This guitar is a commission sale. If you have a high-end or vintage instrument you are interested in selling, please contact us.
Due to the Brazilian Rosewood of the fingerboard this guitar is offered to UK BUYERS ONLY.
Here for sale we have a Fender Telecaster Custom in Walnut finish. Made in the USA, the serial number and specification of this guitar indicate that it was manufactured in 1974, in the peak of Fender's CBS era. The guitar carries all of the hallmarks of the CBS era, including the 3-bolt 'F' stamped neck plate, 'F' stamped split-post tuning machines & round laminated Rosewood fingerboard - likely Brazilian Rosewood due to the date of manufacture. The Telecaster Custom with a humbucking neck pickup was introduced in 1972 - not to be confused with the original Telecaster Custom with double-binding which was introduced in '59. The HS Telecaster Custom was adopted by the likes of Keith Richards but was never a big seller, eventually being discontinued in 1981.
Naturally, a bolt-on construction is employed and comprises an Alder body, Maple neck and 21 fret Rosewood fingerboard. Chrome hardware is fitted including a string-through-body bridge, and split-post tuning machines. A Fender Telecaster single-coil pickup is installed in the bridge, alongside a Fender CuNiFe Wide Range humbucker in the neck. These are wired to a 3-way toggle switch and independent volume & tone controls.
The Maple neck plays very well, with a rather slim 'C' shaped profile which provides a smooth and responsive playing experience across the register. The Rosewood of the fingerboard is pleasant under the fingers, with the tight grain pattern producing a warm and tactile sensation for the player. The single cutaway body design is as comfortable and practical as ever, ensuring access to the upper frets is uninhibited. The controls well set out, echoing the design of the Telecaster Deluxe with the toggle switch on the upper shoulder and independent volume & tone controls on the lower bout; easily accessible without being intrusive.
Fender's Wide Range pickup was designed by Seth Lover, who was responsible for Gibson's PAF humbuckers in the '50s. Lover had jumped ship to Fender by '67, and was the perfect man for the job when Fender were looking to break their reputation as the 'single-coil company' and gain a foothold in the Gibson-dominated humbucker market. The Wide Range humbucker makes use of 6 magnetised pole pieces rather than the bar magnet and screw arrangement of the Gibson PAF. Due to the difficulty of machining AlNiCo into threaded rod magnets, Fender chose to use CuNiFe magnets (Copper/Nickel/Iron) instead. As they produce less output than AlNiCo magnets, more windings were needed to produce enough output- resulting in a much larger enclosure than a typical humbucker. CuNiFe magnets have become obsolete in all other industries, meaning production has entirely ceased. Even Fender's reissues of the pickup use AlNiCo magnets voiced and disguised to look and sound like the originals. This has increased demand for the originals due to their scarcity.
This guitar is a commission sale. If you have a high-end or vintage instrument you are interested in selling, please contact us.
Due to the Brazilian Rosewood of the fingerboard this guitar is offered to UK BUYERS ONLY.
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.
Fender Telecaster Custom Walnut 1974 Vintage Electric Guitar
Brand- Fender
Model- Telecaster Custom
Finish- Walnut
Year- 1974
Made In- USA
Body- Alder
Neck- Maple
Fingerboard- Rosewood (Round Lam)
Fingerboard Radius- 7.25"
Frets- 21
Scale Length- 25.5"
Nut Width- 1.6125"
Pickups- Fender Telecaster Single-Coil (Bridge), Fender CuNiFe Wide Range Humbucker (Neck)
Controls- 3-Way Toggle Switch, Neck Volume, Neck Tone, Bridge Volume, Bridge Tone
Our ID: 126032588880
Weight: 7.8lbs
Serial: 532592
Aesthetic Condition:
Headstock: Overall very good condition. The top edge demonstrates light indentation, piercing the finish very slightly in some instances. All aspects of the headstock demonstrate typical signs of ageing, such as checking of the finish and discoloration. The sides demonstrate similar indentation to the top edge, most notable on the treble side. The discoloration is most apparent to where the guitar would contact a hanger.
Neck: Overall good condition. The rear of the neck demonstrates some moderate indentation to the center of the profile behind frets 4-6 which can be felt beneath the thumb. Further lighter indentation is apparent throughout the register which is much more difficult to discern or feel beneath the thumb. The fingerboard demonstrates some ‘chip-out’ in places along with glue residue beside many of the early frets, indicating that a partial re-fret has been performed on frets 1-10. Indentation is apparent to the fingerboard edge throughout the register. Playwear is apparent in the early register improving as you climb the neck, however stronger wear is apparent beyond the 21st fret.
Body: Overall good condition. All aspects of the body demonstrate consistent scratching and indentation piercing the finish in places. The edges particularly along the lower bout demonstrate consistent chipping revealing the wood beneath. The body demonstrates the expected signs of ageing, with clouding of the finish, checking and discoloration apparent throughout the body. The finish demonstrates some "shadows" where it appears something has been stuck to the front face, which has left a series of squares of finish that have aged differently. The sides of the body appear darker than the front and rear faces.
Condition of Frets:
The frets demonstrate notable signs of use, with a partial re-fret up to the 10th being performed at some point. These new frets are also worn, indicating that the work took place some time ago. The refret work has not been performed to a professional standard, and the first 10 frets do not match the originals higher up the neck - appearing to be a medium jumbo size. All frets 1-10 demonstrate slight lifting and uneven seating, particularly the 5th fret which causes notable buzzing when fretting the 4th. There is not enough material remaining for fret work, and this guitar will require a re-fret to achieve perfect playability. The action has been raised to accommodate these issues. The price has been lowered to offset the cost required for the new owner.
Current Set Up:
Truss Rod: Fully functional. Truss rod tool (1/8" hex) not included.
Hardware: Fully functional. The G string tuner button has previously been glued back together with excess glue apparent throughout. The tuner remains stable and functional. Two of the string ferrules have been replaced at some stage, appearing cleaner than the other 4.
Structural: No concerns or issues to note.
Height of the string from the 12th Fret-2mm - Bass 2.5mm
Please be aware that the action on a guitar may move slightly in transit and this measurement is the current height.
Strings on Guitar - 10-46
Electrics:
Fully functional.
Case & Accessories:
Aftermarket Rectangular "Road Runner" hard case
The case demonstrates light signs of use.
We do have an era-correct Fender hard case which can be included in the sale for a slight extra cost. Please enquire.