The Guitar That changed it all.

A brief history of the Fender Esquire,Broadcaster,Telecaster electric guitar.

Although each of these guitars ,the Esquire,Broadcaster,Nocaster and The Telecaster were all different guitars in their own rights we can combine each of them into one grouping for historical lineage sakes.

The beginning, setting the world on its ear.

Conceived as a Spanish electric guitar the Esquire debuted at the July 1950 Namm show,even though it did not set the world on fire and was met with some resistance it is the first in the solid body electric guitar lineup from that little company from California that would eventually start a revolution. It came as a bolt on neck,flat body and 1 pickup, although a 2 pickup version of the Esquire was offered and produced in limited quantities.At first these guitars were produced without a truss rod as it has been quoted that Leo Fender did not think the guitar needed one due to the hard maple construction of the neck.This was later revisited and addressed and the following guitars would all have a truss rod installed into them.

 Later in the Fall of 1950 a regular production 2 pickup version of Fender's Electric Spanish guitar was produced as a standard order item and officially named the Broadcaster, ( even though special order 2 pickup versions of the Esquire were available by special order) . These guitars differed from the original versions with a truss rod and a "skunk stripe" of wood on the back of the neck where the truss rod was placed during production, it has been noted in other publications that several of these "skunk Stripes" are of maple and blend in with the back of the neck almost invisibly.For approximately 6 months these guitars were produced under the Broadcaster name until The Gretsch Mfg. Co. requested that Fender drop the name as they (Gretsch) had a trademark on the name ,although spelled slightly differently. Fender agreed and began clipping the "Broadcaster" off the headstock stickers ,thus the "Nocaster" came into existence, although not an official designation, the term "Nocaster" has been applied to these guitars by collectors and players alike.The "no name " or "Nocasters" were produced without a name on the headstock until approximately September of 1951. From this a new model name was introduced )after a careful trademark search) and the  "Telecaster" name was born and was introduced on models appearing side by side with the later "Nocasters" on the production line untill the old clipped decals finally  ran out,( Leo hated waste).

As early as April 1951 ,less than a year from conception the Spanish electric guitar offered by Fender had already undergone some substantial changes.From no truss rod to a truss rod installed , from 1 pickup to 2 pickup versions ,from production ( although not many) from pine wood to the use of ash as the body wood.The earliest models had no string tree either.

At the July 1951 NAMM show the new Telecaster and it's older brother the Esquire were both displayed at the Fender booth and well The fender company never looked back.Even though the basic construction of this grandfather of electric solidbody guitar has remained almost the same throughout it's 60 year history some change have occurred,some subtle and some not so subtle.
The following is just a few of the noted changes that our beloved Telecaster has undergone through the years.

From 1950 to 1964. 

These are commonly referred to as the pre CBS years or the Leo years.

Finish goes from white washed pine bodies to the more common yellow or butterscotch ash bodied guitars. These also have a black pick guard ,hence the nickname of "blackguard Tele's".

A blended circuitry gave way to a tone control in mid 1952 .The form fit case was replaced with the "poodle " case.

1954 black guards are replaced with the single ply white guard,brass saddles replaced with steel saddles.The yellow or butterscotch finish became a cremier color,the serial numbers were moved from the bridge to the neck plate and the "tweed" case was introduced.
Late in 1955 saw the staggered pole pieces in Fenders pickups introduced and about this time the switchtip was changed as well as the control knob(s) profile.
1958  saw less pronounced neck profiles.
1958 -1959 also introduced the "top load" bridge introduced although it only lasted approximately a year.
In 1959 it is generally accepted that "rosewood" fingerboards appeared on the maple neck blanks on Fender guitars. These also will undergo changes in size,shape as the year(s) progress.
Later in 1959 tweed cases gave way to brown tolex,then white in 1963 and later black in 1965.
Alder bodies appear in the "custom" in late 1959.

After Leo,1965 to 1984.

The CBS years.

The "L" series neck plates give way ti the "F' plates.
In 1967 the old circuitry was replaced ,The logo changed to the Black logo.
The Thinline models were introduced in 1967.
Poly finishes were the standard in the 1970's.3 bolt necks introduced,Larger headstocks.
Body shapes became incorrect due to "modern" production techniques.

