Fender Telecaster 1972

The Fender Telecaster Project

This job is currently live and ongoing. After discussing some initial idea's for what could be done, the guitar was handed over to us to start. We started by assessing what tasks needed to be completed and then the options as to what would follow.

Fender uses a coding system to date their guitars, this has varied over time as fender has been brought and sold. We spent some time on the internet with the neck plate stamp code as a reference for the guitar, we came across an internet page giving a lot of information connected to specific neck codes.

We discovered that the guitar was manufactured at Fender's Fullerton plant in California, later on when the neck was removed for inspection we found the neck date stamp (pictured bellow) this showed a more approximate date of manufacture.

The customer specified the upgrading of the pick ups as they were old and worn, he also wanted the bridge and other hardware upgraded.

The current layout of the Telecaster was a humbucker at the neck and a single coil Telecaster pick up at the bridge position.This layout was going to stay, the hardware colouring was mixed, with the standard bridge, control plate and knobs in a gold/ brass colour, the machineheads and string tree's are in chrome.

It was decided to have all the hardware to be installed in a chromed finish,

to follow that was the installation of a Bigsby vibrato bridge! This is to be a major change to the Telecaster. The scratch plate was going to be changed from cream to black, which would look better alongside the chrome detailing.

The electrics were in a poor state, with a lot of corrosion in the switch and pots. The replacement pots will be 250k the switch will be a standard replacement 3-way Telecaster switch.

There will also be the addition of a 3-way toggle switch, this will be mounted on the control plate between the pots. The switch will be connected to the neck humbucker, this will split the coils allowing for the following options:

1. north coil only

2. series humbucker (both coils)

3. south coil only

This modification makes the pickup choices on the Telecaster more varied, allowing for 7 different set ups with the available coils, the standard tone and volume control will stay the same. 

The pickups chosen to be used are made by Entwistle pickups.

The single bridge is the AT52-B, it is a traditionally made alnico single coil pick up, using a fibreboard bobbin, alnico v-pole magnets and enamel coated winding wire.

The pickup for the neck position is a Nemesis AFG humbucker, this has two different pole types, the north coil has a blade pole, the south uses single poles. These two set ups disperse the magnetic field differently over each coil, the two coils will create a different sound which will make the single coil split modification even more noticeable. 

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Today the body returned from the spray shop, the finish is awesome and has brought the body back to life! Cannot wait to start adding the hardware.... More on that to come...

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Good news today as we get to play with the Bigsby vibrato kit, it is going to be a mission to fit as you will see in the up and coming pictures! This kit really is going to change this whole guitar! The end product is coming into view now!

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Telecaster headstock.

Original gold control plate.

View underneath the plate, selector switch and braided wiring is corroded.

Original wiring for tone and volume pots, wire had become brittle and contacts corroded. 

The heavily corroded selector switch.

Another view showing the worn contacts.

The neck date, this narrowed down the Telecaster's origins.

The neck plate stamp, also another useful item for identifying  the Telecaster's origins.

A close up of the original layout, including the well used scratch plate!

The body, stripped down of its hardware and ready for a clear coat!

The Entwistle Nemesis, the humbucker chosen for the Neck position on the Telecaster.

The two new pickup's waiting to be installed.

Staying with the single tone and volume layout, but nice new  components!

The nemesis and pots fresh from unpacking!

The Bigsby Vibrato B5 Tele Kit!

Fresh Out Of The Box!

The New Metal!

So the wiring begins...

Soldering the jack.

Mini toggle switch for the humbucker split.

Volume and tone pot with toggle switch.

View of humbucker in its cavity, the wires running through and to the splitter switch.

More wiring added, including wiring for the Telecaster selector switch.

Mini toggle switch in the middle of being wired in.

Bridge pickup is now being wired in, this also includes a earth wire for the bridge plate when it is installed.

Double checking before packing away, most of the wiring complete now.

Starting to take shape! both pick ups are in their cavities.

When completed, the neck humbucker will be mounted on a black scratch plate, the bridge will be  mounted just in front of the Bigsby vibrato!

The bridge plate and bridge pickup.

A line up shot before we mark up and drill out the saddle position.

A long shot showing the layout pre drilling.

The bridge plate securing screws being added after a pilot drill.

Another long shot with the bridge plate fixed.

A close up of the fitted bridge plate.

The bridge saddle supports post drilling.

The same shot but now with saddle in place.

A long shot showing the reletive position with saddle installed.

The neck humbucker in its position.

Now time for the vibrato tail to be aligned and mounted.

A close up showing the technique employed to align the tail withe the headstock.

This is showing how the string is used to line up all of the components.

Removing the vibrato before drilling pilot holes.

post drilling, a final line up before screwing down.

Screws now fitted and vibrato attached.

At this point we added a nylon washer and a steel spring, this sits just under the vibrato arm.

Spring in place its now time to get some strings attached...

Looking good with some new steel!

A nice close up showing the saddle doing its part.

Vibrato arm out...

Vibrato arm in...