Trying to get information on a guitar.....

[acidrock]

A friend of mine came upon an Telecaster,I'm guessing early seventies .I'd like to find out when it was made and what model it is,but I don't know how to go about it.The serial number on the head is S711816 and I will attach a picture of it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,thanks

acid

 

[TelePaul]

It seems t be a deluxe tele, given the humbucker and tone and volume pots. Thats all I can help with, sorry.

 

[Dr_simon]

http://www.fender.com/support/dating/fender_us_dating.php

seems to be 1977 from the serial number. A more accurate way to check is to look at the neck joint (after you unscrew the neck or under the scratch plate) and you should see more dates

 

[acidrock]

http://www.fender.com/support/dating/fender_us_dating.php

seems to be 1977 from the serial number. A more accurate way to check is to look at the neck joint (after you unscrew the neck or under the scratch plate) and you should see more dates

That's it alright,Im going to search "Deluxe Tele" at TelePaul's suggestion and maybe I can nail it.


Thanks.

 

[Light]

That's it alright,Im going to search "Deluxe Tele" at TelePaul's suggestion and maybe I can nail it.


Thanks.

There isn't really a good way to date Fender guitars. You can get the date of manufacture for the neck off the date written there, if it hasn't been worn off somehow (which they frequently are). But they had a habit of making necks and letting them lay around for quite some time. Some times even for years. The only truely reliable way to date them is with the original sales reciept, but even that assumes it didn't sit in the shop for several years before it was sold. Not always a safe assumtion. But mid to late seventies sounds about right.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Milnoque]

Listen to Light

I was doing setups and repairs in a music store in the seventies. I can attest to what Light is saying. The new Fenders and Gibsons that came in during that time often needed work just to be playable. You'd pull the neck on a brand new Fender and the neck would be dated much earlier. I've seen guitars of that model Telecaster with neck dates from before it was introduced. I bet they're selling them on E-Bay as prototypes.

I really have to give props to light for saying what he did. There is so much bad information out there. He has consistantly given good advice on this site and I'm a big fan.

 

[acidrock]

I was doing setups and repairs in a music store in the seventies. I can attest to what Light is saying. The new Fenders and Gibsons that came in during that time often needed work just to be playable. You'd pull the neck on a brand new Fender and the neck would be dated much earlier. I've seen guitars of that model Telecaster with neck dates from before it was introduced. I bet they're selling them on E-Bay as prototypes.

I really have to give props to light for saying what he did. There is so much bad information out there. He has consistantly given good advice on this site and I'm a big fan.

Well,we know it's at least a 1977 or newer,and that's more than I started with.

It's not really a matter of importance,rather curiosty.The circumstances under which my friend came unto this guitar left he and I wanting to know more about it.I haven't been able to find the exact guitar,but it doesn't appear to be anything real special.

The guitar plays great,in fact too fast by my standards.

 

[gvarko]

Looks like a 72 deluxe re-issue to me...

 

[acidrock]

Looks like a 72 deluxe re-issue to me...

That's what I thought when I first saw it,except this one has a single coil under the "ashtray",also it's made in America.

 

[true-eurt]

I think I might have found it for you..here it is and the site too....Hope this helps Acid... Just go to the site and scroll down for a lot of em.

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html#serial


S7 + 5 digits = 1977-1978


Serial Number on Peghead Decal.
U.S. made Fenders, starting in mid-1976 has the serial number on the peghead. Note the following number could be off as much as two years. Generally speaking, a "S" prefix equals the 1970's, "E" prefix equals the 1980's, and "N" prefix equals the 1990's. Note "E" and "N" prefix models are sometimes also Japanese-made (see below)

 

[acidrock]

Thanks true,I've looked up a couple of my own Fenders too!

 

[true-eurt]

You are welkom Acid!!

 

[TelePaul]

whyd they ever strat up the headstock? I love my Teles headstock.

 

[Steelguy]

whyd they ever strat up the headstock? I love my Teles headstock.

Because at the time strats out sold telecasters about 10 to 1. Probably just a marketing thing.

 

[Unsprung]

That's what I thought when I first saw it,except this one has a single coil under the "ashtray",also it's made in America.

If it's only got a single coil under the "ashtray," then it's a Tele Custom, as the Deluxe has 2 humbuckers.

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0137502306 = Telecaster Custom

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0137702306 = Telecaster Deluxe

I'm not sure how soon, but I'm eventually planning to upgrade from a Squier Fat Telecaster to a Fender Telecaster Custom. Not sure if I'll move the GFS Lipsticks from the Squier to the Fender, so I'll just have to wait until I get there.

Matt in Indiana

 

[ez_willis]

I really have to give props to light for saying what he did. There is so much bad information out there. He has consistantly given good advice on this site and I'm a big fan.

I agree, except with the Elixir thing. He's totally mistaken.

 

[TelePaul]

I agree, except with the Elixir thing. He's totally mistaken.

 

[the_crowing]

If it's only got a single coil under the "ashtray," then it's a Tele Custom, as the Deluxe has 2 humbuckers.

That's right. You can also tell by the headstock, as the Tele Custom has standard Tele headstock whereas the Tele Deluxe has the bigger '70 Strat headstock.