Post CBS

After CBS sold it's stake in Fender changes gradually happened for the better, a more period correct ( and correct period) Telecaster was produced an continues to be produced to this day, Yes it's only been around 60 years has undergone changes ,but all in all it "The Telecaster" is still in retrospect the guitar all of us grew up with. From it's inception it's a guitar than can be changed and refined in some ways but still retains its' look ,feel and twang, many copies have been produced by variuos makers but to coin a phrase I once heard" It's hard to make a better guitar than the one(s) Leo Fender and company first designed". That pretty much sums it all up for me, The guitars that Leo and company put into our hands are still the yardstick in which all other guitar are measured by.
I hope you learned something with this article.It is not meant to be all inclusive by no means and is for your reading enjoyment. Many sources are available on the Telecaser and Fender guitars and include some of the facts I have mentioned ( as there can only be so many facts cited) . It is not the intention of me to give these facts as first hand knowledge but rather a culmination of facts that I have learned over the years any coincidence to any other articles is just that ,coincidence.
So may all your days be memorable,all your friends stay true and all your riffs be killer.
Happy New Year to all from Greg's Guitars and The Vintage Guitar News and Views.    
 

The Vintage Guitar News and Views ,Greg's Guitars.

October / November 2011

This month we will look at some of the Fender amp facts that may be of use to you in determining the date your amp may have been produced and the type or style circuit it has.

Fender commonly used charts in their amps to denote a particular time frame and amp model ,but remember that Fender did use items that were in stock even if they were not exactly correct to their product untill such a time that the present inventory of parts or in this case labels or charts ran out or were to far out of date to be used,so some overlapping did and still does occur.
Take the 5A5 class of amp,this indicates an amp built in the 1950's (5),it was an earlier incarnation of stated amp (A), each successive alphabet B-c-d would indicate a later version of the amp in question and the other 5 indicates it should be a "Pro" amplifier ( see below as to model designations).  In Fenders early model designations we have the following.
1 indicated the Champ amplifier, 2 indicated the Princeton line, 3 indicated the Deluxe amplifier line, 4 indicated the Super amp,5 the Pro amp, 6 the Bassman amp, 7 the Bandmaster, 8 the Twin amps, 9 the Tremolux,10 the Harvard  amp, 11 the Vibrolux, 12 the Concert amp, 13 the Vibrosonic amp,14 the Showman 16 was the Vibroverb amps and 15 was fenders stand alone reverb tank head model. This was followed by an alphbetical system to denote the period or style date of an amp.
A is commonly used to indicate the TV style tweed amps , B was used for the 1952 wide panel tweeds,C was used from 1953 -1954 wide panel amps,D was used in 1954 -1955 wide panel amps,E was used from 1955 to 1966 as was an F. G was used from 1960 to 1964.
 The above system for date sourcing and model designation did have overlapping periods and in the early 1960's when "blackface" amp line were introduced their seems to be a 2 letter 3 number scenario.
Fender amps made from 1951 to 1967 have a date code in the back. This is stamped with an ink stamp in black ink (or green ink in 1966) on the tube chart. Note this ink stamped designation should not be confused with the model number, serial number or production number. The first letter of the ink stamp is the year, the second the month of manufacturer.

On American made vintage guitars and gear, the pots and speakers provide an excellent opportunity to date a piece of equipment by referencing their "source-date code".

The source-date code found on pots and speakers gives the manufacturer and date (roughly) when the components were made. It may have been some time before the part was installed at the factory, but it still provides a good approximation of when the gear was made. This is especially helpful on (less popular) gear that doesn`t have reliable serial#`s or other information to date them.

The source-date code will signify the earliest possible date that the instrument or amp could have been made. This isn't going to be exact, but it will give you a "ball-park" age. And remember, even the dates indicated by the pots aren't that exact. For example, if you buy a brand new CTS pot today, they are dated a month or two in advance! I don't know the reason for this, but it's worth mentioning.

The source-date codes are under the framework of the "Electronic Industries Association", which is a non-profit organization representing the manufacturers of electronic parts. The EIA source-date code is a numeric code, assigned and registered by the EIA. It can be stamped or marked on any product to identify the production source (vendor) and date of manufacturer. Source-date codes have been published by the EIA since 1924. The EIA can be contacted via mail: Electronics Industries Association, 2001 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20006.

Consideration and exceptions:
• Source-date codes weren't an industry standard until after WWII. But I have seen them used on Stackpole pots on electric National guitars as early as 1935. The first time date-source codes were published was 1924, so I guess you could see them as early as the late 1920's.
• Most Fenders from 1966 to 1969 have 1966 dated CTS pots. Apparently CBS/Fender bought a large stock of pots in 1966 that lasted till 1969.
• On popular Fender models, the pot date can be very close to the actual date of the instrument. On less popular Fender instruments, such as LapSteels, pots can be as much as two years earlier than the actual date of the instrument.
• Gibson didn't start using pots with source-date codes till 1953 or 1954.

Originality.

