1968 Fender Telecaster Thinline SS

Thinline Series CBS (7/1968 -1972)

BODY

Wood: Mahogany or Ash

Lacquer: Thick Skin Polyester/Polyurethane (Very few '68) has Nitro

Shape: Telecaster Standard Chambered Semi Hollow / F-hole

Pickguard: 8 Hole / 3-Ply Pearloid White (and other)

Serial: Stamped on Neckplate / 6-digit

NECK

Wood: Maple

Decal: Black CBS Logo w/ Gold Trim + "Telecaster" + Pat.No´s

Fretboard: Maple or Rosewood (Veneer)

Lacquer: Polyurethane (Nitro on Headstock)

Neck Profile: Medium "C"

Headstock: Standard Tele

Nut Width: 1.614" (41mm) +/-

Scale: 25.5"

Radius: 7.25"

#Frets: 21

Fretwire: 6230 Vintage Frets

Trussrod: Vintage Heel Adjust

Bolt-On Type: 4-Bolt w/ Plastic Bracket

HARDWARE

Bridge: 3-Saddle Vintage String-trough Bridge / Ashtray Cover

Bridge Marking: "FENDER Pat.No DES.164227 / 2.573.254"

Saddle: Slotted Steel Saddles

Tuners: "F" Tuners

String Tree: Butterfly

Neckplate: "F" Plate

Knobs: Knurled Flat-Top

ELECTRONICS

Switch: 3-Way CRL / Top Hat Switch-Tip

Wiring: Standard B/BN/N (PVC wires) 

Pots: 1 Master Tone / 1 Master Volume

Capacitor: (50V) .05uf Dime Capacitor

Pickup Config: SS

Neck Pickup: Vintage Single Coil Staggered (6.60k)+/-

Bridge Pickup: Vintage Single Coil Staggered (6.00k) +/-

CASE: Fender Black Hardshell Plush lined Case (for additional charge)

INFO: 

Custom Colorst offered from 1970. Only Natural and Suburst available 1968-1969

Bigsby was available since 1971 for custom  order

Designed by Roger Rossmeisl (1927-1979). The Thinline design came after the more or less little successful "smugglers" route attempt. Rossmeisl had just quit Rickenbacker and was skilled in arch tops and alike and Fender hired him to find new ways to make the stock of heavy ash they had at the time lighter. He routed out a good portion of it and put a flat slab cap on bottom of it arch-top style complete with an F-hole. Also routing out a good portion under the controls-

They also made use of Mahogany wood as well. The SS Thinline ended after only 3 years to be replaced by the HH WideRange Thinlines . But these only use Ash wood from now on

#012-3000 (Sunburst

#012-3020 (Sunburst Left Handed)

#012-3010 (Bigsby Sunbust)

#012-3001 Custom Color 

#012-3021 (Custom Color Left Handed)

#012-3011 (Bigsby Custom Color)

#012-3000 (Sunburst)

#012-3020 (Sunburst Left Handed)

#012-3010 (Bigsby Sunbust)

#012-3002 (Ash)

 #012-3022 (Ash Left Handed)

 #012-3012 (Ash w/Bigsby)

#012-3003 (Mahogany)

#012-3003 (Mahogany Left Handed) #012-3013 (Bigsby Mahogany)