Who though this was a great idea?

[WingedWords]

Ah, happy memories of poring over that catalogue for years while I saved up for my first Tele. Which I bought in the early 80s and did indeed have a natural finish Fender thick skin over about 5 pieces of heavyweight ash. I never really bonded with it, but I'd quite like it back now.

 

[Peegoo]

PRS has moved to some kind of cellulose finish now - I think the change happened in 2020 for the Core line and 2021 for the bolt-on line - not sure about the glossy S2 line (and of course the SEs are poly of some kind).

All US-made PRS models are now shot with nitro lacquer.

SEs (solidbodies made in Indonesia and Hollowbody IIs made in China) are catalyzed polyurethane.

 

[Michael Smith]

As has been discussed - 1972 was when the revised HH Thinline with the 3-bolt/microtilt/bullet truss rod neck was released; the catalog shows the bullet truss rod headstock. I've seen this catalog scanned online; it is the 1972 catalog.

A website called guitar-compare.com has a bunch of Fender product catalogs and price lists. You have to scroll down quite a ways to see the price lists. It's interesting to convert the "old" prices to current prices to see that the products were quite expensive back then. You can buy most silverface amps today for less than the inflation-adjusted original price.

 

[Minivan Megafun]

Believe it or not, but there was a time when “vintage guitars” were just used guitars. A lot of players of the time did not like that their finishes would crack and wear and flake off. Why do you think so many guitars of the era were refinished? Hell, factory refins were even a thing.

So yes, at the time, a thick, durable, hard wearing finish was both a new thing and a selling feature.

 

[Jupiter]

It was an early production error re dimensions, (bit of a Stonehenge job!) Someone wrongly spec'd the body to be too thin, even for a thin line. By the time anyone noticed they had, according to records, 1,234 'skinny' bodies on the shelf. Scrapping them would have been ridiculously costly and a quick market survey suggested that a guitar with those body dimensions wouldn't be a big seller.

Eventually, a guy buy the name of Tommy Hickcoat working on the production line came up with the idea of an extra thick coating to bulk up the body. It made sense, all Fender then had to do was 'sell it' to the punters as a benefit. Seems to have worked, those first run ' 'T. Hickoat' Teles fetch a premium on the market, if you can find one.

Oof lotta work went into that joke

 

[MTPoteet]

I believe years ago, there were no finish snobs, and we didn't want beat up guitars unless they were our own and we had aged naturally.
We never beat them up intentionally then either.
I still don't understand the apeal of a faux relic job. I'm an old guy.
And on top of that, I challenge any of you to listen to my Soundcloud page and tell me what finishes are on any of my guitars.

 

[bottlenecker]

Thick skin seems like a better idea than thin skin, but it's just fashion. Beat up guitars always looked cool to me, but they used to be real. How cool will they seem to people in the future who will only associate beat up looking guitars with retired hobbyists who collect fake relics? They might want a thick skin to protect them from that association and potential embarassment.

 

[John C]

All US-made PRS models are now shot with nitro lacquer.

SEs (solidbodies made in Indonesia and Hollowbody IIs made in China) are catalyzed polyurethane.

Thanks! I thought that was the case with the gloss-finished S2s but I wasn't sure. Do you know when the S2 gloss-finished models made the transition to the nitro finish? I'm considering adding an S2 McCarty 594 Thinline and if I don't buy new I would like to know how to assess used models.

 

[Flaneur]

This guitar had a busy life, before I acquired it, in 2007. It was gigged extensively, in Texas, then Alaska, then Texas and finally, in Scotland. Working players are going to value durability and a stable instrument, in such extreme conditions, so I don't imagine much fetish anxiety, about the finish of this one, in 1976, or subsequently.
I like the look and feel of a pretty guitar, as much as the next guy- but that's secondary, to it's functional qualities.

 

[Peegoo]

Do you know when the S2 gloss-finished models made the transition to the nitro finish?