Of course this all assumes the pot or speaker is original. You have to make that call. I would suggest checking the solder joints - are they clean? Are the wires of the right era (cloth insulation for older stuff)? If so, you can check the pot or speaker for the source-date code, and determine an approximate age from that.

How the Source-Date Code Works. The source-date code on a pot is a 6 or 7 digit code impressed into the casing of the potentiometer. For speakers this code can be 5, 6, 7 or 8 digits long, and it's ink-stamped or paint-stamped on the "bell housing" of the speaker.

In either case, the code works the same. The first 3 digits on a pot, or the first 2, 3 or 4 digits on a speaker are the source or manufacturer code.

The remaining 3 or 4 digits are the date code. In 3 digit dates code, the 1st digit is the last digit of the year. On 4 digits date codes, the 1st and 2nd digits are the last two digits of the year. In either case, the remaining 2 digits are the week of manufacture (01 to 52). With this in mind, remember if the last two digits of the source-date code are greater than 52, you're not looking at the source-date code!

Also it's worth mentioning:

• Sometimes there is a space or hyphen between the manufacturer code and the year/week code.
• 3 digit date codes were used in the 1940's and 1950's. Stackpole for example converted from three to four digit date codes in late 1959.
• 4 digit date codes were used in the 1960's and later (this makes determining the year much simpler)
• On 3 digit date codes, you have to "guess" the decade of the pot or speaker. Usually this isn't too difficult.
Like with many mass produced items their is a certain amount of irregularities and although nothing can be positively absolute this system does provide a reasonable date and circuit for Fender amps.
Not meaning to be all inclusive by any means this article skims some of the facts about Fender amps and hopefully provides information and answers to some questions you may have , in a future installment we will discuss some modifications on Fender amps ( any amp actually) that you may be wanting to do and what modifications I believe you really do not need to do, of course this is just my vintage guitar (and amp) news and view. So untill next time ,may all your friends stay true ,all your days be memorable and all your riffs be killer.  

This months vintage guitar news and views is a memorial to the man of many legends Mr. Billy Grammer.I have been blessed with the opportunity to talk with Billy and his wife Ruth countless times picking their brains for information on his wonderful guitars that I have been honored to have been associated with. Countless stories did I listen to from both of them, I was able to allow several museums to acquire some of his fine guitars for permanent display and even sold a few to his family members.I was given Billy's blessings and approval for utilizing his iconic headstock shape into Greg's Guitars logo.He will be missed by many. Listed below is some information on Billy and his guitars. Rest in peace. Billy Grammer.

 

Grammar, the eldest of 13 children (nine boys and four girls), was born in Benton, Illinois.^[1] His father was a musician; he played the violin and trumpet.^{[citation needed]}

Grammar served in the Army during World War II, and upon discharge worked as an apprentice toolmaker at the Washington Naval gun factory at Shop #20. Grammar married his high school girlfriend, Ruth Burzynski, in 1944. Shortly after the war ended, 18,000 of a 24,000-strong workforce were laid off, including Grammar. The couple returned to their home in Franklin County, Illinois. Signed by Monument Records in Nashville, Tennessee, he scored with "Gotta Travel On", written by Paul Clayton. The song peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and peaked at number five on the country chart in 1959. That same year, he became a regular cast member on the Grand Ole Opry.^[2] Grammar named his band after his most notable hit as The Travel On Boys. "Gotta Travel On" was used as the opening song by Buddy Holly on his final tour in January and February 1959, which ended in tragedy.^[3]

Grammar recorded the first chart version of Mel Tillis' "Detroit City", entitled "I Wanna Go Home". It hit the Billboard country chart in early 1963.

Grammar founded RG&G (Reid, Grammar & Gower) Company in 1965 with Clyde Reid and J.W. Gower.^{[citation needed]} RG&G made the Grammar guitar from 1965 until 1968, when a fire consumed the factory in downtown Nashville. The company was then sold to Ampeg, and a new factory was erected down the street from the old one. The company was renamed Grammar Guitar, Inc. (GGI). GGI produced the Grammar guitar until 1970. His guitar was installed into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville on March 1, 1969.^[1]

On May 15, 1972, Grammar and the Travel On Boys played at the rally in Laurel, Maryland where Alabama governor George Wallace was shot. Grammar and his band played the "Under the Double Eagle" march as Wallace mounted the stage to speak. After he spoke, Wallace mingled with the crowd, and Arthur Bremer shot a concealed handgun at the presidential candidate. The outcome was Wallace's paralysis, leaving him using a wheelchair for the rest of his life.^[4] "I've said all along, if they wanted to do something like this, they do it under these circumstances," Grammar said, weeping, after the incident.^[4]

Grammar also delivered the invocation for the Grand Ole Opry House opening on March 16, 1974.^[5]

In 1990, Grammar was inducted into the Illinois Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Tex Williams, Lulu Belle and Scotty, and Patsy Montana. Grammar suffers from a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa.^[6] He became completely blind.^[6] On February 27, 2009, he was honored by the Grand Ole Opry for his 50 years as a member.^[6]

Grammar died on August 10, 2011, at 12:20 a.m. He was in Benton Hospital being treated for a long-term illness, which included suffering a heart attack in January. He was eighteen days short of his 86th birthday.

