{"product_id":"fender-telecaster-blonde-refinish-1968","title":"Fender Telecaster Blonde Refinish, 1968  [USED]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Fender Telecaster Blonde Refinish was built during 1968 in Fullerton, California and has several common 1970's modifications, the addition of a humbucker in the neck position and a six-saddle bridge, possibly by Mighty Mite, and the installation of Schaller 'double tab' mini tuners.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Maple neck was refretted years ago with wider wire which has light to significant wear, and the fingerboard finish shows honest wear from years of playing.   It looks great, has plenty of snap and brightness.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSold with a non-original, rectangular, metal edged 'flight' style case.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eConstruction, Materials and Modifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis guitar follows Fender's classic pairing of a one-piece Maple neck with Walnut 'skunk stripe' insert and an Ash body.  The body, neck, pickguard and controls appear to be from the original set.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe neck is stamped 3 MAY 68 B, indicating a Telecaster (3), produced during May of 1968, and 1 5\/8 inch nut width.   The control plate, switching and volume\/tone controls match the original wiring pattern. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile adding a humbucking pickup in a Telecaster's neck position became a popular modification, this guitar is nearly unique  because the added pickup is an original Fender Wide Range humbucker, made from 1972 until 1979.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe humbucker modification was apparently first done in 1957 by Bob Bain, a guitarist for both Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.  Bain added one of Gibson's new humbuckers to his Telecaster, and used that guitar to record Henry Mancini's classic theme for the 1968 - 1961 '\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Emg_6ANjWzo?si=Uv0ALSwAhgm-8SeQ\" title=\"Peter Gunn\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePeter Gunn'\u003c\/a\u003e television series.   Many others followed, including Keith Richards and Andy Summers - and then in 1972, Fender themselves. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Fender pickups, this particular configuration was only available in the 1972 - 1980 Telecaster Custom and its reissues; the 1972 - 1978 Telecaster Thinline and its reissues used a pair of Wide Ranging Humbuckers.    On all reissue Wide Range pickups, the construction and materials differ from the original in several ways, from magnet type and location to wiring style. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe specific pickup installed to this guitar has an ink stamp on the base reading '82276',  with the last two digits suggesting 1976 production.   Consequently, the guitar's pickup modification would likely have occurred in the late 1970's or early 1980's. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wide Range Humbucker is a model designed for Fender by Seth Lover, named on the June 22, 1955 patent application for Gibson's new hum cancelling pickup.  He was careful to make the Fender pickup in such a way as to not infringe on the Gibson patents!   The core of the design uses threaded CuNiFe (Copper, Nickel, Iron) magnets rather than the bar magnets used in the Gibson design.  By 1979, the use of CuNiFe became a problem because its primary use was in automotive speedometers, and that industry had moved on.  After some less successful attempts to reissue the design with other types of magnets, the Wide Range Humbucker was discontinued.   In 2020, Fender found CuNiFe sources and a plant capable of producing the components, and began reissuing the original design.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis refinish is partial and was done years ago.  It seems that the refinisher stripped off the clear coats, not an easy task, and lightened the yellowness of the original colour.   A newer clear coat was then applied.  The Fender Wide Range Humbucker is considerably larger than other pickups and so routing was required, and unusually this was done very cleanly.  The original three-layer pickguard was cut to accommodate the new pickup; the treble end of the original pickup cutout can just be seen. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original colour can be seen under the pickguard, and in the undisturbed neck pocket which has a stamp of B805, likely a lot number, and a '3' written in red ink as a code for a Telecaster.  There's also a faded initial that we can't read.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe late \u003ca rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Seth Lover\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vintageguitar.com\/3601\/seth-lover-3\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeth Lover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e was quietly influential and designed many significant electronic devices, amplifiers, effects, and guitar components - including being an inventor of two different humbucking pickup designs and the first fuzztone!  His primary employers were the US Navy, Gibson, Fender and in his later years, Seymour Duncan. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 94.5938px;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 94.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 26.1993%; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240); height: 94.5938px;\"\u003e \u003cimg style=\"float: left;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2091\/5497\/files\/No-Refunds-No-Returns-On-Used-or-Consignment-Items-TheTweflthFret.jpg?v=1717033061\" alt=\"No Returns or Refunds on Used or Consignments - The Twelfth Fret\"\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 73.4317%; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240); height: 94.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThere are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.12fret.com\/the-twelfth-fret-terms-and-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eView Our Full Terms Here\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eDETAILS\u003c\/span\u003e: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument Model:  \u003c\/strong\u003eTelecaster\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument Manufacturer:  \u003c\/strong\u003eFender\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument year:\u003c\/strong\u003e   1968\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument Finish:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Blonde, Partially Refinished\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument Class:\u003c\/strong\u003e   Solidbody Electric Guitars\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument serial number:\u003c\/strong\u003e  220652, built during 1968 at Fullerton CA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCountry of Origin:\u003c\/strong\u003e  USA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.12fret.com\/pages\/the-twelfth-fret-used-instrument-and-amplifier-rating-guide\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInstrument Condition\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Good\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlaying Condition:  \u003c\/strong\u003e220652, built during 1968 at Fullerton CA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRight-handed\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCITIES Documentation Required:\u003c\/strong\u003e No\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument Weight Imperial:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.404 lbs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInstrument Weight Metric:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3.82 kgs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScale Length Imperial:\u003c\/strong\u003e  25.5 in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScale Length Metric:\u003c\/strong\u003e 647.7 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNut Width Imperial:\u003c\/strong\u003e  1.609 in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNut Width Metric:\u003c\/strong\u003e  40.87 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCase included:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Yes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCase original:\u003c\/strong\u003e  No\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCase Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hard Shell Rectangular, 'Flight Case' style\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eItems in Case:\u003c\/strong\u003e Strings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eConsignment:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduct ID:\u003c\/strong\u003e 190652\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 94.5938px;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 94.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 26.1993%; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240); height: 94.5938px;\"\u003e \u003cimg style=\"float: left;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2091\/5497\/files\/No-Refunds-No-Returns-On-Used-or-Consignment-Items-TheTweflthFret.jpg?v=1717033061\" alt=\"No Returns or Refunds on Used or Consignments - The Twelfth Fret\"\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 73.4317%; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240); height: 94.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThere are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.12fret.com\/the-twelfth-fret-terms-and-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eView Our Full Terms Here\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Reemes Music","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53839033532735,"sku":"RMC-MUS-G22265454","price":4250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0990\/7535\/9039\/files\/fender-tele-refin-68-cons-full-front.jpg?v=1782094971","url":"https:\/\/www.reemesmusic.com\/products\/fender-telecaster-blonde-refinish-1968","provider":"Reemes Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}