1966 Fender Telecaster- Blond

Serial Number 168060

By 1966, the Telecaster had changed considerably from its early ’50s incarnation, while still retaining the same basic layout and function. In 1959, the original one-piece maple neck saw the addition of a more traditional rosewood fretboard, and pearloid dot position markers replaced the clay dots in early 1965. Also during the Tele’s evolution, the black single-ply pickguard morphed into a 3-ply white pickguard.

Although a 1966 Telecaster’s specifications still called for an ash body with a blond (the “e” was dropped in 1960) finish, the ’60s blond had become considerably creamier and more opaque than the original ’50s butterscotch blonde. The final detail setting a 1966 Tele apart from its predecessors is the “transition” logo decal that replaced the original “spaghetti” logo early that year.