Fender / Telecaster / 1966 / Lake Placid Blue / Guitar
This 12 3/4-inch-wide "custom-color" Telecaster weighs just 7.90 lbs. and has a 'B' nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches and a scale length of 25 1/2 inches. Solid alder body, one-piece maple neck with a wonderful medium to thick profile, and veneer rosewood fretboard with 21 original thin frets and pearloid dot position markers. Headstock with "Fender" 'transition' logo in gold with black trim, "Telecaster" in black beneath it, and "Pat 2,573,254 3,143,028" beneath that. Single "butterfly" string tree. Individual dual-line Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons and "D-169400 / Patent No" stamped on the underside. The end of the neck is stamped "3 SEP 66B." Four-bolt Fender "F" neck plate with serial number "170559" between the top two screws. One plain metal-cover pickup (at neck) with an output of 7.14k and one 'gray-bottom' six-polepiece pickup with staggered polepieces (angled in bridgeplate) with an output of 6.19k. The potentiometers are stamped "304 6631" (Stackpole August 1966). Three-layer white over black plastic pickguard with eight screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) plus three-way pickup selector switch, all on metal plate adjoining pickguard. Chrome knobs with flat tops and knurled sides and black plastic 'Top-Hat' switch tip. Fender combined bridge/tailpiece with three 'threaded' saddles. Complete with the original chrome "ashtray" bridge cover. This guitar is in near mint (9.25) condition. The original thin frets show a little playing wear (mainly on the first seven frets) but have plenty of life left in them. There is some light finish checking, a tiny amount of belt buckle wear on the back (nothing through the finish) and a couple of small surface chips on the top bass edge and also the treble cutatway of the body. The Lake Placid Blue color is bright, fresh and unfaded. This is an exceptional example of a very rare custom-color Telecaster - one of the best we have ever seen. Complete with the original 'Ashtray' bridge cover. Housed in its original Fender black hardshell case with reddish orange plush lining (9.00).
The specifications of the Telecaster were unchanged between late 1965 and late 1967. The only change to the 1964 specification that was made in 1965 was the change of the logo from the 'Spaghetti' version to the 'Transition' one.
"As far as Telecaster guitars are concerned, 1967 may be considered in various respects as a turning point in the CBS versus pre-CBS rhetoric. It is the year when the old 50s style circuit was deleted and replaced by a more classic wiring allowing a two-pickup combination. This point is often overlooked because many players simply clipped (in the 60s or later) the .1 MFD capacitor originally inserted by Leo between the switch and the volume pot. Also Kluson tuners were replaced by Schaller-made Fender keys and a bigger TV conspicuous black logo was ushered in by Fall 1967. Experiments with polyester finishes, more appropriate for mss production, would quickly lead to the discontinuation of the original, yet more unstable and polluting, nitro-cellulose lacquers."
(A.R. Duchossoir. The Fender Telecaster, p.23)
Fretted Americana , USA 
We specialize in acquiring and offering the finest specimens of American vintage electric guitars with particular attention to those in their complete, original state. We are the only dealer to embrace a written code of ethics (in Terms & Conditions). We encourage you to read it.
HOW WE WORK
We want to inspire and win your trust and confidence. You don't want to have any negative surprises upon receipt of an instrument that you've invested yourself as well as your money into. Nor do you want any untoward surprises should you decide to sell it in the future.
To that end, every guitar that we offer is catalogued to a degree and depth of detail that is fast becoming the standard in the trade. When we declare an instrument to be completely original, it is. If it is not, we tell you exactly in what manner it has been altered.
We photograph each guitar at many angles to provide you with the broadest, clearest sense of its appearance. We will, upon request, provide you with images of all electronic components, inside and out.
Each guitar we acquire is skillfully and painstakingly dissected by David Brass, who is a trained luthier as well as a dealer and collector. All parts, no matter how small, are meticulously examined. We have an enviable reference library of wide breadth and scope that we refer to when necessary for crucial facts. The instrument is put under a black-light: original finish or refin? Even the most skillfully masked ding is uncovered. David then fastidiously reassembles the instrument. It is then cleaned with the finest products available for wood and metal.
An inspection certificate of authenticity signed by David is provided with every guitar you purchase.
We keep our inventory relatively small and highly select. We choose our guitars with extreme care so we can offer you the finest examples of the finest rare guitars in the world.
We are client focused to an extraordinary degree. If you expect or would like to be surprised by courteous, professional client service, we will pleased to accommodate that desire.
It is our fervent wish to establish a long-term relationship with you.
CODE OF ETHICS
We wish to establish an ongoing relationship with you based upon your trust in our knowledge and judgment.
To that end:
We meticulously inspect in detail every guitar that we offer. We check the finish, all of the electrical components, serial numbers, etc. With over thirty years of experience collecting and handling vintage guitars and our enormous reference library, we bring to bear all that is known about guitar manufacturers, models, and annual production.
We provide full, detailed descriptions and specs to each guitar.
We openly disclose any and all flaws we discover in writing. If the instrument is not completely “straight,” we will tell you so and why.
We endeavor to conduct ourselves to the highest standard of professional behavior.
We will deal fairly and ethically; no surprises, flim-flam, dubious business practices or shenanigans.
We value your sense of privacy and uphold the highest standards of discretion and respect
We allow a full 48 hour honeymoon period when you buy a guitar from us. If you are not 100% satisfied with it we will refund the purchase price in full, less shipping, upon return of the guitar in the same condition as sold. Please call us before returning the instrument.
Please inspect your new guitar immediately upon receiving it. If any guitar we offer is found to be not as described, we will happily refund the full purchase price, less shipping, upon return of the guitar in the same condition as sold. Please call us before returning the instrument.
