1969 Fender Thinline Telecaster
The first major change to the Telecaster happened in 1968, when Fender decided to build a lighter alternative. The result was the Thinline Telecaster. New appointments on the Thinline included a 12-screw pearloid pickguard, a semi-hollow body, and a bass-side f-hole. Instead of using a cap on the body, Fender sliced the back from pieces of ash or mahogany, routed out chambers, and then put the pieces back together to form the finished semi-hollow body. The rear-routed guitar weighs about seven pounds and has a maple neck and fretboard, a six-pole single-coil in the bridge and a metal-covered single-coil with two visible height adjustment screws in the neck position. It also included Fender's original raised-side bridge with brass saddles and throughbody stringing. The guitar shown here is a 1969 model that has been refinished in fiesta red and modified with chickenhead volume and tone knobs. Photo courtesy Jeff Sadler of guitarphotographer.com