Fender Telecaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1955)
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Item # 9563
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Fender Telecaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1955), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 7115, Blonde lacquer finish, ash body, maple neck, tweed hard shell case.
Smoked! This early "white guard" Telecaster has definitely seen its share of smoky bars and clubs but remains a superb example of 1950s Fender greatness, a fantastic feeling instrument. It is a transitional mid-1955 instrument showing a mix of the original "Blackguard" characteristics and newer changes of the "white guard" period in Tele history specific to this exact time period. The most noticeable is of course then-new single-ply white plastic pickguard, which had just replaced the earlier black phenolic piece on Teles and Precision Basses making the look more consistent with the then-new Stratocaster.
The script Fender "Telecaster" logo decal on the headstock still sits below the original style round string tree, unchanged from 1951. The grained ash body originally sported a lighter and "whiter" blonde finish compared to the earlier '50s-style butterscotch hue. This one has darkened considerably over time making the difference less noticeable. The flat-pole pickup back at the bridge is still in "Blackguard" sound territory; the staggered-pole variant soon to be introduced would change the tonal character of the guitar somewhat.
The one-piece maple neck does not have a visible pencil date on the heel; it is possible it has faded to invisibility or more likely represents a rare but not unknown omission of this production feature. It is definitely the original Fender neck and still has a more round profile with a hint of slope to the shoulders, reminiscent of the earlier '50s style but beginning to hint at the "V" that was to come in 1956-7. The body is dated 4-55 in the neck pocket, the pots coded to the 15th week of 1955, and the masking tape tag added when the guitar was wired by Mary reads 4-25-55.
This guitar has never had the electronics altered leaving the original 1950s control settings are still intact. These are, on the 3-way switch: #1 neck pickup on bass-heavy rolloff setting, #2 neck pickup with straight tone control, and #3 bridge pickup with tone control. The pickups can be blended by carefully positioning the lever switch in the "2 1/2" position, which works fairly easily on this instrument. A modern wiring rig can be substituted if desired, but we don't recommend re-wiring the original at this late date!
The chrome knobs are a smoother-sided knurl with a dome top and the switch tip is the new "top hat" style just introduced. The serial number is on the neckplate, recently moved there from the bridge when Fender harmonized the numbering sequence on the three instruments all using the same plate. The four-digit number on this guitar is a fairly early example. The tuners are still the earlier style "No-logo" Kluson Deluxes.
This 1955 Telecaster has seen a lot of use but is not too heavily worn overall. It has a fantastic "relic" look with its smoke-darkened finish, the extent of which is quite noticeable when the guitar is dismantled. It is also a great sounding Telecaster, not as bright as many "Whiteguards" with a rounder tone that still cuts beautifully in the bridge position. It is on the light/medium side for mid-'50s Teles at 7.3 lbs (with the bridge cover on!) and handles like a dream.
By summer 1955 the Telecaster had become a success, renowned as a popular tool used by working musicians including a host of early rock'n'roll and country players. Many have been played for decades and worn virtually into the ground; this one has survived its time in the smoke-filled trenches well and still has a world of Fender cool and a bounty of great sound to offer.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 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 lovely well-aged Telecaster shows evidence of long use but overall is not too heavily worn in. The body finish has tight checking but is not heavily worn down except for some spots on the edges and one belt buckle patch on the back. The lacquer on the face is relatively clean, but much of it has darkened over the years likely in reaction to some heavy honky-tonk smoke-filled air.
The neck is somewhat more heavily worn, down to the wood over a decent swath of the back with some original finish remaining. There is one fairly deep dent behind the first fret just below the skunk stripe, and a tiny sealed crack extending about 3/4" above the tip of the dark wood insert. This does not show any movement and appears to have been present for decades.
The maple fingerboard has been oversprayed with thin lacquer LONG ago, which extends over the face of the headstock in diminishing depth. This has aged quite a bit and has some wear through to the wood in a few spots. Oddly enough the frets appear to be original, crowned down to a fairly small, flat configuration but still fully playable. Some players might prefer a more modern style refret, but we will leave that determination to the next owner.
All hardware on the guitar remains original including the tuners, pickups, wiring, controls, bridge, saddles, and even the snap-on bridge cover, which must have been on all the time in the 1950s as the fade around it is quite noticeable. All electronics and internal wiring remain original and unaltered. The original pickguard has darkened and shrunk just a bit and is cupping up slightly, but not seriously warped. The chrome shows some typical wear but nothing too serious.
Despite the smoky look this guitar does not carry any noticeable odors with it. The original case is probably long gone and it currently dwells happily in a modern tweed re-issue. This Tele has enough funk about it to give it a "real relic" feel that still does the job better than just about anything out there, new or old. Very Good + Condition.
