Misleading Guitar Listing at Willie's

[drmilktruck]

This is listed as

’54 Fender Telecaster (with ‘70s body)​

The price suggests it's a 50s model too.



https://www.williesguitars.com/product/54-fender-telecaster-with-70s-body/

However I think reading the description it's more accurately a 70s Telecaster with 50s Neck, given the 70s pickup and electronics.. Then it'd be worth $3-5000 at best. That's probably why it hasn't sold for a long time. At least it wasn't parted out.

 

[Baba Joe]

Seems optimistic to me but I don’t follow Teles.

 

[General_Lee]

I'd say he's about $19,000 off.

 

[thunder58]

That don't make sense to me ^
Sounds like what a used car salesmen would say . It's a 2003 Chevy with a '72 body ( just weird to me )

 

[Emergence]

Parts from this. Parts from that. Sounds like an uberexpensive partscaster to me.

 

[Stingray70]

$19,500 LOL... If guitars came with a title that guitar's would be dated in the1970s....

I once owned a 67 Camaro with a 327 engine in it from a 62 Corvette but that didn't make it a 62 or a Corvette....

 

[drmilktruck]

Parts from this. Parts from that. Sounds like an uberexpensive partscaster to me.

Yes, aftermarket Seymour Duncan pickups. Plus it's all in pretty heavily used condition. My guess is that's a consignment piece and the seller won't lower the price. Nate knows his guitars too well to list that guitar that way. It's like the 1950s Annie from a few years ago that was refinished with a Hot Rod theme by some supposed famous car painter guy and the seller wanted $7500 for it.

 

[Back in Black]

This is listed as

’54 Fender Telecaster (with ‘70s body)​

The price suggests it's a 50s model too.

View attachment 200770

https://www.williesguitars.com/product/54-fender-telecaster-with-70s-body/

However I think reading the description it's more accurately a 70s Telecaster with 50s Neck, given the 70s pickup and electronics.. Then it'd be worth $3-5000 at best. That's probably why it hasn't sold for a long time. At least it wasn't parted out.

DMT,

It's nice, in fact it's very nice, but a parts-caster non the less.

Reminds me of a Nacho Banos replica, and as expensive as Nacho guitars are, they're half the price of this.

Photos are of Nacho's 1949 Prototype...all the original details captured, with case and beautiful leather valice filled with goodies.

I've been to Willie's shop numerous times. My pre-retirement employer's head office was in St. Paul. It's a great shop.

I think for 19 K, USD, Willie is welcome to keep it.

To me not much difference between a replica of an original, or a parts-caster of an original, and the fact a barking duck owned the parts-caster means nothing.

Best,

BIB.

 

[drmilktruck]

I've been to Willie's shop numerous times. My pre-retirement employer's head office was in St. Paul. It's a great shop.

I loved the old Willie's. They've moved to a new place. I haven't been there yet; it's appointment only now. While initially put in place during the COVID period, it's still in place. People can stop by, but are allowed in only if there aren't any appointments.

 

[Back in Black]

I loved the old Willie's. They've moved to a new place. I haven't been there yet; it's appointment only now. While initially put in place during the COVID period, it's still in place. People can stop by, but are allowed in only if there aren't any appointments.

Hey DMT,

A very sad sign of the times, and not likely to change any time soon.

I'm downtown every week to pick up my wife's prescriptions and pass Ottawa's Premier guitar shop. Not a soul in the shop these days...no-body.

Best,

BIB.

 

[Henry]

Parts from this. Parts from that. Sounds like an uberexpensive partscaster to me.

They're all partscaster, that was Leo's intent. Some of them just happen to be assembled by Fender.

 

[rcboals]

I am a 1949 model with a 2023 body

 

[radd]

The one thing that puzzles me about the guitar is the pick wear just below the bridge plate. That plate has a side at least 3/8” high. How did a pick end up at the base of that plate enough times to do that damage.

 

[Ricochet]

The one thing that puzzles me about the guitar is the pick wear just below the bridge plate. That plate has a side at least 3/8” high. How did a pick end up at the base of that plate enough times to do that damage.

View attachment 200869

Maybe the owner rested his pinky at that spot?

 

[Londoner]

The one thing that puzzles me about the guitar is the pick wear just below the bridge plate. That plate has a side at least 3/8” high. How did a pick end up at the base of that plate enough times to do that damage.

View attachment 200869

Strangely similar to my old L/H Tele.
I have no idea either!

 

[radd]

Maybe the owner rested his pinky at that spot?

That occurred to me, and I guess it is possible. It does seem like it would take a long time to wear through the top finish and the undercoat with a little finger…… Unless that was his/her long Cocaine snorting fingernail

 

[Runamok]

I loved the old Willie's. They've moved to a new place. I haven't been there yet; it's appointment only now. While initially put in place during the COVID period, it's still in place. People can stop by, but are allowed in only if there aren't any appointments.

They used to tout the appointment only, didn’t they? National act comes to town & scores a nice guitar.

How the hell does anybody make sales in the lean moments? I’m guessing there aren’t many appointments & this is supposed to be an advertising gimmick. It also cuts back on the non-serious drop-ins who want to pound on high end guitars, leaving them worse for wear.

The LLC version of Guitar Center took to mounting their best guitars up high & requiring ladder access to cut back on the guys who went in to fantasize, but bought online, or bought much cheaper models. Its like being required to check your bag at the counter before walking into a store: no warm fuzzies, but at least you have less chance of a clown diminishing the goods.

I try & time my GC visits to minimize customer interactions. On the off chance there is a flashmob autograph line.

I’ve come to realize most times of the day are now low customer volume.

 

[powerwagonjohn]

I have been to willies many times and played some great guitars. I also I learned a lot from Nate and Steve. I bought a couple guitar from the old shop. I was in recently even though I didn't have an appointment. Nate was just coming in the door and I was talking with John at the desk. Nate on his phone and John on an I pad it was pretty quite in there. I do miss the old shop!!
Thanks John

 

[stevo]

It is sexy, but I don't know how it's worth 19.5k. It's a partscaster at best and being old doesn't make a partscaster suddenly worth more than my car. It has no provenance, no famous owner, etc. etc.

Never been to Willies, but I see they lay it on thick. A run of the mill 2014 6119 is somehow:

"a hot-rodded Tennessean like George Harrison played with Filter’Tron pickups instead of the HiLo’Trons (Ho-Hum’Trons) and cool nickel parts like the Gibson-style bridge instead of the original “hot dog” bridge."

LOL...

 

[Ricochet]

That occurred to me, and I guess it is possible. It does seem like it would take a long time to wear through the top finish and the undercoat with a little finger…… Unless that was his/her long Cocaine snorting fingernail

Tommy Emmanual and Chet Atkins are notorious “pinky pivoters”.

Note the wear spots… I’ve seen worse on some of his other guitars.