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

 (17 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Ethan
on 08/08/2012 		No mention of Pop Staples? For shame.
Jeff
on 05/28/2012 		I had an original US Rosewood tele in 1971 I paid like $850 for it used it was very heavy but I loved the sound and sold it in 1990 .. I missed it ever since until purchased another hand custom built one it was built old school from JOEs Vintage Guitars back in 2009 its simply amazing and the detail is true he also made it under 9 lbs> I remember my original Fender was way heavy close to 11 lbs quite a difference I absolutely love this guitar and will never sell it... sustain wize its the same as the original to my ears.. anyway I really Love this classic Rosewood Tele and I will never sell this beauty!
Arto, Helsinki
on 05/09/2012 		I bought my -69 Fender Rosewood Telecaster in 1980 and have played it ever since. The most trebliest guitar of the world, said John Cipollina of the Quicksilver Messenger Service, according to Man's Deke Leonard's first book Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics. I do agree, you got to be careful with the bridge pickup. A unique guitar which is really easy and comfortable to play - a wonderful deep and versatile sound, with a terrific twang and lots of sustain. They just don't make these ones anymore. Being a owner of fifty guitars I just haven't found one that could replace my old faithful Rosewood Tele. No wonder they are hard to find - you won't part with yours either!
Lance
on 03/16/2012 		Does anyone who has played one care to comment on the tone?A few years ago I bought a custom made strat copy with solid rosewood body which instead of a 5 way switch had toggle switches on each of the three pick ups. This guitar had a wonderful gritty sustain. I believe it was a combination of the wood and the unusual configuration of the pickups. This was one of eight guitars stolen from my home in 1994. I have never seen another like it.

I have considered purchasing one of the rosewood teles. Would unusual gritty sustain be an appropriate description?

Thanks,

Lance
Trey Yancy
on 03/13/2012 		I played one of them once back around 1973. It had been owned by Erik Brann, guitarist with Iron Butterfly and a roadie had managed to back a truck over it, resulting in a notable and somewhat poorly repaired crack on the left lower bout. If anyone out there has this guitar, that is its provenance. This guitar, by the way, differed from the above description, as the solid rosewood neck had a maple truss rod cover stripe.
Harland
on 02/26/2012 		I own a Custom Shop Reissue Rosewood Telecaster with a satin finish, which I rarely take out of it's original shipping box, not to mention it's custom case. It truly does play like butter. I also have a MIJ, all rosewood telecaster from the late 80's, with the thin piece of sandwich in the middle of the body. Both guitars are outstanding. I do use the MIJ more, just to keep the USA Custom Shop in pristine condition. Both will probably be buried with me, or more realistically, cremated with me.....I know.....what a shame and loss, but if I leave them to my children who don't play, they will just end up being sold. My only regret are the weight of these two fine pieces. At 61 years old, I need a 4 pound strat.
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.



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