Early 1968 Fender Telecaster Custom – All Original, Original Case
 
The Model
The Telecaster Custom came out in 1959 as the upmarket version of the standard Telecaster. It had white binding on the top and back edges of the body and a three-tone sunburst finish as standard, with custom colours available as an option. That same year Fender introduced rosewood fingerboards across its range, and the dark board looked elegant against the bound body.
The bound Custom stayed in the catalogue until the early 1970s. Fender later used the name for a completely different model with a humbucker, so collectors call the original version the "bound Custom" to tell them apart.
 
This Guitar
This early 1968 example has the classic features of the model:
Bound three-piece alder body with sunburst finish
Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
Two single-coil pickups: the slanted bridge pickup behind the Telecaster's famous twang, and the warm, round rewound neck pickup
Three-saddle bridge with the traditional "ashtray" cover
Original Fender tuners and hardware
 
The three-piece body is typical of sunburst Fenders of the time. Because the sunburst finish hid the glue lines, Fender often joined several pieces of alder for these guitars and saved single-piece or two-piece bodies for see-through and solid finishes. A three-piece body is a correct original feature of the period, and it gives the guitar a lively, resonant tone.
 
The guitar is in very good, all-original condition. Over the years the red band of the sunburst on the front has faded, as it often does on vintage Fenders. The top now looks almost like a two-tone sunburst, with a warm amber glow running into dark edges. Natural ageing like this can't be faked, and many collectors love it because it shows the guitar's real history.
The tone is pure late-'60s Telecaster: bright and cutting on the bridge pickup, smooth and bluesy on the rewound neck pickup, with the snap and sustain of a fully aged body and neck. It works just as well for country, blues, rock or soul.
 
The bound Telecaster Custom is one of the most stylish and collectable Fenders of the 1960s. This early 1968 example is all original, has a beautifully faded finish and plays as well as it looks. It's a real piece of rock 'n' roll history, ready for many more decades on stage.
 
 
Comes with its original european export case and bridge cover.
 
Specs
Serial : 249627
Neck stamp : 3JAN68B
Tuners : Fender F tuners
Pickups : original pickup (rewound neck pickup)
Pots : Original CTS pots marked 137 6642 (week 42 of 1966)
Weight : 3.3kgs
Case : original european export hardcase