This fifty-four-year-old Telecaster weighs just 7.00 lbs. and has a nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches and a scale length of 25 1/2 inches. Solid ash body and fretted maple neck with 21 frets and black dot position markers. Single round string tree. Headstock decal with "Fender" spaghetti logo in silver with black trim and "Telecaster" in black below it. Individual "no-name" Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons. The tuning keys are stamped "235677/PAT. APPLD." on the underside. One plain metal-cover "black-bottom" pickup with slot-head adjusting screws (at neck) with an output of 6.78k, and one black six-polepiece "copper-coated metal plate bottom" pickup with flush polepieces (angled in bridgeplate) with an output of 6.80k. White single-layer ABS (.060 inches thick) pickguard (polished on both sides) with five screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) plus three-way "CRL 1452" switch and original Daka-Ware black plastic "Top-Hat" tip, all on metal plate adjoining pickguard. Shorter chrome knobs with more pronounced domes and knurled sides. Telecaster combined bridge/tailpiece with three, quarter inch steel, smooth saddles, the screws angled at 45 degrees. Four-bolt neck plate with serial number ("8782") between the top two screws. The neck is dated in pencil "4-55". The potentiometers are stamped "304 515" (Stackpole April 1955), the three-way switch is stamped "CRL 1452," the capacitor between the switch and the volume control is stamped "IMFD 150 VDC."

Housed in the original Fender Tweed hardshell case with brown leather ends and red plush lining (7.50)

We have taken this guitar apart and closely examined all of the components - our conclusions follow herewith:

1. The body appears to be an original Fender Telecaster "Ash" body from the early 1955 period. It has the correct 'fourth' routing between the neck pickup and the control cavity. The four small 1/16 inch "nail holes" (two under the pickguard, one under the control cavity plate, and the fourth one under the bridge plate are present but confirm that the black finish was applied later. It also has the correct "Pin Router's" holes on the back of the body. These are two small 1/8 inch diameter holes (patched up and camouflaged) between the neck plate and the string ferrules, at a distance of just over three inches from the lower edge of the neck plate and between the string ferrules and the bottom end of the body, at a distance of about one inch from the bottom end of the body. There is a small area of erosion or chipping away inside the control cavity by the jack socket route. This would suggest that the jack socket assembly has been removed at some time.

Examination under ultra-violet light reveals a finish to the body which is not consistent with that of a fifty-four year old guitar. Under UV the finish is "blotchy" and also there is no variation in the toning beneath the pickguard, control cavity cover or bridge plate. The black finish has been applied over a white base or primer coat. We must conclude from all of this that the body has been refinished in black over a base coat of white primer and in our opinion the finish has then been relic'd to make it look old. All of the body markings that should have been apparent have either been removed or covered by the black paint… i.e. the body date in the neck pocket which was always penciled in the neck cavity up until 1956 when it was relocated to the lead pickup routing under the bridge plate. Also up until 1955 it was usual to find a small piece of masking tape in the control cavity with the pencil marking of the woman who did it (usually Mary, Gloria, Virginia or Carolyn). So up to 1955 Telecasters usually have three pencil dates to refer to…

2. The neck appears to be an original April 1955 Fender Telecaster neck with the correct original finish, neck width and neck profile. The neck is dated at the end in pencil "4-55". The decal on the headstock appears to be the correct original "Spaghetti" logo in silver with black trim and "Telecaster" in black below it. There is considerable wear to the frets and fretboard and also to the surface finish on the back - and in our opinion the frets have at some time been expertly replaced with the correct gauge fretwire. Other than this the neck is totally original. The truss rod screw shows no signs of over-adjustment.

3. The tuner keys are all original and correct for this neck. They are Individual "no-name" Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons. The tuning keys are stamped "235677/PAT. APPLD." on the underside. The round string-tree is also correct and original to this neck.

4. The 'neck' pickup appears to be original and has a strong output of 6.78k., however it appears to have been re-soldered at the base of the pickup.

5. The 'bridge' pickup appears to be original and is of the correct type i.e. 'flat-pole' and has a strong output of 6.80k., however it also appears to have been re-soldered at the base of the pickup. The three small light brown rubber 'cushion springs' have also been replaced.

6. The potentiometers are the correct Stackpole units with the codes "304 515" (April 1955) The solder joints on the potentiometers appear to be original (which explains why the solder joints on the base of both pickups are later as they would have to have removed the wiring harness from the guitar when it was refinished).

7. The three-way switch is the correct and original unit with "CRL 1452" stamped on the side BUT the switch has been re-wired when the body was refinished and a later piece of black plastic covered wire has been used.

8. The two control knobs are original and of the correct type used between 1953 and 1955 "short dome knobs with fine knurling on the sides - 3/4 inch tall"

9. The switch tip is original and the correct 'later' type "barrel-like" switch tip with "2,118,845" stamped on the base. Fender started to use the "Top-Hat" type switch tip in April 1955 but it is fairly common to see the "Barrel" tips still used on later 1955 guitars.

10. The metal control cover plate which holds the two Potentiometers and the switch appears to be original and correct. However the two screws at the ends are replacements.

11. The bridge unit appears to be original and has the correct three 'steel-saddles' with a diameter of 1/4 inch. Also the angle of the string height screws is the correct 45 degrees.

12. The pickguard appears to be the correct original single layer ABS .060 inch thick with five screws and a 'shiny' backside. Note. All five of the pickguard screws are replacements.

13. The neck plate has the serial number "8782" stamped between the top two screws. This is an original Fender neck plate and is from the correct era of early-to-mid 1955. The paint residue on the underside of the neckplate matches that of the underside of the body showing that the guitar was reassembled soon after refinishing.

14. Unfortunately the underside of the neck and the neck cavity now show very little sign of original mating…

15. The guitar is housed in the original Fender 'Tweed' hardshell case with brown leather ends and red plush lining. The condition of the case is fair (7.50).



In summary we believe this guitar to be an original mid 1955 FENDER Telecaster with the following exceptions:

A. The body has been refinished at a much later date and then relic'd to make it look original… the original pencil date markings have been removed or painted over.

B. The neck has been expertly re-fretted with the correct gauge fretwire.

C. Some of the solder joints have been redone and also a later piece of wire has been used on the three-way switch

D. The five retaining screws on the pickguard and the two retaining screws on the control cover have been replaced

In our opinion the guitar has a realistic current retail value of between $11,000 and $14,000

David Brass

President - Fretted Americana, Inc.

February 3rd, 2009