The Fender ‘72 Telecaster Thinline is for the guitarist who loves the raw, crunchy sound of a Tele, but longs for a tone just a little bit warmer and rounder than a standard Telecaster can offer.
I played one of these exclusively for about three years, and found the Thinline’s semi-hollow body (made of ash,) and dual “Wide-Range” humbuckers, provide for a surprisingly versatile range of tone, from punchy and bright to warm and airy.
Another advantage of this guitar? It’s singular sound is easy to pick out in the din of a live show, and unlike some of my previous guitars, the ‘72 Telecaster Thinline teamed with a 60-watt Fender tube-amp was more than capable of making itself heard above the rhythm section.
At less than $700 I’d be quick to add one of these to my collection again––if only I could justify buying another guitar ;)
The Fender ‘72 Telecaster Thinline Features–
- Semi-Hollow Ash Body
- Maple Neck
- Maple Fingerboard With 21 Frets
- Dual Fender Humbucking Pickups
- Master Volume & Master Tone Controls
- 3-Way Pickup Switching
- Vintage Style Strat Strings-Through-Body Hardtail Bridge
- Fender/Schaller Tuning Machines
- Chrome Hardware
- 4-Ply White Pearloid Pickguard
- “F” Hole
It seems silly now, but one of the things I loved about this guitar was the pearloid pickguard – it’s got a great vintage look. The ‘72 Thinline comes in 3-Color Sunburst or Natural finishes…but my personal favorite is the “Natural.” It really brings out the natural beauty of the ash body.
Stand-out features for me include the single-piece maple neck––sporting Fender’s comfy “U” shaped profile––and of course that light-weight semi-hollow body… a very comfortable and reliable guitar for long nights on stage.
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November 26th, 2006 at 4:35 am
I have a original Fender Telecaster Thinline ‘72 I think is is from 1973 Nr; 34126281 It looks very good, only the frets are less than 2mm and some one has made a zero fret on it . I dont know whey? Can u please tell me the price of these guitars?
Kind regard,
March 17th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
This is a stunningly beautiful guitar. But it just didn’t sound “tele” enough for me. So I sold it and got a G&L Tribute ASAT Bluesboy semi. Now I’m a happy camper.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:45 am
I bought this guitar and it is my primary guitar I play, I did some mods to it though. I changed the pickguard to a tortoise and it fits the natural stunningly. I also changed the pickups to EMG’s why you ask ? the only answer I can give is you need to hear my guitar ! This is by far my most favorite guitar I have played and I nicknamed her “fenderella”