1990 TA Feature in May Issue of Guitar Buyer.

[1990hollow-t]

There's a fantastic article on Tom and his guitars in this months UK Guitar Buyer magazine.There's a review of the Grand Am Lam T (labelled Vintage & Collectible)that was the first TAG reviewed(in Guitarist) in the UK back in 1990.That guitar now belongs to GB mag writer Paul Alcantara.This is also the guitar that set me off on TAG's and this particualr example is one that I narrowly missed purchasing when it was traded back in at one year old with Chandlers of Kew.Now I know who bought it and ruined my day back then!! :(
There's a full review of it and an interview with Tom.Sales of Andersons will rocket in the UK now :) Its already given me renewed Anderson GAS as the article on the new neck joint has set me off thinking about spec'ing out my own Anderson once more.The last one I did was back in 1995.
I'd really like something a bit different......like a 'T' contoured,with the two front pickups concealed under a solid 'Esquire' type pickguard or maybe a pickguard with the neck and middle pickups showing only their polepieces through the holes drilled in the guard,like this one......

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e128/Telesquire/esquire-95.jpg


Is this a possible option?I've also often wondered if say with a swamp ash top whether or not you can specify a particular grain pattern type if you submitted an example when ordering?I realise no two are the same but you do see similar types occurring.I love a well defined elongated grain.
Whilst I'm rambling,does anyone know why some newer TAG's have their trussrod adjustment at the nut end as opposed to the pickguard end?
I'll leave you be now,sorry!And thanks in advance :)

[sylvanshine]

Truss rod adjustment moved to the headstock because it's easier to access. It happened a while ago.

[tom]

the rod moved in 2005 due to overwhelming requests.
if the pickups were under the pickguard the output would be greatly reduced. don't think you would like it. i believe that one just has a black pickup in a black guard so it's hiding. i don't believe it is really underneath. ash grain varies all over the place, but it is generally long and swirly, at leasat that's the technical name.

[1990hollow-t]

The one pictured above just had the polepieces showing through the guard,it is difficult to see in the pic...but thats the whole idea!I had one of these in 1997.
Just found this.....

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=9275000487

The F do a Masterbuilt Esquire with concealed pups!Big frets,big neck and a 7.25" radius board....oh dear,not a good combo!Costs $8k!!No wonder folks come to TA!

[tom]

can't imagine getting enough output and a compatable tone out of pickups that far from the strings. if that 1990 has polepieces coming through the pickguard we didn't do it.

[1990hollow-t]

can't imagine getting enough output and a compatable tone out of pickups that far from the strings. if that 1990 has polepieces coming through the pickguard we didn't do it.

I was referring to the Fender CS Esquire in the above pic,sorry to have confused you.I would love to know also how Fender are going to match the pickup outputs to get compatable tone,especially as they are fitting a five way switch!Maybe I'll email John English and ask the question.Puzzling stuff.

[tom]

i have seen many things done for cosmetic reasons that don't work the way they should. i'm not saying this is the case this time, ...i'm just sayin'...

[FFOGG]

"i have seen many things done for cosmetic reasons that don't work the way they should ......... " :) even in the Guitar World ?????

[bruce]

I'd like to see more pics of that guitar. Some things don't add up. Is it possible that it's a "parts" guitar that somebody threw together from back when Tom was still making parts? I bet it is. I know Tom likes to accomidate certain requests but have a look at these oddities...

- Only 1 strap button at the rear
- neck pickup (holes) location is way off
- Fender style cup jack
- Fender style bridge
- Non-contoured heel
- Pickgaurd screw location

Wada ya think Tom??

[tom]

the photo is a fender bru.

[1990hollow-t]

If Tom had built it you wouldn't have been able to see the pickup rout peeking out from under the lower edge lip of the ashtray bridge like on this one!!
I didn't mean to confuse everyone,sorry....should have labelled the pic.

[jwurts]

The Esquire only has one pickup which is in the bridge position, under the crome bridge cover. Most guitarists remove the cover and expose the pickup and bridge saddles. I think the website quotes the specs for the Telecaster model as the other Esquires on the Fender page all reference the single pickup/three way switch configuration.

There is not a pickup in the neck under the guard. The selector switch only controls the way the tone control affects the single pickup.

[1990hollow-t]

The Esquire only has one pickup which is in the bridge position, under the crome bridge cover. Most guitarists remove the cover and expose the pickup and bridge saddles. I think the website quotes the specs for the Telecaster model as the other Esquires on the Fender page all reference the single pickup/three way switch configuration.

There is not a pickup in the neck under the guard. The selector switch only controls the way the tone control affects the single pickup.


Sorry but you are wrong my friend.I know all about Esquires I have seven of them!This one in the Fender link above has the following spec......

Builder Select Esquire® Heavy Relic® LTD (John English)
Model Number 927-5000-487
Series Custom Shop Limited Edition Series
Colors (487) Vintage Blonde,
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Body Premium Lightweight Ash
Neck 1-Piece Maple, ‘50s “U” Shape,
(Tinted Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard Maple, 7.25” Radius (184 mm)
No. of Frets 21 Medium Jumbo Frets

Pickups 1 Custom NoCaster® Vintage Tele® Single-Coil (Bridge),
2 Custom Handwound Tele Single-Coil (Neck-Mid)
Controls Volume, Tone
Pickup Switching 5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge Vintage Style Top-load Tele Bridge with Three 3 Threaded Steel Saddles
Machine Heads Fender/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Hardware Nickel/Chrome
Pickguard 1-Ply Black
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.74” (44.19 mm)

Unique Features: Neck and Middle Pickups are Hidden Under the Pickguard,
Bone Nut,
Rift Cut to Quartersawn Neck,
Narrow Dot Spacing
“Top Hat” Switch Tip,
Custom Shop Limited Edition Decal,
Limited Edition Certificate,
Light Tint Lacquer Finish on Neck,
Shows natural wear and tear of years of heavy use, nicks, scratches, worn finish rusty hardware and aged plastic parts.

Remember the Telecaster started off life being called an Esquire!Early Esquires had two pickups.

[tom]

the tele started out as the broadcaster, then because gretch had drums of that name, fender changed it to telecaster. there was a short period in between where it had no name on the headstock. i have never seen an esquire with more than one pickup.

[jwurts]

You see a lot of older Esquires running around with two pickups, such as Bruce Springsteen's, because people tended to add the second pickup to make it the same as Telecaster/Broadcaster/nocaster. If you look at the other Esquire models they have one pickup and a three-way switch and the original in the 50's was the budget model with only one pup.

Here are the specs on the standard Esquire per Fender's page:

Model Name ‘50s Esquire®
Model Number 013-1502-(Color#)
Series Classic Series
Colors (301) White Blonde,
(303) 2-Color Sunburst,
(306) Black,
(Polyester Finish)
Body Ash
Neck 1-Piece Maple, “C” Shape,
(Gloss Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Maple, 7.25” Radius (184 mm)
No. of Frets 21 Vintage Style Frets
Pickups 1 Vintage Style Single-Coil Tele Pickup with Alnico Magnets (Bridge)
Controls Master Volume, Master Tone
Pickup Switching Custom-Wired 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Volume Control, (Dark Vintage Circuit), No Tone Control
Position 2. Volume Control with Cap. and Tone Control with Cap.
Position 3. Volume Control Only No Cap. , No Tone Control
Bridge Vintage Style 3-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge
Machine Heads Fender®/Ping® Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 1-Ply White
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.625” (41.2 mm)
Unique Features “C” Shape Maple Neck,
Knurled Chrome Knobs,
Strings Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel,
Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046),
p/n 073-0250-006
Accessories Deluxe Gig Bag
Case Deluxe Gig Bag
Introduced 1/2005
Notice Product Prices, Features And Specifications Are Subject To Change Without Notice


I would be curious to see what kind of pickups are under the guard if they are really doing that on a masterbuilt model. You might take this over to the Fender forum for more info, I am sure they could help.

If you dont like pole pieces you migt try some EMG's.

[tom]

i think it's just the custom shop making something that looks like an esquire but has additional sounds.

[1990hollow-t]

Page 10 of the Fender Telecaster book by A.R Duchossoir has two 1950 dual pickup Esquires pictured.One pic taken by Leo Fender himself.These were probably just samples but nevertheless they had two pickups.The Esquire(the Spanish Guitar) was only available commercially as a single pickup guitar and it predated the Broadcaster,"Nocaster" & Telecaster.