1967 Telecaster Custom
From the amazing BF collection comes this one of a kind Telecaster Custom in black with white binding, matching headstock and clipped decal. Foreshadowing Fender’s current John 5 model by about 40 years or so, this guitar is marked ‘Special’ on the back of the headstock and was most likely built for a trade show or an artist. Very few examples of Telecasters with matching headstocks exist, the best known examples being the those made for Buck Owens and Don Rich in the mid 1960s. Serial number 199169.
Fender Straps
Fender supplied leather straps with every guitar during the company's golden age. These were made by the Lichtenberger Ferguson Company, a harness maker and saddlery located in Los Angeles. The first Fender straps were a medium tone brown with a wide strap and a straight, narrow adjustable shoulder pad. These used a buckle for adjustment much like those used on a man’s belt. Esquires, Broadcasters, “Nocasters”, Telecasters, Precision Basses and the earliest Stratocasters were all shipped these straps.
In early 1955 the straps underwent a redesign. These second generation straps were much narrower with a small cast metal buckle with no moving parts and a central post for securing the strap. The adjustable shoulder pads were wider, but still straight. Top of the line Stratocasters and Precision Basses came with a black strap that also had a thick piece of white felt sewn onto the underside of the shoulder pad for added comfort. Telecasters and Esquires came with the same shaped strap, but in light brown leather without the felt padding. The earliest Musicmasters and Duo Sonics were also shipped with the same light brown straps.
In mid to late 1956 the design changed again slightly as the adjustable shoulder pads gained a curve to better contour to the shoulder when worn with a guitar. A maroon version without the felt padding, like the Telecaster/Esquire version, was shipped with Musicmasters and Duo Sonics.
The black third generation strap was issued with the Jazzmaster in 1958 and the Jazz Bass in 1960 and at around the time of the introduction of the Jaguar in 1962, all guitars began to be shipped with this version of the strap.
In late 1964 or early 1965 the contemporary Fender logo was embossed in gold on the bottom of the shoulder pad. Around this time as well, the buckle was changed to a slightly wider design with a flower motif on the top and bottom. Fender also shipped straps with a double flower design with and without Fender embossed in gold during this time.
From about 1966 through the earlier 1970s, the final version of the golden age strap appeared. The final change was the addition of Fender in block letters to the top of the buckle with the flower design remaining on the bottom. This is the strap most people associate with vintage Fender guitars and is often mistaken for being from the 1950s. Partly due to the fact that the Fender Custom Shop reproduced these straps and were shipping them with their 1950s reissues as early as the 1990s.
Reproductions abound of the black third generation and Fender/flower buckle straps. However, it is relatively easy to tell a vintage one from a repro by first looking at the foundry mark on the buckle. Vintage ones have a ship’s anchor beside the buckle post and repros do not. One can also tell by looking at the strap itself, if the strap does not have two embossed lines running the length of the both edges of the strap, it is a repro. Some repros have the embossed edging and if that is the case, then checking the buckle’s foundry marks will tell you for sure.
Fender PAM Clock
In early 1963, Don Randall commissioned the PAM Clock Company of New Rochelle, NY to design a clock that was to be sold to dealers and hang in guitar shops. PAM made advertising clocks for many businesses big and small throughout the US at that time. A prototype of the clock’s fascia was silkscreened on heavy plate glass (currently in the possession of the authors) and shipped to Randall for his approval in mid 1963. The first production run of these clocks was done in July 1963 and offered to dealers for the princely sum of $11.50 in the Fender Facts 5 (November 1963). The example shown here is from the second batch done in June 1965.
Original examples in decent condition are hard to find as the bulbs were frequently changed to hotter higher voltage version, which over time dried the delicate paint on the inside of the glass which flaked away. Values on original examples are high and as such there are a proliferation of fakes in the marketplace. The easiest way to tell if yours is an original is to first check the date stamp on the back, it should say 7 3 (i.e. July 1963) or 6 5 (June 1965). Next check that the hands of a 1965 version match the hands on this example. The 1963 hands were more pointed than the ‘65; you can see a good example of those on a 1963 clock in Fender Facts 5 on page 173 of our book. Also check to see if there is a rubber grommet where the clock motor comes through the glass fascia. These grommets tend to dry out over time, but are usually there on real examples that haven't been tampered with and never there on fakes. The final check is the body of the clock itself. Real Fender PAM clocks were always shipped with brass/gold colored bodies and drilled to hang on the wall in a diamond shape. Whilst fakes most likely won’t have the correct date stamps, if they do but have a blue case and are re-drilled to hang a different way, suspect a fake.