^{Videos that Billy Grammer has Posted on Youtube}

                                             Got issues ?

Well  you have been pouring over guitars for sale ads and trying to determine what it is you're really looking at when you're reading them .  This edition of The Vintage Guitar News and Views we will try to clarify what some "issues" are and what can  be determined as not and "issue". We will be looking at this from the standpoint of a guitar being sold as " an original" because you can have  an original 1960  era guitar ,but it could have non original or replaced parts as well as a few repairs and still retain all it's vintage vibe.Sure it should be priced lower than a 100 per cent  all original model of the same make that has not ever had nor needs any repairs and these items should be disclosed or made available to you before your purchase.

First let's look at electric guitars, now I am not talking about new guitars or even custom shop or reissue guitars. What I am talking about throughout this article is guitars that are 20 or more years old. O.K. now that that has been addressed let's move right along.
In my opinion an "issue" is a major alteration  or a problem that has NOT been addressed ,NOT a normal playing repair that has been addressed with the appropriate and correct solution to the problem.

You read a listing that states ...1960  so and so electric guitar for sale ,All original  but...The "but " part is what you have to look at. Starting at the headstock,if the neck has been broken ,that is an issue and not a "normal" playing repair although it is not unusual for a headstock or neck to get broken it is in the eyes of the guitar world an issue. New nut ? Not an issue,this is a solid repair or needed item ,especially if the guitar is not offered as 100 per cent all original has been played and the old or original nut was slotting to deep or causing tuning problems. Sometimes the original nut  slots can be filled in with bone dust and reslotted  which would be more desirable than a replacement nut for sure.But not an issue or deal breaker.

Frets ? I would rather have a guitar with appropriately replaced good frets than a guitar with worn out frets,so if the frets are worn out and make the guitar play poorly that would be an issue,but as for a refretted guitar I consider that a needed repair.Any routes on the guitar in my opinion is an issue.If a pot has been replaced,well electrical components wear out or go bad ,so I would consider this a needed repair and not an issue ,unless of course all the pots were changed out especially if they have several different pots or several differently dated pots,that may be an issue. What about pickup changes ? Well replaced pickups are an issue,rewound original pickups that utilize the original plates,magnets, and bobbins are less of an issue as long as they were rewound using the correct method and gauge wire as well as hopefully reusung the lead wires as well and can probably be considered a repair.
 Refinished , stripped or just plain old repainted guitar bodies (or necks) are an issue that should be disclosed as well.

How about acoustic guitars ? These are easier as far as I am concerned, again a neck or headstock break no matter how expertly repaired are issues in my opinion. Any repair that is needed and NOT addressed are issues,any repairs such as refret jobs,loose braces,lifting or reset bridge(s) or body cracks that have been correctly repaired are not issues in my book . How about replaced tuners ? Gray area here as many tuners that were replaced probably needed to be due to age or the inability to hold a guitar in tune well. It would not be an issue on acoustics or electric guitars as long as the parts were the same as the originals were,but then again most replaced tuners were different than the originals and since the 2 or 3 most widly used tuners were used on all makes of guitars at one point or another this should be addressed but not necessarily an issue,unless of course the headstock was damaged or the  tuning post holes improperly enlarged  in the course of the change. If a bridge has been replaced with the correct material,possibly a vintage bridge from another guitar of the same make and model ,shares the exact same footprint then I don't see an issue as long as it is disclosed,the same goes with replacing a cheaper plastic adjustable bridge with a more suitable rosewood bridge. Cracks as long as they have been addressed and properly repaired are not issues in my book. A reset neck you say ? Well I would rather have a guitar that has had an appropriate neck set myself as this is one repair that most all acoustic guitars will at some point in their life need and should be seen as more of keeping the entire guitar playable rather than a distraction from purchasing. Remember make sure any normal repair has been addressed in the appropriate manner and in the general scheme of things and  have been disclosed to you and  you should come out with a good purchase and a healthy guitar.Of course any items that are suspect or need to be repaired should be at the very least looked at by a professional repair person  for clarification and cost(s) before you make a purchase just to be on the safe side. Most guitar dealers list an item pretty honestly and disclose what they think have been repaired as well as what may or may not be original from the factory on said guitar, but it is up to you the consumer to ask for any clarification .Most guitar dealers do ask that you give them a call,this is not a sales ploy (on my behalf anyway ) to get you on the phone but rather an attempt to be able to give you an accurate hands on description of the guitar in question and to ease any concerns and answer all of your questions honestly and not have to rely on an email that may or may not contain all the information that an actual visual real time inspection may give.
So until next time ,may all your days be memorable,all your friends stay true and may all your riffs be killer. Greg's Guitars.

