'Relic' Telecasters

[Roger Rettig]

I once played one of these (a mock '62 - r/w board and a faded-red finish) in the old Thoroughbred Music store on Gallatin Rd. It was the best Tele - of any age - that I've ever played. I balked at the colour, and left it where it was. By the time I'd come to my senses and returned to buy it (only hours later) it had gone.

I won't make that mistake again. I want a nice featherweight Tele and one of these repros is all I can think of affording. Does anyone know where there are a number of them to be seen? I wouldn't dream of buying one sight-unseen, but I would travel to try one out.

Which dealers are likely to actually carry them?

Thanks,

RR
Edited to add: Has anyone seen the current '62 American Vintage reissue? Not a 'Relic', but I wondered if these were a lightweight guitar.

[Jerry Hayes R.I.P.]

Roger, my local Guitar Center store carries the Relic Telecasters & Strats as does another local large store called Alpha Music. Most of the larger Fender dealers should have one or two in stock or if not they're probably on order. The one in stock at the GC now is going for around $2,600 or so....JH in Va.

[Dave Mudgett]

There are lots of dealers that carry these. Dave's Guitar Shop in Wisconsin is a very good one - he used to set up at guitar shows I was at, and he always had a bunch of cool Fender custom shop stuff. I have friends who have given him the word on what they were looking for, and were very happy with the result.

I'm not sure if he's Fender authorized, but sometimes Lark Street Instruments in Teaneck, NJ has them. Owner Buzzy Levine (Tele wizard Duke Levine's brother) is a good judge, IMO - I have had friends who have gotten these from him, and they were very fine indeed - in fact, I wound up with one of these for a few years. I think it's pretty easy to find lots of dealers with these. You might want to try a guitar show if you're near one. Vintage Guitar Magazine keeps a pretty up-to-date list of guitar shows across the US and elsewhere.

I have owned 4 of these in the last 10 years or so - my current one is a Lake Placid Blue '63 Relic, which of course has a curved (not slab) rosewood fingerboard. It is quite possibly the best Tele I have ever played, including my old Teles, and dozens I have owned or played over the years. Featherweight, with perfect neck and playability, and inspiring tone with no work - it's just amazing.

When these relics came out, I swore that I would hate them. I really do hate the concept of beating up a brand new guitar - from a cosmetic point of view, I would prefer if they hadn't beat it up. But I can't argue with the result as a player's guitar.

I generally agree on buying sight-unseen. To me, the difficulty is that, like original Fenders, they vary some. I find some of them magic, and some are merely very good. But there are a couple of people who know what I want, and when they come up with something, I generally try it out. YMMV.

The American-made RI '62 Custom RI Tele is a very good guitar to my tastes - I had one a couple of years ago in sunburst - I sold it when I got this LPB relic '63. Most of the ones I see are reasonably light and play well. But none of the ones I have played have the magic or feather weight of the best of these relics I have played. Of course, that's anecdotal based on a limited sample, so you never know. I tend to just wait until I find one with magic, and then I pull the trigger fast, before someone can beat me to the punchline.

BTW - I would not flinch at a NOS or Closet-Classic if it was right. In fact, one of my 4 was actually a NOS, and it was just great - a '60 blonde RI with rosewood board. There are a few differences - slab board, clay-style dots, and so on - but some have been tremendous. Another great one that I passed up in favor of this '63 was the '67 Custom Shop Reissue Tele. I should have bought them both, that '67 was the ultimate twang machine - the pickups are a bit different. My band griped that it was too twangy. For me, that's impossible, I shoulda ignored them.

Of course, you know that all this is just my opinion and all that.

[Roger Rettig]

Thanks, Guys - that's very helpful.

Dave: Your current guitar is exactly what I want - LP blue, curved fingerboard, lightweight, etc, etc, and it sounds as though it has that elusive quality that you've described so well - the 'right' guitar just wraps itself around you and accommodates your style with no effort.

The red one had that. I was noodling in the store on something else, and the assistant was watching me play. After a while he said - 'I have a guitar you'll like!', and he produced the one I've described. It was PERFECT! I left the store thinking - 'It's great, but I hate that colour!' At that time the price was around $2250, I think.

Walking away from it was the dumbest guitar-related move I ever made!

I'm in Vero Beach now; I may divert to the Miami area on my way home at the end of the week and see what's there.

Right now my #1 electric is my G&L Asat Classic - it's a finely-made and versatile guitar, but, good as it is, it's not a Tele. I'd say that the G&L's neck pick-up is way superior to the average Fender, but the bridge p/u doesn't have that bite....