Between June and November 2019, all guitars rolling off the line at PRS were gradually transitioned to nitro over catalyzed acrylic. Prior to that, the finishes on most were acrylic lacquer over catalyzed polyurethane.

To be certain, go with a 2020+ production year and you will be guaranteed nitro. The catalyzed acrylic is pretty similar to the Fullerplast that Fender used through the 50s and 60s as a seal coat on the wood.

If you want to cut it close and get a late-production 2019 model, keep in mind the typical time lag between shooting final finish and final inspection (the date on the hang tag) is usually between 4-6 weeks.

 

[Musekatcher]

Ah yes, the days when the strength and durability of the finish were actually positives…

That was after the days when thinner, hollowbodies were preferred, before these primative slab plank bodies came to be - you can barely hear them over the electric fan?

 

[John C]

Between June and November 2019, all guitars rolling off the line at PRS were gradually transitioned to nitro over catalyzed acrylic. Prior to that, the finishes on most were acrylic lacquer over catalyzed polyurethane.

To be certain, go with a 2020+ production year and you will be guaranteed nitro. The catalyzed acrylic is pretty similar to the Fullerplast that Fender used through the 50s and 60s as a seal coat on the wood.

If you want to cut it close and get a late-production 2019 model, keep in mind the typical time lag between shooting final finish and final inspection (the date on the hang tag) is usually between 4-6 weeks.

Thanks! In all honesty I've never seen one of the 594 Thinlines come up for sale used anywhere near me so I'll likely have to buy new.

 

[nepalnt2121]

That was after the days when thinner, hollowbodies were preferred, before these primative slab plank bodies came to be - you can barely hear them over the electric fan?

have you tried plugging yours in?

 

[ElvisNixon]

In the early 70’s people wore clothes made out of polyester so you would be a pretty happenin’ cat if your poly guitar matched your poly bellbottoms.

 

[ElvisNixon]

Blue jeans

Unless they were Toughskin jeans…

 

[TheOtherNeill]

It was an early production error re dimensions, (bit of a Stonehenge job!) Someone wrongly spec'd the body to be too thin, even for a thin line. By the time anyone noticed they had, according to records, 1,234 'skinny' bodies on the shelf. Scrapping them would have been ridiculously costly and a quick market survey suggested that a guitar with those body dimensions wouldn't be a big seller.

Eventually, a guy buy the name of Tommy Hickcoat working on the production line came up with the idea of an extra thick coating to bulk up the body. It made sense, all Fender then had to do was 'sell it' to the punters as a benefit. Seems to have worked, those first run ' 'T. Hickoat' Teles fetch a premium on the market, if you can find one.

slow *clap* slow *clap* slow *clap*

 

[ElvisNixon]

It was an early production error re dimensions, (bit of a Stonehenge job!) Someone wrongly spec'd the body to be too thin, even for a thin line. By the time anyone noticed they had, according to records, 1,234 'skinny' bodies on the shelf. Scrapping them would have been ridiculously costly and a quick market survey suggested that a guitar with those body dimensions wouldn't be a big seller.

Eventually, a guy buy the name of Tommy Hickcoat working on the production line came up with the idea of an extra thick coating to bulk up the body. It made sense, all Fender then had to do was 'sell it' to the punters as a benefit. Seems to have worked, those first run ' 'T. Hickoat' Teles fetch a premium on the market, if you can find one.

A Stonehenge job? You mean the cocktail napkin design spec’ed out as 1’ 75” was built wrong and it turned out to be 1.75”?

Somebody at Fender should have been paid not to be as confused as Nigel.

 

[Wrighty]

Oof lotta work went into that joke

Should have saved it for tomorrow!

 

[stnmtthw]

It's all marketing. I make them all sound the same anyway.

 

[Fiesta Red]

Unless they were Toughskin jeans…

I remember those abhorrent things. They would exfoliate your legs, especially the knees. After the exfoliation, you were apt to get some damage somewhat akin to a mild motorcycle-wreck “roadrash” when you started sweating.

And they wouldn’t wear out. You just prayed you’d outgrow them sooner rather than later.