Member of Gbase......The Guitar A Go Go.

This installment of Greg's Guitars. net  "The Vintage Guitar News and Views"  is a video series on The Grammer Guitars and several really interesting Fender and Gibson Factory videos. Enjoy.
Greg's Guitars ,vintage guitar sales and consignment services.

The Grammer Guitar Video

Fender factory 1959

Fenders in England

Billy Grammer Video

Gibson Guitars '59 burst

This month is a series of videos for The Vintage Guitar News and Views. Acoustic guitars, what to look for when choosing one that is right for you. I hope you enjoy them and tell a friend.

Video Part 1

Video Part 2

Video Part 3

Video final Part 4

                             This Faux is for you
                                                         Fake guitars in the guitar market
 

                                                      The Vintage Guitar News and Views August  /  September Edition
                                                                                                   Greg's Guitars


This feature is concerning the fake or faux guitars that have been flooding the used and new guitar market . It is not meant to be all inclusive nor is it meant to say that the fake Les Paul guitars  that are in the marketplace are necessarily bad guitars or inferior made products. This article is meant to inform prospective buyers that they do exist and some of the points to look for when trying to decide if a deal is to good to be true for the advertised price. I hope you find it insightful and informative and the article helps you in your purchasing decision.Greg Mayo, proprietor of Greg's Guitars.

First up is the guitar case(s) themselves. Most of the fake Gibson cases that I have seen are of the generic build with the exception many carry the Gibson or Gibson Custom Shop logo on the top side. The latches are not as rounded as the Gibson latches, many have fewer latches and almost all have what I call fake stitching on the outside, that is the stitches are actually a part of the case and not a separate piece of fiber. Also you will see a lack of protector "buttons" on the outside of the case in question. The lining of the case is usually of a light blue fur fabric and not the same quality as an original Gibson guitar case lining.


The next item that you will want to look at is the headstock. The top of the headstock on a fake Les Paul is not cut as deeply as an original Gibson Headstock.The headstock pitch angle is getting surprisingly accurate though. The Gibson logo on a real Les Paul guitar is much clearer and the letters are not as crude or as closed up as on a fake Les Paul. The nut on a real Les Paul is much smaller and secures to the neck slot much better in fit and form.Also the back of the neck where the headstock joins is usually more tapered and shows superior craftsmanship on a real Les Paul guitar.




The fake Les Paul seems to have one of more scarf joints on the back of the necks.The depth of the heel is larger also.

There is also on the back of the headstock no evidence of the "wings" commonly found on real Les Paul guitars. Wings are the extra side mountings attached to either side of the back of the headstock blank during construction.

Knob placement is haphazard at best and are spaced incorrectly.


Spacing and placement for the tailpiece and  bridge also show discrepancies.


The neck body joint at the top of the guitar on a real Les Paul shows no neck material showing on top of the guitar itself ,whereas on the fake guitar some neck material is protruding out of the top of the body itself.



The body thickness and shape are very similar but the actual length of the guitar are different as well as a splicing of body woods showing.



You will also on a new Les Paul see fret "nibs" extending to the ends of the fret and the neck side dot markers are larger and more defined on an actual Gibson guitar than on a fake guitar.




There are also many other things that should set of alarms when looking at a fake Les Paul, such as really crude cavities routed into the body for the electronics to go into, the truss rod route and truss rod placement as well as the electronics themselves.





Also note on the picture above the selector switch ring has larger printing for the treble and rhythm positions.Also the wiring and pickups are of a inferior quality than you would normally find in a real Gibson Les Paul.

I hope you have found these pictures and descriptions insightful as well as helpful. All in all the fake guitar shown is a very good guitar if it is sold for what it is, a fake  and not sold by some unscrupulous individual  trying to pass it off as a real Gibson guitar. It feels rather nice and plays good enough , of course electronics upgrades are a must. So if you find yourself looking at one of the many fake models of guitars available on the market please do not confront the seller as that may end up rather unpleasant . Instead just walk away. As always this is just my news and views. So until next time may all your days be memorable , all your friends stay true and all your riffs be killer. Greg.
Don't forget to check out these sites as well.

