Fender Telecaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966)
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Fender Telecaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 168220, natural re- finish, ash body, maple neck with maple fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This old refinished Telecaster was originally built less than two years after Fender became CBS/Fender, and despite a lot of adventures thro the decades remains largely true to its original character. The body was amateurishly refinished long ago but the neck finish and much of the hardware remain original, with a few other small changes. This guitar has a cool vintage-worn "60s-Tele-in-the'70s" look and feel as it stands, or would be a suitable candidate for a cosmetic restoration to original spec, or any custom color desired. As this becomes a more common route today it is getting rarer to find UN-restored instruments like this!
Specific features of the Telecaster in this era include a blonde lacquer finish (now mostly gone) on the ash body and a headstock with the new in 1966 "transition" logo decal but retaining the old-style Kluson tuners. The neck date on this guitar is September 1966 and the visible pot date is the 31st week of that year. The neck itself has the then-fairly new option of a "maple cap" fingerboard in place of the standard rosewood. Some players (notably Buck Owens and Don Rich) petitioned Fender in the 1960s to make the 1950's style maple fingerboard again, and using a separate maple cap was an easy way of honoring those requests without having to re-tool production. Eventually, this became such a popular option that in 1968 the company re-introduced the original '50s style one-piece maple neck. When this Telecaster was made in fall '66 the maple neck was still a custom order option, and thus is rather rarer than the rosewood alternative. These "maple cap" Telecasters are often considered a connoisseur's specialty Fender.
This Tele has an ash body that handles perfectly and resonates nicely, and a comfortable slim round-backed neck. At 6.85 Lbs. this is well in the lighter zone for a CBS-era Telecaster. Despite the non-professional body finish this is still a cool player's mid-'60s Tele gem, from the last year they really retain their Pre-CBS character before the F-tuners and heavier finishes arrive. It survives in well-used as-played decades ago state offering plenty of vibe and a slightly smoother less spikey tone than many later '60s examples.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This Telecaster is obviously a substantially altered guitar, but still remains original in many areas. The most notable change is of course to the body, stripped long ago to natural with an amateur-grade clear overcoat added. The edges retain more crispness than many sanded-down Telecasters and there are some spots where a remnant of the original lacquer remains. The original blonde finish is still in the body cavities and some survives under the pickguard and bridge. Under the pickguard the cavities were masked off with tape, these marks can still be seen. There is also a circular Forstner bit mark under the guard where it looks like someone was about to start routing the body for another pickup and then (thankfully) thought the better of it!
The neck retains the original finish with some ambering of the lacquer but actually not that much wear. The headstock has checked and darkened somewhat; the Fender logo decal is fairly well worn with much of the gold fill missing but the black outline largely intact. The tuners have been restored to correct double line Kluson Deluxe machines, rings visible on headstock face and hidden screw holes on the back indicate Mini-Schallers were once installed. What appear to be the original frets have been crowned down fairly low showing some subsequent wear; They play well enough but if you prefer a larger fretwire then this guitar will soon be ready for a refret. The nut appears original.
The original pickups, pots and cloth wire are still intact, with a visible pot date of the 31st week of 1966. There has been some resoldering due to the refinish but oddly enough this Telecaster has NOT been rewired to modern spec, the "Mud Cap" is still in place so the two pickups can only be blended by balancing the switch in the "1 2/2" position. The lead pickup was wax potted along the way, not unusual for a '66 as they are often quite microphonic. The neck pickup cover has some old black paint on it, likely the original pickguard was painted at some point.
The guitar currently mounts a non-original but older vintage Fender style tortoise pattern-faced pickguard in 4-ply ABS plastic, marked "051573" on the underside with a price of $9.50. We can't swear that this is a Fender product but it shows genuine age and looks much like a late '60s/early '70s Fender piece with the correct edge bevel and patina. All other hardware including the bridge, threaded saddles, switch plate, knobs, jack cup, string tree and strap buttons remain original with some typical wear; even the "ashtray" bridge cover has survived in the case!
Overall this is a great-feeling and sounding '66 Telecaster with some "heavy '70s" player mojo to spare, a throwback to the era when everyone seemed to be stripping their Fenders to "hippie wood" natural look. We think it is cool as it stands but this guitar also offers an opportunity to fully restore it to the color of one's choice without guilt! It lives in a period black but not Fender rectangular HSC in worn-but-solid condition. Very Good Condition.
