January 2008 \ Vintage & Upkeep \ Vintage Vault \ 1971 Fender Rosewood Telecaster #346098

1971 Fender Rosewood Telecaster #346098

Dave Rogers and Laun Braithwaite
 Premier Guitar January 2008
It is widely accepted that the quality of Fender instruments suffered a gradual decline after the CBS buyout of 1965. While this is true, the early CBS period of the mid to late 1960s was also a time of great creativity. The recipient of much of this energy was none other than Fender’s original solidbody: the Telecaster.

No fewer than four new versions of the Telecaster were added to the Fender line in the late sixties, including the Paisley and Blue Floral Teles, inspired by the psychedelic scene popular at the time. German master builder Roger Rossmeisl designed the other two Tele innovations: the Thinline Telecaster, and the Rosewood Telecaster. Rossmeisl, who had been responsible for the unique and enduring Rickenbacker electric guitar line of the late fifties, was hired away from Rickenbacker in 1962 by Leo Fender to be in charge of designing Fender’s new acoustic guitars and archtop electrics.

The first Rosewood Telecaster was a gift to Beatle George Harrison for use in the movie Let It Be. Rossmeisl and Phillip Kubicki (employed by Fender at the time) made two prototypes and chose the best for Harrison. The guitar body was made with a thin layer of maple sandwiched between a solid rosewood back and top. The rosewood neck had a separate rosewood fingerboard glued on. The whole guitar had a special satin polyurethane finish (for more info read Beatles Gear by Andy Babiuk).

The Rosewood Telecaster was added to the regular production line in 1969 at $375. Production models differed from George’s slightly. They were made with a one-piece rosewood neck, and had gloss polyurethane finishes. While early examples were solid, like George’s, the guitars were eventually lightened by hollowing out the two body halves.

Large numbers of Rosewood Teles were never produced, and by 1972 it was discontinued. Fender Japan reissued the guitar in the eighties, and the Fender Custom Shop makes occasional runs today (for more info read The Fender Telecaster by A.R. Duchossoir).

There are a couple of DVDs available if you’d like to see and hear Rosewood Teles in action. The first is Let It Be showing the Beatles recording and playing live. The second is Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story. Respect Yourself includes footage of Booker T. and the MGs playing live in 1970. Steve Cropper wields a beautiful Rosewood Tele while wearing a matching brown corduroy suit.







Dave's Guitar Shop
Daves Roger’s Collection Is tended to by Laun Braithwaite & Tim Mullally
All photos credit Tim Mullally
Dave’s Collection is on dispay at:
Dave's Guitar Shop
1227 Third Street South
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-785-7704
davesguitar.com

     

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Comments

 (11 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Rex Payne
on 08/07/2011 		I've never owned a rosewood Tele but I knew I guy who did. His name was Bruce Baldwin and he brought it to school [Long Beach City College] in about 1972. It weighed a TON and tended to stay cold even in the balmy SoCal weather. I often wonder about Bruce and his two-ton Tele.
JIM OLSEN
on 09/01/2010 		In 1974, my dad bought me a new Telecaster. We ordered it from the local music store. I picked out the Telecaster from that year's Fender catalog. The regular Telecaster in the catalog was called (I believe) Olympia White. I liked how it looked and chose that color. When my new guitar arrived, yes,it was white, but it also had 2 black stripes as a binding. A few years later I heard the date was on the butt of the neck. Out of curiousity, I took the neck off, and sure enough, there was a date but it was 1972. More curiously, tho, was in the neck cavity of the body was the stamped word, "Rosewood". My Telecaster has an all maple neck. Has anyone ever seen one like this or have any info regarding my guitar. It will never be sold as it was a gift from my deceased father, but I would appreciate any info. Thanks. jazzdogx5@yahoo.com
nick
on 05/18/2010 		I just found out I own a 1972 Fender rosewood Telecaster #342943 if anyone can tell me anything about this piece or as to it's value please contact me at nickabruzzino@yahoo.com
Brad
on 04/02/2010 		I played the "other" first tele at the Teenage Fair at the Hollywood Paladium for an hour in the Fender booth out in the parking lot. I well remember the Fender rep saying that they had made two, and the other was George's. I remember playing the guitar until my back hurt from its weight. I played an ES335TD which was a heavy guitar, but this thing was far heavier. I always wondered what happened to that guitar, not that I would have wanted it at the time. My how things change.
Reggie
on 02/02/2010 		when did fender japan started producing rosewood tele. in the 80s . I bought one [used] in 1980 or early 1981 that I sold[with regrets] a few years later. I had paid only 350$ for it back then. was it a repro [MIJ] or an original. it even had the chrome cover on the bridge pickup. I dont have any ser.number or pictures of it. any info. would be greatly appreciated.
Greg Silcox
on 10/17/2009 		I own a custom shop reissue rosewood and will never let it go. I also had a MIJ version at one time both are very nice guitars.
Diego
on 05/18/2009 		I own an original Telecaster Rosewood, Anybody interested on this guitar ? Serial-Number 346339 My email is info@diegos-canela.de
Wolfgang
on 03/31/2009 		After a long period of searching I found a MIJ 1986 reissue on Ebay Germant. Mint condition. I paid Eur. 1945. It will stand by me for ever. Nothing can compare with!
Al teh best,
Wolfgang
Anders
on 10/05/2008 		I own a 1986 MIJ Reissue model.
What can I say. It's a beautifull guitar and it's play like "butter" as we say in Sweden.
It's also a vey rare guitar with a skyhigh value nowadays.
For you info: I paid more then U$ 2200. This guitar belongs to me forever!
Halsning fran Sverige.
Charlie
on 03/12/2008 		I own a 1985 MIJ reissue of this model. When I had it serviced, the owner had an original 1971 in his vault which I was allowed to play. They are very different from each other.
The original 1971 was much lighter and therefore chambered where my MIJ was much heavier and probably more like the original prototypes. The 80's MIJ are of great quality and highly collectible however spec-wise, they seem to be be a mixture of both the the prototype, original production line and the 80's (6 saddle bridge was standard although the bridge had holes for 3 saddle if you wanted to change)



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