1964 Musicmaster
All original Musicmaster in Gold and Red Sparkle from 1964. It is speculated that this guitar was built for a trade show in 1964 as there is a matching Red/Gold Sparkle Jaguar and Jazz Bass that have been discovered from the same year. From the TF Collection. Serial Number L06520
Light-up Signs
In late 1961 Fender Sales issued a “Sales Promotion Guide” to their dealer network. The guide contained a series of ready made mats to help dealers place ads to promote Fender products in the Yellow Pages, classifieds and local newspapers. It also reminded them that, “good display starts in your showroom window where Fender dealer signs and displays helps join with the instruments to start selling before even before your salesman reaches the incoming looker”. The guide encouraged dealers to order literature, banners, stands and it also introduced a new 14” X 30” light up display sign available to them at just $15.25.
Fender’s first light-up sign from the late 1950s was considerably smaller unit at about 14” long and 6” high and far less colorful in all black with Fender Musical Instruments lit up in white letters. The 1960s light-up signs were manufactured by Plastolite Products in Los Angeles with the first version appearing in 1961. It was about 3 times as large as the contemporary version issued by rival manufacturer Gibson and definitely wouldn’t be missed either in a shop window or on the inside wall of a shop. The first version featured a Jazzmaster and a blond/oxblood Showman. Unfaded and unyellowed examples are hard to find given dealer proclivity and Fender’s encouragement to place them in shop windows where UV exposure caused the plastic to become very brittle, yellow and faded the blue and red parts of the sign. The first style example in the attached photo came from the Evelyn Brue Guitar School in Ottawa, Illinois. It escaped yellowing and fading as it hung inside at the top of a flight the stairs where students would go for their lessons and then stored for over 20 years after the school closed until purchased by one of the authors.
Version two of the 60’s display sign seems to be the rarest and the one pictured here, is the only known example. Issued in 1964 it features the top of the line Jaguar and blackface blond/wheat Showman. This combination was short lived and in early 1965 the sign was changed to include a blackface Bandmaster.
Original examples of these signs, regardless of condition are very rare. Even those with yellowing, fading and cracks command high prices.
Custom Color Charts
A letter sent to Fender dealers in July of 1961 stated that, “Dealers will soon receive a ‘Custom Color Selection Chart’ from which customers may select the custom finishes they desire”. The new custom color program actually limited what customers could previously ask for, which was any DuPont Duco color available to a selection of just 14. Dealers were provided with paint chip charts like the ones used at the time to choose the color for your new car or your house. In fact, the colors chosen by Don Randall and his team at Fender Sales all corresponded to contemporary car colors of which Leo Fender had a great love. The Vintage Guitar Info site (found in our links page) has thoroughly researched the corresponding car colors and is the best resource on the subject.
The first version of the chip chart issued in 1961 lasted until late 1963 when it was announced in Fender Facts 5 (November 1963) that Candy Apple Red would be replacing Shell Pink. Real examples of Shell Pink are very rare.
In early 1965 Fender produced a new chart changing 6 of the 14 available custom colors. During the latter part of the 60's Fender issued this revised chart 3 times. Surviving examples are dated on the front 1965, 1966 and 1966-67. The colors advertized in these early CBS color charts were theoretically available until the range was consolidated to just Lake Placid Blue, Candy Apple Red, Sonic Blue, Black, Olympic White, Firemist Gold, Firemist Silver and Ocean Turquoise in 1970. Nonetheless, it seems that the era ushered in by polyester finishes during 1968 marked the beginning of the end for almost all Fender custom colors as very few examples late 60's and early 70's examples survive today. By 1972 only Black, White, Lake Placid Blue and Candy Apple Red appeared in the catalog as official options. Whether this was dictated by a change in customers’ tastes or cost cutting by CBS isn’t known, but by the early 70's the golden age of custom colors was definitely over.
Although these color charts are rare now, Fender and their dealers gave them away to customers by the dozen. Photos in the Robert Perine archive of a Teen Fair in Orange County, California in 1963 shows a table bulging with Fender swag including huge piles of catalogs, price lists, match boxes and color charts.
There is at least one example of every official Fender custom color represented in Fender: The Golden Age with two notable exceptions, Firemist Silver and Surf Green. If you have a guitar in either finish that is original please let us know, as we would love to include it a future edition of the book.