#FENDER SERIAL NUMBER FULL#

This was my secret plan all along, sell the Stratocaster and get a Telecaster instead. I sold my 1979 Fender Stratocaster a couple of weeks ago and managed to find myself a late 1970’s Fender Telecaster at the same time.

If I had space for them, I would have kept all three.įender Telecaster, Made in USA at the Fullerton plant in 1978 Except for that, it’s all original and sounds amazing. The frets are quite low and I need to replace the first five since they are pretty worn but she plays fine as it is. The volume pot has been changed at some point and the knobs are not the same as on the other two S8 Telecasters. I filled all the dents on the back of the neck with Nitro lacquer so now you can’t feel them when you play. The colour codes I mentioned in my previous post might just have been for Stratocasters because these Telecasters are stamped with a large A, which I assume means nice good looking grain for a natural see through top. Pickup Codes: OOWWYY, Example: 202378 = Operator #20, Week 23, 1978 The neck stamp says #2794 which means week 27, 1979, day 4, that was Thursday the 4th of July 1979. I took this guitar apart and checked all the numbers and this one was made in 1979 even though the S8 headstock serial indicates 1978. As soon as I get the new flat in order I will make some videos of all three to compare them. Unfortunately they weigh like a Les Paul, around 4-4.5 kg, perhaps that’s where the great twang and sustain comes from. They are around 23-24 mm on the first fret and about 24-25 mm on the 12th, not bad for a Telecaster. All three of these Telecasters have a pretty chunky neck, something I love. This one is great, it has a few battle scars and the frets are a bit low but that just builds character. It was great in a way to get to explore three identical guitars from the same year, to compare the sound, build and feel of them and to learn more about late 1970’s Fender Telecasters. Now after serious consideration, and moving house and realising that I don’t have as much guitar storing space as before, I’ve decided to sell two of them. Since I really liked my 1978 Fender Telecaster I started to search for others and ended up with three different 1978 Fender Telecaster. The three late 1970’s Fender Telecasters together, 1978 Fender Telecaster, 1978-79 Fender Telecaster and the now sold 1979 Fender Telecasterįender Telecaster, Made in USA at the Fullerton plant on the 4th of July 1979Īs usual when it comes to me and guitars I never just buy one, well I do at first but then I always end up with two or three in the end. Body and headstock shows 1978, pots and neck stamp shows mid-1979. Pickup Codes: OOWWYY, Example: 202378 = Operator #20, WTaken from Dating Late 1970’s Fender StratocastersĪ Fullerton built Fender Telecaster from 1978-79. Neck / Body Stamps: WWYD, Example: 0304 = Week 3, 1980, Day 4 In this case the headstock and body sticker says 1978, #S840573, the pots say mid-May 1979, #1377920 and the neck stamp shows 17th of August 1979, #3395. It’s always a bit disappointing to take a late 1970’s Fender apart since you realise that the headstock shows one year and all the other parts another.

#FENDER SERIAL NUMBER FULL#

It has a really nice full neck profile and I guess this is the Nancy I’ve always dreamt of. I’m planning to keep this 1978-79 Fender Telecaster since it’s lighter, 3.8 kg instead of 4.3-4.5 kg, the grain is amazing and most importantly it sounds awesome. I should of course have stopped there but stumbled upon a third 1979 Fender Telecaster from a record store in Southport, UK which I bought but now have sold.

The first 1978 Fender Telecaster was bought from a music store in Italy and served me really well during the summer but then I found this 1978-79 Fender Telecaster from Andy’s Really Great Guitars in Worcestershire, UK that I just couldn’t resist. Fender Telecaster, Made in USA at the Fullerton plant in 1978-79Įarlier this year I decided to buy a late 1970’s Fender Telecaster but ended up with three identical 1978-79 Fender Telecasters.

Fender serial number