1968 Fender Telecaster Vintage Guitar Blonde w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1968 Fender Telecaster in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. Weighing 7lbs 9oz with an ash body, flame maple neck and a refretted and re-radiused rosewood fingerboard (9 ½”), this Telecaster pairs vintage tonewoods with a combination of vintage/modern electronics, boasting a body-only Blonde nitro lacquer refinish.

Via the ash body, this Tele has a clear, bold acoustic cut with great natural midrange authority. Outfitted with a pair of Fender Custom Shop Pure Vintage ‘64 single coil pickups, these gray bobbin coils feature period-correct construction with Alnico V magnets, staggered/unbeveled bridge pole pieces, and cloth-covered leads, dishing out quintessential vintage Tele tonalities with exceptional clarity, sparkle, and twang. This Telecaster has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Flame maple
• Shape: Chunky C, measuring .890” 1st fret, .945” 12th fret
• Fretboard: Rosewood, 9 1/2” re-radius, dot inlays
• Frets: Slender, refret, no wear
• Scale Length: 25 1/2”
• Nut: 1 5/8", bone (modern)
• Tuners: Kluson Deluxe double-line
• Headstock: “Spaghetti” waterslide decal (replacement)
• Serialization: Six-digit stamp ("F" neck plate)
• Factory Markings: November, 1968 stamp on neck heel

Body Specs:

• Wood: Ash
• Pickups: Custom Shop Pure Vintage ‘64 single coil x2 (modern)
• Harness: CTS pots date to ‘76, ceramic tone caps (vintage harness, non-original)
• Controls: Volume, Tone, three-way pickup selector
• Hardware: Six-saddle bridge (vintage replacement), flat-topped knurled knobs
• Plastics: Three-ply white pickguard, ‘50s-spec switch tip (replacement)

This Tele was once converted for use with a Bigsby, and both the Bigsby mounting holes and bridge inserts have been cleanly doweled (Bigsby mounting pre-refinish, bridge posts post-refinish). There are also a few small doweled and touched-up mounting holes for a square input jack plate adjacent to the original reinstalled jack cup.

The gloss Blonde nitro lacquer refinish was shot nice and thin for maximal resonance, highlighting the notably uniform vertical grain of the ash body. Natural playwear includes an area of shallow buckle rash central to the back and a few small nicks and finish scratches. The neck profile retains its original nitro lacquer gloss, naturally worn from contact with the palm to a flawless satin feel, with flame figuring extending the length of the profile. The headstock face has been refinished and fitted with a “spaghetti” early ‘60s-style waterslide decal.

The original black tolex hardshell case is included.