1975 Fender Telecaster Restoration Pics: Page 5

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Hey Folks,

First Pics and than more info:









Story:
Found it pretty well priced on Kleinanzeigen and bought it.
The previous owner installed an Kahler-Tremolo and modded the neck Pickup to fit Humbucker sized Pickups in.
Basically METALKAHLERCASTER!

Whats Original:
Neck, Body, Bridge Pickup, String Ferrules, Pots, Neckplate & Screws, Tuners, Knob, Chrome part

Not Original:
Routings, AWEFUL Refin, Nut-Lock installed, Small Screws, Missing Knob and Selectorbutton

Tomorrow ill meet a luthier-friend of mine and well going to route the Kahler nicely and put in there a new piece of Swampash. Body seems to be Swampash! And it is realy heavy!

Is there anybody in EU that does MJT quality Refin's? The finish on the body is realy realy realy bad! i mean seriously never seen something that messed up. The owner even filled Dings with some kind of Nail Lacquer, I've got most of it off.

Gut-Shots:
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=104278

[TeenageShutdown!]

Kill it! Kill it!

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Kill it! Kill it!

I will!

[mgeek]

Are the heavy seventies guitars swamp ash or just regular ash?

been looking at a lot of bare tele bodies recently and swamp ash is mostly in the 1.9-2.1k range, and 'ash' are often like, 2.8k

[Con-Tiki!]

Are the heavy seventies guitars swamp ash or just regular ash?

been looking at a lot of bare tele bodies recently and swamp ash is mostly in the 1.9-2.1k range, and 'ash' are often like, 2.8k

i would guess "ash"
I can't recall hearing the phrase "swamp ash" until maybe 10 years ago.

personally, I would play that guitar as-is.
it's a monster, and has a backstory.

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Are the heavy seventies guitars swamp ash or just regular ash?

been looking at a lot of bare tele bodies recently and swamp ash is mostly in the 1.9-2.1k range, and 'ash' are often like, 2.8k

i would guess "ash"
I can't recall hearing the phrase "swamp ash" until maybe 10 years ago.

personally, I would play that guitar as-is.
it's a monster, and has a backstory.

its already at a company that does CNC and they going to cut the piece out for me and make me the perfect filling.

im not entirely sure about ash/swampash. ill post picture when I've stripped it and than we can discuss!

[mgeek]

This is a real cool project, and I don't know how much you've got in it, but aside from filling the horrible routing, might you consider doing some of the restore yourself? Finishing isn't that hard.

As far as I'm aware, '70s tele's aren't hugely valuable and sweated after guitars, and unless this was like, 10 euros, the cost of paying someone else to do the work could end up with you paying as much as a clean one would have cost...

Not dissing the project btw- I'd gladly take it on, but the thought of paying MJT money to refin a badly routed 70s body makes the skinflint in me shudder!

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The company (luthier co-working space or something) where I've put the body is somehow a part of the university where im studying and thats why its enormously cheap. It will probably end up at around 15 euro or less. I've wanted to rout it out myself there, but they haven't had the proper equipment and we ended up doing it with CNC (monday or tuesday).

I am jet not entirely sure about the finish: i mean its a vintage fender guitar and i want to handle it with respect.
Thats why i thought about letting someone with more knowledge doing it and i have no good place to spray it.
I did a spray can refin on a Squire Bronco Bass that went realy good. And a body Stain+oil that went well, too.
hmm...

Did back in the 70s custom colors exist or was it just blonde/walnut/sunburst/black? couldn't find anything..

And what would be better value-wise: a) bringing the neck pocket back to the original routing or b) let it as is and use the old pickup + chrome cover?
Tone-wise i like the idea of the old routing

[mgeek]

The company (luthier co-working space or something) where I've put the body is somehow a part of the university where im studying and thats why its enormously cheap. It will probably end up at around 15 euro or less. I've wanted to rout it out myself there, but they haven't had the proper equipment and we ended up doing it with CNC (monday or tuesday).

I am jet not entirely sure about the finish: i mean its a vintage fender guitar and i want to handle it with respect.
Thats why i thought about letting someone with more knowledge doing it and i have no good place to spray it.
I did a spray can refin on a Squire Bronco Bass that went realy good. And a body Stain+oil that went well, too.
hmm...

Did back in the 70s custom colors exist or was it just blonde/walnut/sunburst/black? couldn't find anything..

And what would be better value-wise: a) bringing the neck pocket back to the original routing or b) let it as is and use the old pickup + chrome cover?
Tone-wise i like the idea of the old routing

It's good that you can get the routing filled cheap, nice!

As for the rest of it- I don't know what else to say other than 'heavy 70s telecasters' are one of the most universally derided Fender guitars I can think of. If it's a good guitar, then it's a good guitar, but when you're asking about the 'value' if you were to fill or not fill the neck routing, the answer is- it's not going to make ANY difference whatsoever because these guitars have precious little value to start with, and if they've been routed for a Kahler then filled, it's even less.

I mean- this clean, verified lightweight one with original finish only went for £1200 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Teleca ... 7675.l2557" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and I think you could get one even cheaper than that.

If this was me- I'd count my blessings that it was only going to set me back 15 euros to fill the kahler route, buy some cans of a nice colour and start playing it! Seriously, the idea of treating this as a vintage Fender to be handled with respect is way, way off the mark, and approaching this project with that mindset will only result in you throwing money away.

[kapepper]

If this was me- I'd count my blessings that it was only going to set me back 15 euros to fill the kahler route, buy some cans of a nice colour and start playing it! Seriously, the idea of treating this as a vintage Fender to be handled with respect is way, way off the mark, and approaching this project with that mindset will only result in you throwing money away.

100%.

Exactly.

[preservation]

Paint it if you want but just play it !!! It's too cool the way it is !!!

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seems like the best trick for my pocket!

Feels like a well chosen first "vintage or not vintage - debate" project guitar
Thanks for all the opinions and i clearly understand each of them!

[s_mcsleazy]

as someone who actually likes khalers. i think this is kinda rad. if you are wanting a bulletproof tele for heavier music..... cant get much better than a mid 70's tele with these mods.

however, i still think if i was to go for a tele for heavier music, i'd stick a single rail in the bridge and a seymour hotrail in the neck.

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Progress:








Ive first stripped it with a heatgun. that poly lacquer was nearly 1mm thick!
Than the company routed the full size of the kahler-routing.
They routed me the same size (just a little smaller) woodblock and I've clamped it with regular wood glue in there.
Than I've sanded it with 240
The wood was realy uneven and some realy small pieces broke away (seen on the first pic).
Hopefully ill get it more even with the wood filler to make it a better surface and not adding that much primer or sand too much wood...

Maybe i can start sanding on friday

Err i didn't took care about the woodgrain mismatch,
i really want to lacquer her in a custom color + white primer.

fun fun fun!
And the body felt so much lighter after removing the lacquer,
i should have weight it before!

[mgeek]

Looking good! What's the weight like on the body itself now? Might it be that the kahler was making it seem heavier than it might have done...?

If any bits of wood have chipped off but you still have them, I'd glue them back on before sanding, rather than using filler- it'll work out better as the new finish ages imo