Rosewood Teles

**Big Al** · 07-25-2002, 11:11 PM

I am just crazy about them. Everytime I get close to one something stupid happens. I wish they'd do these again!

**Ed Driscoll** · 07-25-2002, 11:41 PM

Al,

How many of them did they make? George Harrison's looks (and sounds) wonderful, but I didn't know how limited the production was.

Ed

**Yard Dog** · 07-26-2002, 12:31 AM

There wasn't many made. I think they were produce from 1969-71. For a couple of years, I had a standing order for one with Gruhn's Guitars in Nashville but he never found one for me. I saw a few MIJ rosewood Tele's that looked real nice but I backed away from them and didn't buy one. That was back when I thought rosewood was too expensive. Looking back now, it would've been a good buy.

**decay-o-caster** · 07-26-2002, 09:31 AM

The other guitar player in my band has an MIJ Rosewood that absolutely kills. It's my favorite of his guitars, one I would buy from him in a heartbeat if he ever thought about selling it, and one I'm tempted to try to track down at Ishibayashi (sp?) even though he'd kill me if I showed up with the same guitar he has.

The richest sounding Tele (aside from my new Chapin TBird, of course) that I've ever heard.

And it has a chambered body, which makes it possible to play it without having your chiropractor attend every gig. Harrison's was evidently unplayable for any length of time at all due to weight issues.

**Gazza** · 07-26-2002, 09:42 AM

I've never seen one in person but aren't they supposed to be fairly heavy?

**Heritage 80** · 07-26-2002, 10:27 AM

Didn't Fender build Hendrix a rosewood Tele the same time they built George's?

**Tonesnob** · 07-26-2002, 10:33 AM

I have a MIJ Reissue.... LOVE IT!! Boy howdy! BTW- it's weighs in at a mere 8.0 - 8.5 lbs. (if my memory serves correct). I got lucky & bought it cheap before the BIG price increase last year.

FWIW- It has a slim neck. I bought it over the net, and i was hoping the neck shape was the bigger/deeper '50's type of neck... but the slim neck has some nice rounded shoulders on it. Once my "big & deep" dissapointment wore off, i came to realize that the neck is actually quite comfortable.

The neck pickup died on me after a while, so i bought a set of "stock" Fralins for it (a great uprade, period)....

Lately though, i've been playing my "Keef" inspired MIM 50's Tele a little more, and it has hotter Fralins in it... makes the Rosewood seem pretty tame, so i'm thinking if putting hotter Fralins in that also. There's no rush on that decision though, i'll think about it for a while.

**Tonesnob** · 07-26-2002, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by '68 Tele
Didn't Fender build Hendrix a rosewood Tele the same time they built George's?

Vintage Guitar mag had a BIG article on this subject... George got the Tele, Jimi got a solid rosewood STRAT.

No one knows the whereabouts of the Strat.

Fender built Elvis a Rosewood Tele.

**decay-o-caster** · 07-26-2002, 11:37 AM

Originally posted by Tonesnob

Vintage Guitar mag had a BIG article on this subject... George got the Tele, Jimi got a solid rosewood STRAT.

Actually, Jimi never got the Strat - he died just before it could be delivered.

69tele · 07-26-2002, 11:50 AM

sorry for my ignorance is the whole body made of rosewood ?

**Florida Sam** · 07-26-2002, 11:58 AM

I know the whereabaouts of the Strat, at least I did as of last July. It was at the Petersen Cars and Guitars exhibit in LA. The exhibition was really great and one of the guitars included was this "suposedly" one of a kind Rosewood Strat made for Jimi.

**Mr. Z** · 07-26-2002, 12:07 PM

Wow, thanks Florida Sam. That's a shweet strat.

**OneL** · 07-26-2002, 12:12 PM

Cool pic, had to save that one to the hard drive.

Is that a body seam in the lower horn or is that some kind of reflection?

**Ed Rafalko** · 07-26-2002, 12:16 PM

It's a body seam. All teh rosewood guitars Fender made were two-piece laminates. Even back then it was impossible to find a piece of rosewood big enough for a guitar body!

**Florida Sam** · 07-26-2002, 12:18 PM

Its a body seam. According to the Tele Bible, "The very first sample were built with a (heavy!) solid rosewood body, but FENDER quickly changed for two lighter hollowed out body halves sandwiching a thin maple strip"

I assume they used the same construction principles for the Strat. If you've ever played a Rosewood tele, even the sandwich ones are hernia inducing. I can't imagine the Strat being any less massive.

**jr mccarthy** · 07-26-2002, 12:28 PM

I used to own to mijs both were from the mid80s the lighter one
was my fav. it was very hollow sounding and the pups were quiet
also . the other with the better wood grain was thin sounding and
noisy . I sold both to help my daughter with school , I think I paid
500, for each, but now there hard to find. however I do have other guitars that sound better . jr mcc

**OneL** · 07-26-2002, 12:29 PM

Thanks for the replies. Seems I learn something new everyday.

One other question. What kind of rosewood where these made from?

**Ed Driscoll** · 07-26-2002, 01:05 PM

Originally posted by Florida Sam
Its a body seam. According to the Tele Bible, "The very first sample were built with a (heavy!) solid rosewood body, but FENDER quickly changed for two lighter hollowed out body halves sandwiching a thin maple strip"

I assume they used the same construction principles for the Strat. If you've ever played a Rosewood tele, even the sandwich ones are hernia inducing. I can't imagine the Strat being any less massive.

For some reason, I'm picturing Harrison's Rosewood Tele with a seam, but I don't have ready access to any decent photos of it (and my 20 year old VHS copy of Let It Be is definitely low-res).

Ed

**Casey4s** · 07-26-2002, 01:30 PM

I have a MIJ Rosewood Tele and it is the best player I have ever picked up. It is heavy but that density adds a lot to the incredible sustain. The neck is thin and fast.