As unlikely as it seems right now, if you feel you can no longer abide that guitar of yours, perhaps you'll giove me a thought!!!

Thanks for all the helkp!

RR

[Lefty]

Theres a pretty one on Ebay at the moment (No-caster relic).
Left handed though. Wish I had the money.
I too have G&L tele's, and love them. I would like to have Fender though.
Lefty

[Dennis Olearchik]

http://www.gbase.com/

and do a search on: Fender Custom Shop, etc.

Some vendors, like the Music Gallery near Chicago Il, provide a lot of useful info e.g. body weight, neck radius, pick-up types, neck contour.

Good luck!

[Dave Mudgett]

Roger, if I ever think about selling it, I'll let you know. But I wouldn't bet the farm on it. I've had a lot of great Telecasters, but nothing like this, for me.

I brought it to the gig right after I tried out the '67 relic, and there were nothin' but smiles, through my '59 Gibson GA-20T Ranger amp. That's a rig that needs nothing but a guitar, cord, and amp - "we got no reverb - we don't need no reverb."

This is a lousy picture, but it gives you the idea, the Gibson amp upper right:

[Kyle Everson]

Roger I sent you an email.

[Joey Ace]

I doctored Dave's picture a bit:

[Bill Terry]

I hang out at a place in Austin called Austin Vintage Guitars quite a bit. The owner, Steve Fulton, is always moving guitars in and out and you never know what you'll find.

He normally keeps a CS Relic Tele or two (or whatever they call 'em) and they turn pretty regularly. Some he buys used and resells, some are 'new' from Fender.

Anyway, because they come through so often, I've played probably 6 or 8 different ones over the last year or so, and I'd agree with Dave. There were a couple I played that were very good, just really 'live' and vibrant, but at least half of them were what I'd call 'ordinary'.. not really bad, but not better than some much cheaper Teles I've played. The good ones are REALLY good though. BTW, I could tell the good ones before I even plugged into an amp, which leads me to believe it's the marriage of the right body and neck, all wood is different.

I've seen enough difference to know I'd never buy one for that kind of money ($2k or so?) without playing it first.

[Roger Rettig]

Yes, Bill, I really need to play one before I buy.

I looked at The Music Gallery (Chicago) web-site - very interesting!

They have a big stock of Relics (I think I'll call them 'Relicasters' from now on).

I'm on a quest (seeing as Dave isn't going to part with his!)

Thanks for all the input.

RR
PS: Excuse the paragraphing here - Dave's first pic has 'elongated' the thread somehow.
This is my only defence!

[Roger Rettig]

PS: Of course not all of these guitars are worth the high price tag, but that disparity is only to be expected. There's a degree of hand-building involved, and therefore the results are unpredictable.

As with Dave's experience with his blue Tele, though, it's well worth the search! Rest assured that the next Relicaster that fires me up like that red one in Nashville, I'll write a cheque immediately!

RR

[Roger Rettig]

Me again....

Does anyone have experience of music stores in the Miami area?
Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, or anywhere close would qualify.

There's nothing near me in Naples, and Ft Myers isn't much better.

I'd like to spend the day over on the east coast seeing what might be available.

Who are the GOOD Fender dealers over there?

Thanks, as always.

RR

[Richard Bass]

in hallandale just off 95 there is a guitar centre, hallandale beach blvd and 95

Richard

[Ryan Gimpert]

Roger,
If you aren't set on a Fender brand guitar, I highly recommend one from Bill Nash's 'Timewarp Series'. He knows how an old Fender should feel and his price is very good compared to the Fender you quoted. It looks that there are two dealers in Florida that carry him.

http://www.nashguitars.com/index.html

[Jerry Erickson]

Roger, You might look into these guitars as well. I played a Strat version at Make'n Music in Chicago and it was a very nice guitar!.

http://www.vinettoguitars.com/index.html

[Mark van Allen]

Rodger, Please, please look into the Bill Nash Teles. He repaired/set up vintage guitars for so long that he's got the vibe down. Like you, I thought the whole relic concept ridiculous... until I played some of his. I swear, they feel, sound, and play like a 40 year old guitar your uncle kept under the bed and gave you. Amazing. I own a Nash tele and a fantastic strat he built that I bought just for the studio cats that come by here. Much cheaper than the Fenders and generally better in my opinion.
The one that sold me on his work was a Beck model esquire, around $1700 which played and sounded WAY better than the Fender model at $10,300.
They run $1500- $1650 or so and turn up on ebay.
Here's mine: