NGD - Fender Smuggler Tele 1967 - Project/ Refin - Complete!!

bgmartinsbridge

Firstly, a huge thanks to @WezV - Superb job on this... 

So, where to start - I found an old tele in a battered recording studio in King's Cross - gigged to near death, sprayed red in the early eighties, in need of new frets and sticky tuners to say the least.

67 serial number, 67 bridge pup, 67 pots, single string tree, string ferrells flat to the body - all good, for a nice sixties player. 

On removing the scratchplate there was no diagonal route (shock/ horror) and on further investigation some rather odd lines around the edge of the body where it looked like wood had been added - like a swimming pool.

A bit of investigation and it looks like a smugglers route - the model made briefly in late 67.

Over to Wez - let's make it a decent player with a refret and also check out the route with a view to a potential refin. 

Wez checked the route and looks like we've got ourselves an original Smuggler tele.

Role on three months or so, a forum debate on should we leave as the refin red or go blonde, and we've got a stunning relic olympic white/ faded blonde Smuggler tele.


Enjoy the pics... 

The 67 Tele in a rather fetching 80s red refin - 
https://imgur.com/gallery/VW2pH

Stripping the 67 and the refin process - 
https://imgur.com/gallery/XUD7pNS

The finished 1967 Smuggler telecaster - 
https://imgur.com/gallery/Fg28OkN


Oh - and I know @Gassage had a quick strum before I picked it up :-)

Sounds amazing and plays even better. 

WezV

I really like the before and after shots




This was a really fun project to be involved in.    Uncovering the original smuggler route cavities was my favourite part.  

victorludorum

Very, very nice! There are some skillful fellows on here ;-)

guitars4you

bgmartinsbridge said:

Firstly, a huge thanks to @WezV - Superb job on this... 

So, where to start - I found an old tele in a battered recording studio in King's Cross - gigged to near death, sprayed red in the early eighties, in need of new frets and sticky tuners to say the least.

67 serial number, 67 bridge pup, 67 pots, single string tree, string ferrells flat to the body - all good, for a nice sixties player. 

On removing the scratchplate there was no diagonal route (shock/ horror) and on further investigation some rather odd lines around the edge of the body where it looked like wood had been added - like a swimming pool.

A bit of investigation and it looks like a smugglers route - the model made briefly in late 67.

Over to Wez - let's make it a decent player with a refret and also check out the route with a view to a potential refin. 

Wez checked the route and looks like we've got ourselves an original Smuggler tele.

Role on three months or so, a forum debate on should we leave as the refin red or go blonde, and we've got a stunning relic olympic white/ faded blonde Smuggler tele.


Enjoy the pics... 

The 67 Tele in a rather fetching 80s red refin - 
https://imgur.com/gallery/VW2pH

Stripping the 67 and the refin process - 
https://imgur.com/gallery/XUD7pNS

The finished 1967 Smuggler telecaster - 
https://imgur.com/gallery/Fg28OkN


Oh - and I know @Gassage had a quick strum before I picked it up :-)

Sounds amazing and plays even better. 

looks a nice project - good to see such talent used on such a guitar - I love watching the odd car restoration show be it Whealers and Dealers or Fast n Loud etc and feel such guitar restoration is similar - Thanks for the posting

and yes @Gassage always loves a good quick strum

stonevibe

What are you going to 'smuggle' in it then?

Lewy

Great guitar and fascinating....I wonder why someone would go to the effort of filling in the smuggler cavities...was it particularly heavy in it's pre-restored (i.e. cavities filled in) state? Lore says that they were routed because the available ash was heavy, so a filled in one theoretically should be a bit weighty. Any discernible difference in sound (although other factors with be at play there obviously like the refin, a good set up etc) after the cavities were restored?

The Custom Shop did a Smugglers Tele limited edition a while ago and I don't think they can have been too popular because they can be had new for some keen prices. I got one recently and love it.

bgmartinsbridge

Why fill it in - Well it was done at the same time as the previous red refin, so I can only assume someone decided at that time they wanted a beefier tele.


How does it sound - I always find that a hard one to answer. 

Ive got a light 66 - the 67 is about 8lb, with a slightly chunkier neck and it's got a way higher output. The 66 is mellower but the 67 just kicks when you want it to. Both superb. 

The set up and refret have made a massive difference to playability - and no doubt sound. 


I know these are collectable as they were short shelf life - don't know why anyone would want a custom shop relic because you can't see the Smuggler route (you can tap the scratchplate and know its there!).

As for what I'm going to smuggle - not thought about that yet but I'm sure I'll come up with something to hide from the missus :-) 

TeleMaster

Congrats! It looks great. Fantastic work!

WezV

I wondered  if someone saw the routes and thought it had been messed with, so filled them in.   I bet not many knew about them in pre-internet days,  when it had its first major re-work

This one sounded pretty good to begin with  - noticeably resonant, but would crap out on any bends or legato as the fret were very low.  Thankfully the resonance is still there, but its lost a noticeable amount of weight on the strap and plays great now.

KDS

Nice

skaguitar

that is a nice Tele...good work

robgilmo

Thats lovely, I like both of them, they really dont come across as being the same guitar.

chris78

Great find and lovely to see it restored. 

Twinfan

Awesome!

What was it filled in with? Wood or something else?

I see you've had to add some new pieces there Wez so I'm assuming it was something hard to remove!

WezV

It was filled with European ash blocks, 3 or 4 of them.  

They were cut quite close to the shape, but when routing out I found a pool or resin on the bottom.  There was  also 3 drill holes through one of the joins

from that I reckon they made tapered plugs to give a good fit at the surface.  This may have stopped the blocks seating fully so they drilled the holes to allow epoxy to be injected in.

either way, that’s all gone and it’s nothing but appropriate American ash now.

richardhomer

Was looking at this earlier on Instagram - amazing work @WezV ;;

Twinfan

Blimey, a proper job. Excellent work sir!

DLM

bgmartinsbridge said:

string ferrells flat to the body

Will is most repentant and kindly asks that, whatever he chose to do, you not hurt him.

http://i.imgur.com/kJHMFaj.gif

bgmartinsbridge

For all you weight junkies.
On my kitchen scales -

1966 - 7.3lb
1967 - 8.1lb

Gassage

Much preferred the red poly and lower frets. ...

bgmartinsbridge

@gassage - lol, is that because you've asked for first dibs on it ;-)