Casey4s

**Lpnv59** · 07-26-2002, 02:00 PM

I had a friend who had an original one for about 5 years. He hated it and I really didn't like at all. They are beautiful looking but sound alot different than the standard maple necked ash or alder body Teles. It weighed at least 10 pounds, and was very thin sounding. Maybe it sustained good, I don't recall but we couldn't get past the tone plus it had that thick shiny finish on the fingerboard. I ain't a fan of that either, but it was pretty!

**Ashcaster** · 07-26-2002, 02:19 PM

I tried one of the MIJ ones once. Agree with the above poster: heavy and thin sounding. I think that heavy, super-dense body just adds to the brightness of the guitar. A real back-breaker and just didn't sound like a Tele should sound, IMO.

Also, the rosewood neck was absolutely dipped in some of the thickest poly I've ever seen! Much worse than your typical maple necked 52RI, for example.

**Big Al** · 07-26-2002, 03:29 PM

I've played 3 originals. They sound great and were not thin at all. One was sick Brazilian, and belonged to the guitar player for the Rightous Brothers. He lived in Carson City and I was boinkin' his Sister in law.

It was the first one I ever saw and it has haunted me ever since. He was givin it by Billboard magazine for having a #1 hit or something that year, 68? Maybe top 100?

The MIJ ones I tried were sweet and they were selling for $400 new. I wanted one with nice grain. The HOG had a beautiful one but the price shot up to crazy levels when Fender discontinued them. I'd be very happy with one. BTW IMO MIJ pickups suck, and are thin sounding as are most early 70's, I'd replace these in a nanosecond!

**Nickster** · 07-27-2002, 09:08 AM

I have one. So does my other guitar player in our band. We love em. I dont play it out often. Iused it a few weeks ago with my blackface SR and it killed. We've foth had them since were were both in high school. I'll try to shoot some pics and send them on soon.

**Nickster** · 07-27-2002, 09:10 AM

Sorry I forgot to say they're original USA issue. both are 1968's.

**burst_king** · 07-28-2002, 02:37 PM

I LOVE rosewood boarded teles! I have a '62 Custom RI that is the best sounding guitar I've played, in its class. They're awsome, tamed twang! :bigal

:bigal

**Big Al** · 07-30-2002, 11:10 PM

Burst King,

ah...ahem....these Tele's are all Rosewood. The neck is one piece Rosewood instead of Maple with a Rosewood body finished in natural!!!

Nickster,...I hate you and your buddy.

:bigal ;)

I'd love to see pics of that pair, buddy.:boobs :bigal

**burst_king** · 07-30-2002, 11:28 PM

Ahhhhh. I must try one of the "all rosewood" Teles. :)

They must sound REALLLLYYYYYY dark. COOL!

:bigal

**Tonesnob** · 07-31-2002, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by burst_king
They must sound REALLLLYYYYYY dark. COOL! :bigal

No they DOOOOOOON'T.

Ha. Just giving you trouble.

**GeetarGoul** · 07-31-2002, 11:57 AM

I had a PRS McCarty Rosewood for awhile and I just hated the thing. A lot of sustain but no snap! The solid rosewood necked McCartys I tried just ate the notes. I can't imagine a tele being too much different. I like Maple Necks and Ash bodies for fenders.

**Nickster** · 07-31-2002, 01:55 PM

Hey Big Al, thanks, We'll get pics ASAP. I sent a bunch of pics to Lily sometime ago of some of my Fender gear but they couldn't post it on the forum. Thats OK. Maybe since this forum started. They'll do it. We'll see. Anyway as soon as my other guitarist gets his Tele out of the shop Hopefully soon I'll get pictures of them both together.

**burst_king** · 07-31-2002, 05:44 PM

Eyy! Ain't NOBODY give the Fonz trouble! I'll see you out back: You get a HoHo and I'll take the Twinky. Yeee, how 'bout that!

*Flips collar, slicks back hair, and walks "out back."*

:nya

**Electron** · 07-31-2002, 07:44 PM

"...even the sandwich ones are hernia inducing." -- Florida Sam

LOL!! It's true, though. I have a MIJ one, it's a honey... and a brick. The pickups were microphonic, so I replaced them with AmStd ones. I put a frame of Harrison from "Let it be" on the page linked below:

http://akaelectron.tripod.com/c03.html

**Big Al** · 07-31-2002, 11:03 PM

Originally posted by Nickster
Hey Big Al, thanks, We'll get pics ASAP. I sent a bunch of pics to Lily sometime ago of some of my Fender gear but they couldn't post it on the forum. Thats OK. Maybe since this forum started. They'll do it. We'll see. Anyway as soon as my other guitarist gets his Tele out of the shop Hopefully soon I'll get pictures of them both together.

Nickster, that will just about kill me. I've never seen two together(originals).:bigal

**frey** · 08-02-2002, 10:03 PM

Originally posted by Heritage 80
Didn't Fender build Hendrix a rosewood Tele the same time they built George's?

That was a strat built for Jimi at the same time Georges was made
oddly enough Jimi died and the guitar dissapeared from the factory I think it was picked up and never seen again.

**frey** · 08-03-2002, 04:32 PM

I have 4 solid rosewood necks.
I wanted to make a thinline and possibly with a rosewood vaneer
over a lighter body...bind it and see if it would be a bit easier on the back....these are 25 years old dry and straight and ready to be made into something...ideas for the other 3 are welcome
wondering what they would look good on and sound best on.
Mohogany body thinline maybe ....I think the darker colors would accent these lake placid or sherwood ect maybe even desert tan
ie see norms strat with rosewood neck in the norms rare guitars book that looks kinda cool to me....ideas????suggestions

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