I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
User avatar
i love sharin foo
Mods
Mods
Posts: 5650
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:26 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by i love sharin foo » Sat Jun 08, 2019 9:42 am

I've always liked Telecasters and have had a few in the past. Lately, I have really been wanting another. I wanted something that I can leave out upstairs within reach, which I wouldn't be heartbroken when it gets knocked over and gets a chip or dent in it (kids and dogs). I've been looking at the MIM '50s models for several years now. I especially liked the idea of the lacquer models having had a lacquer '60s Jazz bass in the past. I found one that had a bit of a finish issue for a good deal and as a bonus it was in my favorite color for a Telecaster.. white blonde. This one has a couple areas in the finish where a Couch strap really fucked it up. I quit using Couch straps myself for the most part, due to that reason alone. I've had them react with several different lacquer finishes. At any rate, the finish doesn't bother me a bit. It has some little dings around some other wear starting, too. It should look even better after I play the shit out of it 8) It had a bunch of weird looking patches on the face and rear of the headstock. It occurred to me that they were from either a clip on tuner or a capo. I don't mind wear and natural damage, but I hate weird looking stuff. I was able to buff them right out with some rubbing compound.

I've not even plugged it in yet but I've played it a lot unplugged already. The first thing I did was swap in Glendale Outlaw saddles (steel on the E/A, brass on the rest) and a fresh set of D'Addario 9.5s. It has a really great feel. Some definite neck heft but not uncomfortable. The fretwork is really good. It set up really easily and intimated very accurately. Its very lively and loud unplugged. The control plate was flipped when I got it, which I have never really been a fan of. When I flipped it back around, one of the pick up leads just fell off :fp: Haha. The switch is the worst I have ever seen. Total trash. I have a pair of Duncan '55 Antiquities on the way, a pair of Glendale CTS pots with lowered tension (I wanted them to make swells a bit easier and more smooth), and a good tone cap. I'll swap in a Switchcraft jack, too. I think I want to add barrel knobs for the extra little bit of height. The bridge plate is pretty dismal. It looks like it was a piece of scrap metal which was bent (poorly) into shape and then plated. I think I might try a Raw Deal Glendale toploader with dual cuts. I'd like to pair it with one of their Raw Deal control plates too. I think that stuff looks pretty neat.

All in all, I am real pleased with it. The bones are great. Great neck feel, excellent fretwork. Very resonant, with a nice and neck to pocket fit. I knew going in that I would want to replace most of the other stuff anyway, so no issue there either. It came with one of the cheaper line tweed cases too. They aren't as nice as a standard series G&G, but for the $600 I paid for the whole deal, it'll do just fine :)

Image
Image
Image
The whispers cut like hard rain, Like sugar in a hurricane

User avatar
Larry Mal
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 19673
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:25 pm
Location: Saint Louis, MO

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by Larry Mal » Sat Jun 08, 2019 10:09 am

Nice guitar! Seeing that steel saddle on there makes me remember how much I liked the Callaham bridge with the stainless steel saddles. It added a ghostly high end to the guitar, it really made it sound great.

I moved it on for a Mastery, but the Mastery helped me dial in the setup better for reasons I'll never understand but the Callaham with the steel just made it sound incredible.

I debated between the Glendale stuff and the Callaham, the Callaham has a heavy bridge plate that they are very proud of and they specifically mock the stock Fender junk, which is usually pretty terrible. Glendale brags about their quality and the vintage thickness of their plates, so thinner than the Callaham stuff.

Probably good either way- but maybe consider those steel barrels, though.

Good show- every guitarist would benefit from a Telecaster of some kind, is my opinion.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

User avatar
fuzzjunkie
Expat
Expat
Posts: 7277
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:32 am
Location: Seattle

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by fuzzjunkie » Sat Jun 08, 2019 11:50 am

My ‘61 has a top loader (edit: I guess more accurately a dual loader) bridge but I have always strung through. It has the original threaded saddles and I clean them from time to time, because they rust, but I’ve thought about replacing them with brass a couple of times.

User avatar
mulesing
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 196
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:14 pm

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by mulesing » Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:15 pm

very cool!

looks solid, I like the neck profiles on the 50s tele

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7346
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by marqueemoon » Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:49 pm

Nice. Everyone needs a Telecaster.

