The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #61382 Message #2921774
Posted By: Willie-O
06-Jun-10 - 11:39 AM
Thread Name: why is a guitar called a thinline?
Subject: RE: why is a guitar called a thinline?
Bob, sorry, you're just wrong about the Telecaster Deluxe. It was not hollow at all--an above-average Wikipedia reference describes it thusly: The Fender Telecaster Deluxe is a solid-body electric guitar originally produced from 1972 to 1981, and since re-issued by Fender in 2004 as the '72 Telecaster Deluxe.
The (capitalized) Thinline, whatever the reason for the name, is the actual model name for the semi-hollow, one-f-hole Tele.
The Wiki article also notes only one commonality between Deluxe and Thinlines, (besides both being Telecaster variants): the Thinline, starting in '72, used the new Fender Wide-Range Humbucker pickups, like the Deluxe.
(Mine was an earlier-year one which had been modified to accept the humbuckers--major body routing, different pickguard and toggle switch--really devalued it by the time I got it. Sigh.)