https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/R107791/wildwood-10-1962-telecaster-custom-53/?cat_id=38

    Some pictures of my guitar are attached.
     

    Attached Files:

    richiek65 likes this.
  2. Nov 26, 2020 #2
    John C

    John C Friend of Leo's

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    Wildwood got special runs based on AVRI guitars routinely in the 2000s, and after a few years break they still get them. These are not from the Custom Shop, they are FSRs from the production line

    However - the serial number on them should be stamped on the neck plate and the ones from the 2000s could have either a standard AVRI Vxxxxxx serial number, an SExxxxx ("Special Edition), or an LExxxxx ("Limited Edition") serial number. Some of them did have that style neck plate, but I think that would correspond to an LExxxxx serial number.

    To me Wildwood or Fender should have a record of it since it was a special run for Wildwood; that they can't find it is troubling to me (more than say a regular production model not showing up in Fender's database).
     
  3. Nov 26, 2020 #3
    boris bubbanov

    boris bubbanov Tele Axpert Ad Free Member

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    John is right. Wildwood was one of three USA based high end shops that commissioned these "Thin Skin" AVs with the flatter radius and 6105 fretwire. There's been no disaster or anything in Louisville, CO that would have destroyed their records. (although for example nearby Longmont got hammered in 2013 by flooding) They should have the information. It would IMO be a serious mistake for them to not have kept the records - guys like me remember when things of this nature are done.

    +

    On another note, please note how pale and impoverished looking the rosewood is on this board. I'm not saying it wouldn't play great (it will) but let me say it this way: In late '08 I got a 2006 FCS '60 Time Machine Strat, new old stock (in all respects) and the rosewood was pale like this. I got a truly whopping discount, basically due just to that.

    Meddle, who is telling you this guitar is Fender Custom Shop?

    Oh, and welcome!
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2020
  4. Nov 27, 2020 #4
    Cannondale4321

    Cannondale4321 TDPRI Member

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    It looks like a well made guitar but there's a couple of things (other than the lack of S/N) that don't look quite right. The black outline on the Fender logo looks thick and the neck plate looks to be bending. It could just be the photo but I'd certainly take the neck off to have a look.

    The finish looks good for a 13 year old guitar. It may have just sat in the case but is it poly instead of nitro?

    The two tone Dark Salem brown burst feels very 50's although the red in the early three tone bursts (late 50s) did fade so they appeared two tone.

    If you had just posted a photo of the guitar and asked what it was, I would have guessed (disregarding the logo) that this was a MIJ Custom '62.
     
  5. Nov 27, 2020 #5
    teletail

    teletail Tele-Afflicted

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    If Fender can't establish the authenticity of this guitar, what makes you think a bunch of strangers on the internet can? No serial number, it doesn't say Custom Shop anywhere on it, doesn't say where it was made. That's not a Fender Custom Shop guitar, sorry.

    When I bought a custom shop fender and contacted them, they were able to authenticate it the same day. The serial number is right on the bridge.
     
  6. Nov 27, 2020 #6
    rand z

    rand z Friend of Leo's

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    Not sure about the above mentioned issues, but it's a lovely guitar!
     
  7. Dec 5, 2020 #7
    meddle71

    meddle71 NEW MEMBER!

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    Thanks for all of your feedback. I don't have evidence that it is a Fender Customer Shop guitar. It seems that it is a Wildwood Fender Special Run, and I would then suppose that the "SE" prefix to the Serial Number means "Special Edition". From the email trail, I have no doubts that the guitar was purchase from Wildwood in Colorado. There is no mention of it being anything other than American, although there is no statement, nor are there any markings on the guitar, that confirm that it is Made in the USA.

    Here some excerpts from the email exchange between Bruce Beard at Wildwood, and the original Aussie owner, dating back to 2007:

    "I'll hold this one for you. We special-ordered these from Fender along with 2 other shops - Dave's Guitars in Wisconsin and Music Machine in Washington state and they are only available from Wildwood and those two shops. The thin nitro finish will age faster than the finishes that have polyurethane in them, these are 2007 models. We did a run of these in a 52 Tele last year but they didn't have Custom Shop pickups or the 9.5 radius like they do this year."

    "(SE04089) is on hold for you. For a first Tele I think you're getting a great one, I've played some Custom Shop Teles that don't sound as good or play as well as this one. It will be kept in our humidified storage area for you, our tech Ian will do a final setup before it ships."

    The original Aussie owner told me "If I ever find the remaining case candy and back plate with the serial number stamped on it, I'll absolutely send it on."

    I guess that's as close as I am going to get for authenticity for this guitar.

    Thanks again everyone.
     
  8. Dec 5, 2020 #8
    Dacious

    Dacious Poster Extraordinaire

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    As others have noted it's probably not Custom Shop but most Aussies don't understand the diff between a regular reissue and a CS let alone FSR guitars. Until recently Fender Australia who are pretty useless didn't get them.

    The detail on that guitar looks correct. Cap rosewood neck, better figure, headstock profile. Body and binding.

    Usually a 62 AVRI would be 3 colour burst but I'm sure Wildwood had some two colour burst rosewood Strats.

    If you take the neck off and photograph the heel and pocket we can verify. I don't see any alarm bells.
     
    meddle71 likes this.
  9. Dec 5, 2020 #9
    EsquireBoy

    EsquireBoy Tele-Afflicted

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    Not a custom shop, that’s for sure. No CS logo on the headstock, nor onto the neck plate. Underneath the pickguard there would be a custom shop logo stamped into the wood. The Email conversation you referred to actually states that:
    ie « It’s not a CS but it sounds better than some CS I’ve played. »
    Otherwise it should has said « ... I’ve played some other custom shop teles that... »

    Other than that it seems like a very nice guitar. No alarm bells to me either that it could be a fake IMO.
    The fact the rosewood board looks pale could be that it needs oiling, especially if the guitar spent its life in a dry climate.
     
    richiek65 likes this.
  10. Dec 5, 2020 #10
    Rufustelestrats

    Rufustelestrats Tele-Holic

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    A shot of the bridge large enough to see the stamps would certainly help as a photo of the neck pocket and heal if available.
     
  11. Dec 5, 2020 #11
    richiek65

    richiek65 Friend of Leo's

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    Gday and welcome, gorgeous tele whatever it turns out to be!
     
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