Smoked! This early "white guard" Telecaster has definitely seen its share of smoky bars and clubs but remains a superb example of 1950s Fender greatness, a fantastic feeling instrument. It is a transitional mid-1955 instrument showing a mix of the original "Blackguard" characteristics and newer changes of the "white guard" period in Tele history specific to this exact time period. The most noticeable is of course then-new single-ply white plastic pickguard, which had just replaced the earlier black phenolic piece on Teles and Precision Basses making the look more consistent with the then-new Stratocaster.
The script Fender "Telecaster" logo decal on the headstock still sits below the original style round string tree, unchanged from 1951. The grained ash body originally sported a lighter and "whiter" blonde finish compared to the earlier '50s-style butterscotch hue. This one has darkened considerably over time making the difference less noticeable. The flat-pole pickup back at the bridge is still in "Blackguard" sound territory; the staggered-pole variant soon to be introduced would change the tonal character of the guitar somewhat.
The one-piece maple neck does not have a visible pencil date on the heel; it is possible it has faded to invisibility or more likely represents a rare but not unknown omission of this production feature. It is definitely the original Fender neck and still has a more round profile with a hint of slope to the shoulders, reminiscent of the earlier '50s style but beginning to hint at the "V" that was to come in 1956-7. The body is dated 4-55 in the neck pocket, the pots coded to the 15th week of 1955, and the masking tape tag added when the guitar was wired by Mary reads 4-25-55.
This guitar has never had the electronics altered leaving the original 1950s control settings are still intact. These are, on the 3-way switch: #1 neck pickup on bass-heavy rolloff setting, #2 neck pickup with straight tone control, and #3 bridge pickup with tone control. The pickups can be blended by carefully positioning the lever switch in the "2 1/2" position, which works fairly easily on this instrument. A modern wiring rig can be substituted if desired, but we don't recommend re-wiring the original at this late date!
The chrome knobs are a smoother-sided knurl with a dome top and the switch tip is the new "top hat" style just introduced. The serial number is on the neckplate, recently moved there from the bridge when Fender harmonized the numbering sequence on the three instruments all using the same plate. The four-digit number on this guitar is a fairly early example. The tuners are still the earlier style "No-logo" Kluson Deluxes.
This 1955 Telecaster has seen a lot of use but is not too heavily worn overall. It has a fantastic "relic" look with its smoke-darkened finish, the extent of which is quite noticeable when the guitar is dismantled. It is also a great sounding Telecaster, not as bright as many "Whiteguards" with a rounder tone that still cuts beautifully in the bridge position. It is on the light/medium side for mid-'50s Teles at 7.3 lbs (with the bridge cover on!) and handles like a dream.
By summer 1955 the Telecaster had become a success, renowned as a popular tool used by working musicians including a host of early rock'n'roll and country players. Many have been played for decades and worn virtually into the ground; this one has survived its time in the smoke-filled trenches well and still has a world of Fender cool and a bounty of great sound to offer.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 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 lovely well-aged Telecaster shows evidence of long use but overall is not too heavily worn in. The body finish has tight checking but is not heavily worn down except for some spots on the edges and one belt buckle patch on the back. The lacquer on the face is relatively clean, but much of it has darkened over the years likely in reaction to some heavy honky-tonk smoke-filled air.
The neck is somewhat more heavily worn, down to the wood over a decent swath of the back with some original finish remaining. There is one fairly deep dent behind the first fret just below the skunk stripe, and a tiny sealed crack extending about 3/4" above the tip of the dark wood insert. This does not show any movement and appears to have been present for decades.
The maple fingerboard has been oversprayed with thin lacquer LONG ago, which extends over the face of the headstock in diminishing depth. This has aged quite a bit and has some wear through to the wood in a few spots. Oddly enough the frets appear to be original, crowned down to a fairly small, flat configuration but still fully playable. Some players might prefer a more modern style refret, but we will leave that determination to the next owner.
All hardware on the guitar remains original including the tuners, pickups, wiring, controls, bridge, saddles, and even the snap-on bridge cover, which must have been on all the time in the 1950s as the fade around it is quite noticeable. All electronics and internal wiring remain original and unaltered. The original pickguard has darkened and shrunk just a bit and is cupping up slightly, but not seriously warped. The chrome shows some typical wear but nothing too serious.
Despite the smoky look this guitar does not carry any noticeable odors with it. The original case is probably long gone and it currently dwells happily in a modern tweed re-issue. This Tele has enough funk about it to give it a "real relic" feel that still does the job better than just about anything out there, new or old. Very Good + Condition.