'72 FAQHere's a simple FAQ where some of your questions regarding the '72 Telecaster Custom might be answered. Don't forget to send in your '72 question contributions! It's an ongoing project. What is a "'72 Custom Telecaster"? Well, if you've reached this far without knowing what the fuss is all about it must be really that addicting! It's an electrical guitar, model Telecaster Custom, brand Fender, introduced in 1972. Why do you have a club just for this guitar? Because it's such a fantastic guitar and because we are GAS-infected Fender/gear-heads! We thought this guitar was so fantastic and cool and underrated that we got together one after another to form a "club thread" on the Fender Discussion Page and eventually I (Henrik) made this homepage for everything about the '72 Tele Custom and the club and its members. Is this really a club dedicated only to Fender Telecaster Custom guitars manufactured in 1972? No, actually when we say "'72 Tele Custom" we mean all Telecaster Custom guitars manufactured in the USA, Japan or Mexico since 1972 to present. The '72 has stuck because the reissues are reissues of the 1972 issue (though all changes through the original years were only minor, see the Specs and Features page), and it helps distinguish it from the "Custom Telecaster", manufactured between 1961 and 1972 (see the History page). The '72 Tele Custom is also sometimes refered to as the "Tele Custom [type] II". How does the '72 Telecaster Custom differ from the regular Fender Telecaster? Well, most features are actually exactly the same, but some things are very different. The body (wood/shape), headstock, tuners, fretboard, bridge and bridge pickup can all be found on regular Telecasters, and playing only through the bridge pickup would make your '72 Tele Custom sound 100% Tele. But the Fender Wide Range Humbucker neck pickup, pickguard, controls, and 3-bolt micro tilt/bullet truss rod neck are not found on any regular Tele models. The humbucker has its own unique sound different from both Fender single coils and Gibson humbuckers. Read about the features on this guitar on the Specs and Features page. What about those other strange 70s Telecaster models? At around the same time as the '72 Custom was issued, the Telecaster Thinline (II) and the Telecaster Deluxe were introduced by Fender. Both these models feature the same Wide Range humbucker as the Custom in both positions, while the Thinline has a semi-hollow body and the Deluxe has a "large headstock" Stratocaster neck and other, more different, features. See the History page. Shouldn't I just put a neck humbucker in my regular Tele or get a Fat Tele? Yes and no. Putting a humbucker in a normal Tele has been popular since the 60s and Keith Richards' PAF-equipped 50s Teles are world famous. The American Fat Tele is an American Series Tele with a PAF-style Fender-designed neck humbucker that has gotten great reviews, and if you are on a tigther budget you might also want to check out the Squier humbucker Teles. But you won't get the same Wide Range Humbucker, control config and 70s vibe with anything other than the '72 Custom. As for the quality, the MIA Fat Tele is in general a step higher in terms of wood, finish, pups and electronics, but the '72 Custom is definitely in the top of the line among the Mexican Fenders. Do the reissues differ from the original MIA '72 Telecaster Custom? Not much. The body woods and pickup specs are the most important differences, though they all seem to sound very alike. See the Specs and Features page for details. What about the quality of the '72 Custom guitars? The quality of the original 1972-1981 Telecaster Customs followed that of the rest of the CBS Fender line, i.e. expect to find too large neck pockets, thick plasticky polyester finishes and heavy and/or dead wood in "natural" colors. But in my opinion most of these are nice guitars, though a bit expensive nowadays. The Japanese reissues are very well built and finished though they're often are said to feature slightly worse electronics and pickups, while the Mexican (MIM*) reissues are also very well built (though perhaps a tiny step below the MIJ*) with slightly better electronics and pups. But remember, this is just the general vibe on the Internet, and your mileage will vary. Don't forget the old cliche — get the one that sounds and feels best to you! Maple or Rosewood? Both. How does the Wide Range Humbucker sound? Different from Gibson PAF humbuckers. However, the guitar's ash/alder/poplar/basswood body and maple bolt-on neck greatly affects the sound. In my opinion, the neck position sound of the '72 Tele Custom is harder and rawer than the softer sound of a PAF-equipped Gibson Les Paul. It is often described as "more Fender" (which should come as no surprise). Some people consider the WRHB (Wide Range Humbucker) muddy. I've heard from two different sources that the WRHB of the MIM reissue is a tiny bit brighter than that of the original, but this can also be due to aging. In any case, try for yourself and don't forget to take the amp into the equation. Are the coils in the WRHB splittable? Not as a stock feature, but the MIM reissues can be easily modified to be splittable and according to Esquire it sounds really good too. The originals involve some disassembly and more delicate wire fiddling since it doesn't have a 4-conductor wire on the outside like the MIM. I don't know how the MIJ is designed. See the Mods section. Can I replace the pickups in my '72 Custom? The bridge pickup is a standard Tele bridge pickup and any Tele bridge pickup model will fit. The Fender Wide Range Humbucker, however, is larger than any standard humbucker from Gibson, Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, etc., and replacing it will require a new pickguard and change the look of your '72. You might want to take this into consideration if you haven't made up your mind about its sound (see previous question). Won't the 3-bolt neck get out of whack like they always do? No, probably not. Many 70s Fenders had necks that moved around, but the problem was usually too large neck pockets, too large screw holes and/or plain sloppy assembly precision. I have never heard of a MIJ or MIM 3-bolt Fender reissue with such problems. Is there a point with individual volume and tone controls for each pickup? Most of us in the club really like it. You can get a wider range of different sounds, or combinations between the two pups, by mixing the two volumes, than you would be able to with only master vol and tone knobs. How do I date my '72 Custom? See this page. More questions and answers to come! *) MIA = Made in America, MIJ = Made in Japan, CIJ = Crafted in Japan, MIM = Made in Mexico. Home |