danajohnhill.org | Hard Times Come Again No More

As I have written about before, I received my first guitar on December 25, 1987: a 1973 Electra 2253w (a Japanese copy of a 1972 Fender Telecaster Custom) in natural ash with a maple fretboard. I played it constantly and still have a strong sentimental attachment to it. In fact, I will own it until I die. From it I developed a fondness for the Telecaster shape and sound. I absolutely love the Tele bridge pickup with its bright, biting tone. And the body shape, though not contoured for comfort, nevertheless feels substantial and durable.

By 1997, however, my beloved Electra was only 50% functional. The neck pickup (the 2253w, like the Fender Tele Custom, has a neck humbucker) had ceased operation, so only one position on the three-way toggle switch really did anything. Disappointed at my inability to repair the complex problem, and dismayed at the incredible scarcity of Electra instruments or used parts, I put the guitar away and didn’t play it for years. Then, in 2006 I decided I’d be better off just getting a new guitar. And soon thereafter I formulated my Six Guitar Plan. The first phase in my Plan would be to obtain some sort of Fender Telecaster.

I have always been especially fond of the 1955 Telecaster in White Blonde with a white pickguard and one-piece maple neck. It’s a classy looking guitar: elegant but understated. But the longer I thought about it, the more infatuated I became with the 1952 American Vintage Reissue Telecaster in Butterscotch Blonde with a black Bakelite pickguard. It is such a classic look, and when I played such a guitar at a store in Tampa around Christmas last year I was convinced that I needed that guitar. The sound of the instrument as I played it through a reissue Twin Reverb Amp was nothing short of perfect: bright, clear highs and rich, bassy lows. It was the epitome of that vintage country music sound. Alas, it is not an inexpensive instrument, costing well north of a thousand dollars.

But, at long last I can announce that I am the very proud owner of an exquisite American-made Fender Telecaster. It has some extra fancy features, including cloth covered wiring throughout, recessed ferrules which are flush with the back of the guitar body, a spring-loaded three-way switch, slotted screws, Bakelite pickguard and a special upgrade: a shiny chrome Electrosocket jack which prevents the dreaded jack jettison common in Telecasters.

It is the most beautiful thing I own.

Filed under: Musings, Nostalgia, Popular Music, Technology on May 4th, 2008