1967 Fender Smuggler Telecaster!
What's a guitar manufacturer to do when its supply of light weight Ash and Alder starts drying up? This was the dilema that Fender was faced with in the summer of 1967. One of the remedies they thought of was to rout away much of the wood underneath the pickguard area. Since the standard pickguard was opaque white, no one could see the missing wood and a lighter weight body would be achieved. That's the case with a batch of Telecaster bodies routed in the summer of 1967. We don't know why only a small number of these were made, but we do know that the Thinline Telecaster came out the next year.
This guitar officially became a Telecaster in early 1968. It's 100% original except for that clear pickguard I installed to show off the rout (but you can reinstall the original if you like!). It's a nice example with original case and hang tag and plays like a dream. It's now available here:
https://truevintageguitar.com/product...
The Guitarist: @RiggsTaylor . Thanks Riggs! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_riggsta...
True Vintage Guitar on Instagram: / truevintageguitar
My shop: True Vintage Guitar in Birmingham, Alabama.