Up for sale, a 1973 Fender Telecaster Custom in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. This Telecaster boasts a gloss Blonde finish over the ash body, offering an authoritative and punchy natural acoustic quality, blending the midrange complexity and note attack of ash with the glassy treble cut of the maple fingerboard.
A textbook example of what makes these guitars beloved, this guitar blends the twang and sparkle of a classic Telecaster bridge pickup with the humbucker warmth of the Seth Lover-designed Fender "Wide Range" pickup in the neck position. A very clear and percussive sounding humbucker design with more shimmer and top end detail than most dual coil pickups, the Wide Range humbucker pairs very well with the bridge position single coil in terms of output, and the two pickups compliment each other very well when both are engaged. Weighing 7lbs 8oz and professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, we've dialed in this Telecaster Custom with 9-46 strings, low action and accurate intonation.
The maple neck has a medium C-shaped profile carve with notably full shoulders in every register and faintly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .820" deep at the 1st fret and .890" at the 12th. The maple fretboard has a 7 1/4" radius, and the original slender frets show moderate wear on the crowns of frets 1-3, with wear extending more lightly beneath the wound strings until fret 7. The guitar plays cleanly in every register up the 25 1/2" scale, and the neck is straight with a responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut measures 1 5/8" in width, and he headstock sports original Fender "F" tuning machines which turn smoothly and hold pitch well with gleaming chrome plating. A different tuner set was installed on this guitar in the past, as evidenced by the faint halos of larger washers around the current tuner bushings. The neck heel retains its black ink stamp which dates to '73, with additional factory markings on the heel and in the neck pocket.
On the body, all of the electronics work as they should, with untouched solder joints and original CTS pots which date to the 37th week of '73. Both original pickups have their factory stamps, including the black bobbin bridge pickup with stock brass baseplate. Hardware includes the three-saddle bridge which shows some surface patina and is complete with the original chrome-plated "ashtray" cover. Plastics include the original quartet of witch hat knobs and the large three-ply pickguard which exhibits some pick scuffing, extending to the Wide Range cover.
The transparent Blonde gloss finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, exhibiting one decently-sized chip on the treble-side lower bout just south of the knobs, some additional minor dings largely clustered on the lower bout body edge, and a few faint finish scratches in the clear coat of the gloss. The gloss finish on the neck profile is nigh-flawless, save for a couple small marks central to the carve behind fret 1. The gloss highlights curly figuring in the maple, particularly on the bass side of the carve.
The original black tolex Fender hardshell case is included. The case features black leather ends, a trio of original functional latches, stock handle, and raised Fender logo on the exterior.