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Fender Tele Headstock


fretplay

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I know this is not a Gibson topic but I believe lots of us own one.

 

I have a 1974 Fender Tele Custom. It has a small head stock but I have noticed that some tele's have large head stocks. So when did they come in? Can't be a date thing as large head stocks were used before and after 1974.

 

Any info guys?

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I've never noticed a difference in Tele headstocks...STRATS... for sure...but not in Teles. I have a 2012 MIM and an original 1969 Thinline. I just sold a mint '84, and once owned a '53 (stolen in Seattle in '68) All had identical headstocks to the best of my recollection.

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Some of the mid-70's Tele Customs and Deluxes had strat headstocks, I recall being told it was an effort to get to One Headstock To Rule Them All. It didn't work out.

 

rct

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I had 72 and then later, prolly 77ish Customs. Them humbuckers were not great at all, and there wasn't anything aftermarket to fit the hole without a lot of crap. I was 20 years old and talking on the phone to a guy last name of Duncan over in Vineland NJ, he had a brother that made pickups, but didn't have anything that fit them holes. I wonder whatever became of that guy... [laugh][laugh][laugh][laugh]

 

rct

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The "Telecaster DELUXE" is a different model than the "Custom" or "Thinline". One difference being the headstock.

 

The difference isn't just the headstock, the neck heels are different for Strats and Teles. The neck for the "Deluxe" is actually a Strat neck.

 

In addition to that, the "Deluxe" uses a Strat-type bridge, a contour on the back of the body, and also has the 3-bolt neck of the Strats of the time.

 

The "CUSTOM" looks very similer to the "Deluxe" mainly because they use the same humbucker and switching, and a pickgaurd cut out of the same pattern. They also happened to come in the same colors. The difference being the "Custom" has the Tele bridge and bridge pup, and Tele neck.

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It seems most Tele headstocks have two smooth 'Hills' under non machine head side of the Fender Logo, where Strats have a point under the F of Fender.

 

There are exceptions, the Fender Tele Delux and the one that Zenken put up.

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