Guitars That got Away
Tim Farris INXS Telecasters
Three Rare Fenders, a History of The Telecaster
Three rare Telecasters, 1 Lucky Owner
One day in a vintage guitar store in Sydney, Tim Farris brought in his collection of vintage Telecasters to get an insurance appraisal. When opening the cases, we realised it was a Broadcaster, Nocaster and a Telecaster, the holy trinity! Each of these very rare Fenders was in pretty good shape. Yes they had been played, but overall, and considering their age, they were really good examples of one of the greatest guitars of all time.
Serial Number: 0668
Serial Number: 1948
Serial Number: 4464
The three headstocks show the lineage of the Telecaster, from Broadcast to Nocaster and finally Telecaster. These are all very early examples of the Telecaster as evidenced by the spaghetti logo and the round string trees, placing them all as very early examples from the mid 1950’s.
The Broadcaster has one of the earliest serial numbers I have ever seen on a Fender guitar at 0668. The Broadcaster has a low serial number too at 1948, and the Telecaster 4454. The Telecaster had the original purchase receipt in the case, and it was purchased on May 9, 1955 for US$169.50.
All three guitars were in their original form fitting cases that were also in pretty good condition. It was a privilege to see these guitars, and Tim Farris is one lucky collector!