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The June  / July  2010 issue of The Vintage Guitar New and Views.


                                                                                           Fender amplifiers.


Most of if not all amps produced either in the past or present owe a majority of their linage to the amps first created by  Leo Fender. Many people already know this but there are always new members joining the ranks of guitarists and collectors who may not. I will provide a basic time line for some of the changes that Fender amps  underwent through the years. There has been a large volume of material that covers this subject and while by no means is this article meant to be all inclusive I hope to provide the basic information, the meat and potatoes if you will,so that you may at the very least be familiar with the subject.

 In 1946 Leo fender starts the Fender manufacturing company and in 1947 was renamed The Fender Electric Instrument Company.By no means was this the first attempts by Leo in electronics but this is where we will begin.Leo's first amps of this era were made of wood without any outer cabinet  covering and earned the name "woodies" in collectors circles. Made from leftover wood including the handles, most of these amplifiers have 2 to 3 inputs and 2 volume knobs with 1 tone knob.
The next improvements were made during 1947 when an outer covering of white material that was used to dress up the cabinets.  This progressed to a yellowish covering that we now refer to as "tweed".Several variations of "tweed" were utilized at Fender. The earliest was a lighter color and is seen on the "TV panel" amplifiers and two tone covered amplifiers built by Fender and continued in production until the mid 1960's.Most of the control panels were located on the rear of these amps and subsequently  moved up to the top of Fender amps.

 During 1953 Fender placed  upper and lower front panels on their amps with a wide tolex covered strip above and below the speaker grill cloth, these amps  are commonly referred to as "wide panel " amplifiers.It was during this time period that yet another update to the outer covering of Fender amplifiers were made.Leo was never one to be completely satisfied with his products and always strived if not to reinvent them , at least redress them to keep his products fresh in the consumers eyes.During the mid 1950's he once again changed the front panels of his amplifiers . Replacing the wide upper and lower panels with a narrow panel strip thus enlarging the grill cloth areas to possibly make his amplifiers appear to be more powerful and larger .It was also during this time that Leo released a very rare version of his amplifiers referred to as the "White " amps. A rare steel guitar , amplifier line that also included the name badge "White" as opposed to the normal Fender badge.This was a line meant to pay homage to a friend of Leo Fender's.

 During 1959 tweed covering on Fender amplifiers started a transition into a covering more durable and is commonly referred to as tolex.From the early days is was a light brown (almost pink) covering and transitioned into a darker brown color with a darker grill
 cloth. These amplifiers are now referred to as "Blonde" and "Brownie" amps.The amps also started appearing with round control knobs and a rubber "dogbone" handle. Never satisfied Fender also started producing separate "piggyback" models where the chassis and controls were placed in a separate unit to sit on top of stand alone cabinet speaker enclosures.Controls for most amplifiers began migrating to the front panels of amplifiers from the top of the amplifiers.

 During the early 1960's the plate of the control panels for most amps begin to be made with black backgrounds,black knobs and white numbers and lettering as well as changing the outer covering once again to a black tolex material.A more silver colored grill cloth is used during this time frame as well as "dogbone" handles being replaced with a flat rubber handle with silver end caps.These amps are commonly referred to as the "Blackface " Fender models.
Along this time ( 1964 ) Leo Fender sells his company to "CBS" . It is argued that the changes that occurred after this time were not as well received , but that is another story. In approximately 1966 solid state amplifiers begin to appear in the Fender lineup. Changes made to the outer cosmetics also being to appear, the most common is the change from black control faceplates to a silver faceplate control panel with blue lettering and numbers, hence the term "silverface" comes into being.  Also skirted knobs and a blue and silver grill cloth is utilized to aging separate the new line of amplifiers from the older lineups.

 Fast forward to the 1980's  and Fender almost ceases to exist.  In 1985  Fender is bought back by a group of investors led by William Schultz and employees at Fender.  The move is made to Corona ,California ,red knobs appear on amp control panels,blackface amps make a comeback, solid state amplifiers resurface , albeit for the better.During the 1990's push buttons,gain channels,on board effects,push pull knobs and master volume controls in one configuration or another appear on Fender amplifiers.  In the later part of the 1990's Fender revisits their own roots ,question themselves and reissues the amplifier models that made them the leader to begin with. Both  as a means to reestablish their leadership role and regain control of the amplifier market that Leo and family had   built to begin with.Fender comes full circle back to their roots and the beginning of a new era.
 
Now I know I did not include schematic changes,tube changes and other applications in this article,nor did I even begin to scratch the surface in amplifier models that were produced by Fender, this is just a basic time frame reference to initiate the beginner or reeducate the seasoned collector and other articles will follow on specifics in the future.Fender amps have evolved ,some for better some for worse, but I am truly amazed at the products that Leo has given us ,their history and heritage as well as the multitude of spin off products that they have inspired and will continue to inspire in amp builders both yesterday and tomorrow.

