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1978 Fender Telecaster, ser. #S-829974. - $3,000 (casas adobes)
oracle near las lomitas
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but i've come across more and, more importantly for me, lighter toys that i can move around on more, so it's time to move on.
the below description is courtesy of retrofret. i have edited it a bit to better reflect the reality of this guitar. specifically, i will say the cosmetic wear they mention should've been detailed more, so i will do so. behind the bridge, there's...indenting? (i'm really not sure what to call it) on the finish. only cosmetic, and can really only be seen from certain angles. i've tried to capture this as best i can. the rest of the wear is what you'd expect from a nearly 50-yr old guitar. definitely a player's guitar more than a collector's.
please let me know if you'd like other looks.
as for the case, it's your standard hardshell. not original, but definitely works.
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Fender Telecaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1978), made in Fullerton, California, serial # S-829974, sunburst polyester finish, ash body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard.
The body on this one carries a sunburst finish, fairly uncommon on a Telecaster in any period. Although a standard finish offered by Fender at the time, it was not too often ordered on Teles. This color has stayed truer to the original 3-tone hue with less fade to the red pigment than many over the years. The finish is the typically thicker '70s Poly but not as obnoxiously heavy as some. The ash body has some fairly dramatic grain figure, particularly on the back. The '78 era black 3-layer pickguard gives this sunburst Tele a rakish look specific to this period.
Unlike Fender's revamped "upgraded" Teles, this "classic" Telecaster model retained the original single coil pickups and wiring with single tone and volume controls and a 3-way switch. The bridge remains the traditional stamped metal unit with the lead pickup integrated into it but with 6 individual saddles in place of the earlier 3. The neck was not altered to use the 3-bolt tilt system and "bullet" truss rod, retaining the original (and generally preferred) 4-bolt setup. This neck is the odd-looking '70s combination of a skunk stripe/headstock plug AND a rosewood fingerboard particular to this era.
Internally the original pots are coded to the 44th week of 1977. The decal "S8" serial number on the headstock indicates assembly in 1978. At 9 1/2 lbs. this guitar is fairly heavy, if very solid feeling! It is still a fine sounding, nice-playing example of Fender's most traditional 1970s creations. The Telecaster suffered less under the CBS regime than most other Fender creations, retaining its essential character if losing some magic along the way. A sunburst Tele is a striking looking guitar in any era, a cool change from the common blondes and this is still a good sounding, solid playing guitar.
Overall length is 38 5/8 in. (98.1 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.)., 9.51 lbs.
This Tele shows some wear and a revamped output jack, but overall survives in fine playing shape. The Poly finish has dings, dents, chips and scrapes overall but no super heavy damage; these were designed to be very hard-wearing after all! As usual with slab-sided Telecasters the heaviest loss is to the edges, there is a rubbed-through spot in the typical upper body armwear zone and one long scratch to the top behind the bridge that looks to have been polished out a bit.
The pickups, wiring and hardware appear all original except a metal Les Paul style jackplate has been added to replace the recessed jack cup. The frets are original, they have been taken down a bit but have little subsequent wear and remain quite playable. The neck has mostly only minor play wear, with a couple of small dings on the back.
This is a very solid feeling Telecaster offering the typically bright '70s sound, but with some meat to it and not overly brittle. Overall a decent example from this period, more distinctive looking than some. Overall Good - Condition.