[Dylanphile]

I need help figuring out exactly what my new Tele is. When I saw it on the wall, second-hand, I just thought it looked cool. Took it down and played it and knew it was something special. When I did some research, I thought it was a '72 Telecaster Custom Reissue, MIM, that was made in the last few years. Now, I'm not so sure.

The first thing that made me suspicious is that it's a natural finish, and there doesn't seem to be any info about the reissues being released in natural. When I looked for a serial number or place of manufacture on the guitar, there was nothing.

Next, when I took the guitar apart, I noticed a 1972 date on the neck end. There are also a couple of stickers inside the pickguard that have a 72 date. The only definitive "stamped" numbers are on the pots. When I entered the pot codes into the Guitar Dater project, it said that this guitar was made in 1973-4 at the Fullerton plant in California. It can't be a 73, though, because the "Custom" on the headstock is in script, not the block letter font from 73 on. Maybe it's a 72 neck and the body is a little bit older?

Anybody out there able to help me figure out exactly what I have here?!