  As always this is just my news and views .So until next time, may all your days be memorable, all your friends stay true and all your riffs be killer, Greg  at Greg's guitars.

 

                                     Time is money

       The April / May Edition of The Vintage Guitar News and Views.

       


Time is money and money is time applies to just about every aspect of our lives today.I know some people who do their own yard work and I know others that have it done as their time is better spent pursuing other matters. Buying and selling vintage and collectible guitars is in many ways no different than the other things we do in life. I cannot speak for other guitar dealers but I spend a lot of my time in all things stringed. Not being in the position to purchase every guitar dealt my way I have to do my research accordingly. Some dealers can and do buy everything they can and there is nothing wrong with that; they even the market spread and save other items for future sales based on their own time spent doing research. Some guitar dealers buy only certain brands of guitars and concentrate on that market ,others buy guitars made in a selective few years based on their expertise and research. Within these certain niche markets I am probably correct in the assumption that each guitar dealer has spent considerable time investing into research and at reaching their business model conclusion.Personally I can not afford to gamble buying every guitar that is offered to me for sale,so I do market research and try to read into what I perceive the future and present state of the guitar market is and what it may be (speculation).

 Retrospectively speaking anyone can say "you should have bought this or that" or "you should have sold those items when the market was better",whether it be in stocks,real estate or vintage guitars. When the facts are already a known given price wise it does not take a genius to make an educated guess.
 
As guitar dealers most of us spend a lot of our time reading reviews, talking to players and collectors, feeling out forum rooms for talk about certain guitars, and pour over magazines, news articles and our peers publications. We read every book with pertinent facts,pricing guides and index's on our wares. I spend a lot of time looking into buying trends, visiting big box outlet and seeing what age groups are buying and interested in  which products. Yes, time is money.

Even when all this is considered, things in our ever changing industry can still be murky at best. After all we are selling a luxury tangible item and know one really knows what the future may hold. Even still I spend my free time (what is left of it anyway) looking into archival reports, articles and literature on certain years,makes,models,colors within certain manufacturers that have peaked my interest. I look to see what changes occurred in what years, were they received as good changes or bad changes and how that effects the vintage guitar market.Sometimes the payoff can be huge and sometimes it is small, it is all relative to what measure you hold for success. In my case I feel successful by what I have achieved by myself and that is good enough for me.
I any not be able to offer very many "401K" guitars for sale ,mainly because I do not have that kind of money to spend or risk, but what I do have and will always enjoy i the amount of information I gather that make reflect on what I do buy and offer for sale to you the client.These days it is not enough to just offer an item for sale that will differentiate you from the other guys with a slick website,but it is the amount of time  and work that I actually put into this passion of guitars. I am sure this can be felt and seen when dealing or talking with me as well as visiting my website and making that "wish list"  of your very own. After all you too do your own investments in time when looking at the various guitars you will or would like to purchase someday now don't you ?

So remember than when you call to ask about a certain guitar and sigh at the price that may be asked for it, that a lot more than just plunking down some cash for any old guitar and throwing it up on the website may contribute to the price. On another note, if you are scouting for a price on your guitar remember that most dealers do charge a fee for this service as the spend time doing the research and after all "time is money" .
Remember that this is just my news and view and may differ from yours , but I hope you have enjoyed this installment of The Vintage Guitar News and Views and as always , may all your days be memorable, all your friends stay true and all your riffs be killer, till June ( as we are now going to a bi-monthly  publication format) Greg.

Greg's Guitars is pleased to announce that The leader in Southern music publications has picked up The Vintage Guitar News and Views to be part of their family, Thanks.

The Vintage Guitar News and Views March 2010.

"Staying on Top"