This old refinished Telecaster was originally built less than two years after Fender became CBS/Fender, and despite a lot of adventures thro the decades remains largely true to its original character. The body was amateurishly refinished long ago but the neck finish and much of the hardware remain original, with a few other small changes. This guitar has a cool vintage-worn "60s-Tele-in-the'70s" look and feel as it stands, or would be a suitable candidate for a cosmetic restoration to original spec, or any custom color desired. As this becomes a more common route today it is getting rarer to find UN-restored instruments like this!
Specific features of the Telecaster in this era include a blonde lacquer finish (now mostly gone) on the ash body and a headstock with the new in 1966 "transition" logo decal but retaining the old-style Kluson tuners. The neck date on this guitar is September 1966 and the visible pot date is the 31st week of that year. The neck itself has the then-fairly new option of a "maple cap" fingerboard in place of the standard rosewood. Some players (notably Buck Owens and Don Rich) petitioned Fender in the 1960s to make the 1950's style maple fingerboard again, and using a separate maple cap was an easy way of honoring those requests without having to re-tool production. Eventually, this became such a popular option that in 1968 the company re-introduced the original '50s style one-piece maple neck. When this Telecaster was made in fall '66 the maple neck was still a custom order option, and thus is rather rarer than the rosewood alternative. These "maple cap" Telecasters are often considered a connoisseur's specialty Fender.
This Tele has an ash body that handles perfectly and resonates nicely, and a comfortable slim round-backed neck. At 6.85 Lbs. this is well in the lighter zone for a CBS-era Telecaster. Despite the non-professional body finish this is still a cool player's mid-'60s Tele gem, from the last year they really retain their Pre-CBS character before the F-tuners and heavier finishes arrive. It survives in well-used as-played decades ago state offering plenty of vibe and a slightly smoother less spikey tone than many later '60s examples.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This Telecaster is obviously a substantially altered guitar, but still remains original in many areas. The most notable change is of course to the body, stripped long ago to natural with an amateur-grade clear overcoat added. The edges retain more crispness than many sanded-down Telecasters and there are some spots where a remnant of the original lacquer remains. The original blonde finish is still in the body cavities and some survives under the pickguard and bridge. Under the pickguard the cavities were masked off with tape, these marks can still be seen. There is also a circular Forstner bit mark under the guard where it looks like someone was about to start routing the body for another pickup and then (thankfully) thought the better of it!
The neck retains the original finish with some ambering of the lacquer but actually not that much wear. The headstock has checked and darkened somewhat; the Fender logo decal is fairly well worn with much of the gold fill missing but the black outline largely intact. The tuners have been restored to correct double line Kluson Deluxe machines, rings visible on headstock face and hidden screw holes on the back indicate Mini-Schallers were once installed. What appear to be the original frets have been crowned down fairly low showing some subsequent wear; They play well enough but if you prefer a larger fretwire then this guitar will soon be ready for a refret. The nut appears original.
The original pickups, pots and cloth wire are still intact, with a visible pot date of the 31st week of 1966. There has been some resoldering due to the refinish but oddly enough this Telecaster has NOT been rewired to modern spec, the "Mud Cap" is still in place so the two pickups can only be blended by balancing the switch in the "1 2/2" position. The lead pickup was wax potted along the way, not unusual for a '66 as they are often quite microphonic. The neck pickup cover has some old black paint on it, likely the original pickguard was painted at some point.
The guitar currently mounts a non-original but older vintage Fender style tortoise pattern-faced pickguard in 4-ply ABS plastic, marked "051573" on the underside with a price of $9.50. We can't swear that this is a Fender product but it shows genuine age and looks much like a late '60s/early '70s Fender piece with the correct edge bevel and patina. All other hardware including the bridge, threaded saddles, switch plate, knobs, jack cup, string tree and strap buttons remain original with some typical wear; even the "ashtray" bridge cover has survived in the case!
Overall this is a great-feeling and sounding '66 Telecaster with some "heavy '70s" player mojo to spare, a throwback to the era when everyone seemed to be stripping their Fenders to "hippie wood" natural look. We think it is cool as it stands but this guitar also offers an opportunity to fully restore it to the color of one's choice without guilt! It lives in a period black but not Fender rectangular HSC in worn-but-solid condition. Very Good Condition.