I saw something bad today. So very, very bad.

**colcifer** · #1 01-22-2011, 06:38 PM

At the Repair Zone (awesome repair shop) and someone brought in a guitar a buddy had found in the trash. It was a '58 Ash Tele

.

There was gunk all over the neck, the ninth fret marker was moved to the tenth fret, and the bridge was cut in half to accommodate a whammy, which also required a block to be cut out of the back (though this was a fairly common mod, it was a shame for it to be done to such a great guitar with such a bad whammy).

The finish was well worn and the pg was in bad shape but seeing a guitar like that in such unplayable condition was heartbreaking. Consolations?

Skitch it! · #2 01-22-2011, 06:48 PM

Woah, that isn't a find, it's a karma gift. It'll be back in shape though? I bet the boffins at HQ are already on the case, '58 wow!

Chrisk-K · #3 01-22-2011, 06:51 PM

Innocent people are killed everywhere on this planet. No musical instrument is more valueable than a life, I believe. So, cheer up!

fenderhutz · #4 01-22-2011, 06:51 PM

Not all old Fenders are good Fenders.

plangentmusic · #5 01-22-2011, 06:56 PM

I knew a guy who had a 67 strat, mint, everything original, and in the 90's he took out the pu's, sold them, and put emg's in.

To this day, I told him I had free reign to call him a DB anytime I want. He agrees.

**colcifer** · #6 01-22-2011, 07:09 PM

Fred (awesome repair guy) will be restoring it and I have no doubt he'll do a great job but a fair amount of material is gone. The electronics seemed to work though. I'm not sure what will be done about the fret marker.

Thanks for the perspective. It's always good to remember that things could be worse, not that it's pleasant to think about all the ways they could be worse

.

And that I don't know it was a great guitar. It probably was, but I don't think we'll ever know (I was silently begging for news it would be salvaged as a player but the prognosis was grim).

I hope he did not procreate.

SactoBass · #7 01-22-2011, 07:24 PM

Whew!!

When I saw the title of your thread, I immediately thought "oh no....not another National Enquirer picture of Britney Spears!"

I was thankfully relieved when I opened the thread.

**Staccato** · #8 01-22-2011, 07:33 PM

You should see some 50 year-old houses in disrepair. That guitar might be restored, yet!

trayner1 · #9 01-22-2011, 07:36 PM

It's boneheads like that who desecrate the rarity of vintage Fenders. I could understand on anything lster than '70, but a '58? that ain't right.
I'd see it as a blessing, though...something great could be made out of that.

**colcifer** · #10 01-22-2011, 08:58 PM

Please tell me! What great thing could come of this?

thumpbass1 · #11 01-23-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trayner1

It's boneheads like that who desecrate the rarity of vintage Fenders. I could understand on anything lster than '70, but a '58? that ain't right.
I'd see it as a blessing, though...something great could be made out of that.

Yeah it's sad, but there was a time when that stuff was just merely used gear, and was sold as such up through the 70's and even into the 80's. I've seen my share of abominations such as early 60's SG's, even on one SG/Les Paul, with Kahlers or Floyd Roses cut and stuffed into them. Lets' not forget all those poor 50's and 60's instruments that had experiments in adding extra pickups and what not done to them, that their well intentioned owners inflicted in pursuit of whatever tone dragon they were chasing at the time.

ggunn · #12 01-23-2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thumpbass1

Yeah it's sad, but there was a time when that stuff was just merely used gear, and was sold as such up through the 70's and even into the 80's. I've seen my share of abominations such as early 60's SG's, even on one SG/Les Paul, with Kahlers or Floyd Roses cut and stuffed into them. Lets' not forget all those poor 50's and 60's instruments that had experiments in adding extra pickups and what not done to them, that their well intentioned owners inflicted in pursuit of whatever tone dragon they were chasing at the time.

Guilty as charged. I had an early 60's Melody Maker, and when I was a kid I thought I could improve it. I stripped that deep transparent cherry red finish from it and refinished it with walnut stained polyurethane, chiseled out space for two humbuckers to replace the single coil pickup, had a new tailpiece installed along with studs for a Tune-o-Matic bridge to replace the wraparound bridge, and replaced the stock tuners with Grovers. I still have it; it's not a bad little guitar, but I wish to hell I'd left it as it was.