Why are some guitar tops painted and some guitar tops plain? Why do some builders use polyurethane paints and some guitar builders use nitrocellulose paints? Is the reissue bug just a fad or craze ?Are older guitars really better? In the later issues of The Vintage Guitar News and Views I said to ask questions and boy have I been hammered ! It has been a phenomenal response from you the readers and I thank all of you for your questions.So as to some of the questions you the readers have asked ,let me try to give what I believe are reasonable answers.
 Why are some guitar tops painted and some not ? I believe it has nothing to do with tone or sound (duh) it is about the aesthetics  of color for the buying public as well as a way for builders to hide imperfections in the wood and to be able to splice several pieces of wood together to complete a top. I know ,your top should be 1 or 2 pieces of wood joined at the center seam but even as far back as the 50's companies have had to use all the wood they could for their products ,they never imagined that we would be all freaky about this sort of thing 50 years later.It just make plain good business sense to utilize all the woods available and to hide these seemingly imperfections with paint. Personally I covet the mismatched, wood grained, mineral stained, unflamed tops myself.
Now "pretty" wood such as flame, fiddleback,curly,bearclaw and the like are perceived to be more pleasant to look at and (now at least) they are not covered up with paint. At one time though some of the prettiest tops I have seen were "uncovered" during a restoration or conversion and rescued from under the painted tops that were hiding them.
But these types of tops can now command a higher price tag and are displayed behind a clear ot more transparent finish rather than hidden away never to be seen. All at the same time by creating a larger buying market and even so much as creating smaller "divisions" among the market base of clients .I will leave that subject alone for now and leave it to many a articulate or even imbibed discussion amongst yourselves.
Poly finish or Nitro?  To me the best ,well one of the best smells there are is when you pop open a guitar case and the smell of nitro permeates the room. That unmistakable smell is what makes this question kinda hard, you see nitro never really cures fully and is in a constant state of evaporation from the moment it is applied to the day it returns to sawdust with that old guitar.
I like nitro on all my acoustics as I do believe it does, as time passes contribute to the opening up of the tonal qualities as many people subscribe to. On electric guitars I think the switch to a poly finish was as mentioned by others before me a decision to make the finish on the guitar harder and last longer without fade, a protectant and a cost cutting decision for the production plants as poly dries faster and more guitars can be made to sell.As far as sound qualities on the electric guitars? Well there have been a whole lot of sweet sounds and great players that played those poly coated beauties now haven't there? Some poly coats seemed to fare better than others and the reissues from overseas tend to age and pock just a little differently than their American counterparts. Why? I do not know, they just "relic" differently.
Which brings up the next topic,the relic craze. Nostalgia? The bygone days of youth when you first started playing ? From the mildly and elegantly understated aged guitars that are made by master builders and custom shops which are limited in run and will possibly retain and gain in value to the obviously overdone relics that  look "cookie cutter made" all intended to stir these emotions in the consumers.
Truthfully, do some play better or sound better than others? You bet they do. Limited runs and custom reliced guitars are more hand crafted and have more attention to detail even when it comes to aging the parts and pieces that make of our lovely ladies. Where the mass produced guitars all look the same and are more budget priced, they seem to just use the standard parts and pieces,  and if one plays better or sounds better ,lucky you.
Which brings us to the next subject. Are old guitars better? Hmmm ,gotta pick my words carefully here.Well some of the appointments look better, I mean I'll take cloth covered wiring and paper caps over plastic any day, but today's wiring is probably better made and the shielding is superior but then again isn't  it the quirks that make guitars so lovable? Pickups are next, I mean a good pickup will make any guitar sound better and a bad pickup will make  good guitar sound lousy and I am sticking to that statement.I prefer older alnico magnets to todays blends and ceramics ,nope ain't gonna do it.  Appointments? well the old parts do seem to get real brittle and crumble to dust and often need replacing, personally I prefer steel tuning keys over others and multi-ply covers and guards over the older single plys ,but that is just my preference.
Which brings us to the bare bones of any guitar,the wood used. I do think older wood is better, and older guitars are made of superior wood in my opinion, not that the wood is actually better but more the process of air drying for years wood that gets cut and air dries for years more stored on racks and shelves then is made into various parts of a guitar and again sits until orders are placed or new models are designed and then the wood was hand caressed into works of art, that's what I mean by old wood. Todays guitars are being shaped as the axemen strip the branches from the trunks of the trees, green wood being forced kiln dried and mass produced to be shaped and shipped to the consumer. I cringe every time I see a "modern " guitar assembly plant in operation on tour videos, I understand the economics and the tighter tolerances touted, but it just ain't the same as far as I can tell. The marriage of certain parts and pieces seem to be another quandary to amuse all of us guitar nuts.Think about it , most of the guys we idolize play guitars that are made from several different guitar, which dispels the myth of certain era guitars being better than others now doesn't it? Take "Blackie" and Duane's Burst , parts guitars........We all know that certain points have counterpoints and in the guitar world the greatness lies in the diversity, we as guitar lovers want to spend our money on something we can hold,touch,feel,smell,play and admire for  all our own reasons and that makes us all part of this huge family no matter what we think individually about certain brands,makes,parts or pieces,diversity is the key because if all guitars are eventually created equal then we would all own the same guitar and it would be like every other guitar on the planet, well except for the color..........Till next month may all your days be memorable ,all your friends stay true and all your riffs be killer, Greg at Greg's Guitars.