User avatar
i love sharin foo
Mods
Mods
Posts: 5650
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:26 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by i love sharin foo » Sat Jun 08, 2019 5:25 pm

Larry Mal wrote:
Sat Jun 08, 2019 10:09 am
Nice guitar! Seeing that steel saddle on there makes me remember how much I liked the Callaham bridge with the stainless steel saddles. It added a ghostly high end to the guitar, it really made it sound great.

I moved it on for a Mastery, but the Mastery helped me dial in the setup better for reasons I'll never understand but the Callaham with the steel just made it sound incredible.

I debated between the Glendale stuff and the Callaham, the Callaham has a heavy bridge plate that they are very proud of and they specifically mock the stock Fender junk, which is usually pretty terrible. Glendale brags about their quality and the vintage thickness of their plates, so thinner than the Callaham stuff.

Probably good either way- but maybe consider those steel barrels, though.

Good show- every guitarist would benefit from a Telecaster of some kind, is my opinion.
Thanks Larry!

This one is an ash body, so I figured the brass saddles on the high strings would roll the treble back a little. I'll see how it goes though. So far, I am really liking the steel on the E/A. The Duncan '55s are pretty strong in the high end, so I am interested to see how it all pans out. THat's part of the fun, i suppose 8) I've been looking at the Callaham stuff too.
mulesing wrote:
Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:15 pm
very cool!

looks solid, I like the neck profiles on the 50s tele
Thanks! Yeah, the neck feels great! I am glad that it doesn't have any "V" to it, just a nice, thicker C bordering on a D profile.
The whispers cut like hard rain, Like sugar in a hurricane

User avatar
thenewromance
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 924
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 12:42 pm
Location: Crumbling States of Europe

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by thenewromance » Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:12 am

Wow. Beautiful! I sold my Tele, but I guess sooner or later I'll have to get a new one ;)

User avatar
StevenO
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 17768
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:06 pm

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by StevenO » Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:53 am

Beautiful Tele you have there. Very Campilongo and a little bit Luther Perkins too. :-*

My Tele is probably my favourite guitar I own and it has a lot of sentiment behind it. It had recently fallen out of favour, not because it wasn't good but because I had played it so much over the past 10 years that the wear and tear started to take it's toll on it. I started to find it too bright and buzzy and rattly sounding. I gave it a fret level, crown, and dress this weekend and it's back to #1.

A good Tele is a great thing! Hope you enjoy this one. :)

User avatar
nanamour
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 791
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:22 pm
Location: Hell's Kitchen

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by nanamour » Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:23 am

Welcome back to the Tele owners' club! Those 50s lacquers are great; the essence of 'everything you need, nothing you don't.' I don't typically go for thicker necks on most guitars, but for some reason I prefer them on Teles...as others have said, the profile on these is perfect. Enjoy!
i love sharin foo wrote:
Sat Jun 08, 2019 5:25 pm
This one is an ash body, so I figured the brass saddles on the high strings would roll the treble back a little. I'll see how it goes though. So far, I am really liking the steel on the E/A. The Duncan '55s are pretty strong in the high end, so I am interested to see how it all pans out. THat's part of the fun, i suppose 8) I've been looking at the Callaham stuff too.
The saddles look great. I've been toying with mixing in a brass saddle for the E/B strings on my steel-saddled AV64, but that extra bit of slicing brightness can be a nice thing to have on tap and there's always the tone knob to tame it!
StevenO wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:53 am
My Tele is probably my favourite guitar I own and it has a lot of sentiment behind it. It had recently fallen out of favour, not because it wasn't good but because I had played it so much over the past 10 years that the wear and tear started to take it's toll on it. I started to find it too bright and buzzy and rattly sounding. I gave it a fret level, crown, and dress this weekend and it's back to #1.

:)

Mine is nearing this point too; I really ought to shell out for some tools and read up a bit on doing this myself. I even have an extra Allparts neck with a broken truss rod to practice on :shifty:

User avatar
zhivago
Mods
Mods
Posts: 21926
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:18 am
Location: London, UK

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by zhivago » Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:24 pm

Very cool guitar!

I've been looking a Teles a lot lately, and this thread is pushing me over the edge! :D
Resident Spartan.

User avatar
StevenO
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 17768
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:06 pm

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by StevenO » Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:29 am

nanamour wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:23 am
StevenO wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:53 am
My Tele is probably my favourite guitar I own and it has a lot of sentiment behind it. It had recently fallen out of favour, not because it wasn't good but because I had played it so much over the past 10 years that the wear and tear started to take it's toll on it. I started to find it too bright and buzzy and rattly sounding. I gave it a fret level, crown, and dress this weekend and it's back to #1.

:)

Mine is nearing this point too; I really ought to shell out for some tools and read up a bit on doing this myself. I even have an extra Allparts neck with a broken truss rod to practice on :shifty:
When you're ready, give me a shout and I'll walk you through what you need and some tips and tricks. It's not as difficult as you'd think. For instance, I did about 6 guitars this weekend, willingly! It's fun. :)

User avatar
garyfanclub
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 571
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:29 am
Location: NYC

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by garyfanclub » Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:44 am

StevenO wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:29 am
nanamour wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:23 am
StevenO wrote:
Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:53 am
My Tele is probably my favourite guitar I own and it has a lot of sentiment behind it. It had recently fallen out of favour, not because it wasn't good but because I had played it so much over the past 10 years that the wear and tear started to take it's toll on it. I started to find it too bright and buzzy and rattly sounding. I gave it a fret level, crown, and dress this weekend and it's back to #1.

:)

Mine is nearing this point too; I really ought to shell out for some tools and read up a bit on doing this myself. I even have an extra Allparts neck with a broken truss rod to practice on :shifty:
When you're ready, give me a shout and I'll walk you through what you need and some tips and tricks. It's not as difficult as you'd think. For instance, I did about 6 guitars this weekend, willingly! It's fun. :)
Will definitely second this... A quick truss rod adjustment (it's not that scary, I promise!), fret polish and fretboard conditioning makes a huge huge huge difference. It can be like getting a new guitar. Just did this to my JM on Friday night and strung it up w. TI Bebop strings - perfect!

User avatar
Maggieo
Expat
Expat
Posts: 13446
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:36 am
Location: Nebraska, USA
Contact:

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by Maggieo » Mon Jun 10, 2019 9:35 am

Great guitar and great upgrade choices! :-*

I have Duncan Antiquities in my Kelly snakehead; aren't they just great?
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

User avatar
BlixaFan
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2757
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:37 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by BlixaFan » Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:00 pm

gorgeous guitar! i didn't know what it meant to have a tele until i bought one on a whim. while it's not my #1 at the moment due to the stuff i'm playing, if i had to sell all my guitars today, the tele would be the one i'd keep. they are fantastic.

i agree, every guitarist needs a tele

User avatar
i love sharin foo
Mods
Mods
Posts: 5650
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:26 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Re: I am once again a Telecaster owner.. '50s Lacquer

Post by i love sharin foo » Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:37 pm

Maggieo wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 9:35 am
Great guitar and great upgrade choices! :-*

I have Duncan Antiquities in my Kelly snakehead; aren't they just great?
Thanks!!

I've yet to be let down by anything from the Antiquity line!

The '55 Antiquities came in the mail today, along with the Glendale/ CTS 250k pots, and an old Aerovox 0.047uF cap. I am still waiting on a Glendale Raw Deal control plate and a CRL 3 way switch to complete the wiring overhaul. As soon as it's all here, I'll be breaking out the Weller iron and putting it all in its new home 8) There's a fresh Switchcraft jack and some stranded, cloth covered wire ready to go in, too.

I've decided that I will go with a Glendale bridge plate as soon as I can afford to. It will definitely be Raw Deal finished. Other than that, I have yet to decide which one I would like. Having the choice to top load would be nice, but I don't think it is a deal breaker. I am also unsure if I want a no-cut, single cut, or double cut. I can get on with a stock plate fine, so I don't HAVE to have any cuts, but it might be nice to know that I have the extra room in case it comes in handy.
The whispers cut like hard rain, Like sugar in a hurricane

Post Reply