The '72 Tele® Deluxe sports an alder body, famous '70s headstock and two Fender® "Wide Range" humbucking pickups with a traditional three-way switch and four skirted amp knobs (a "must have" for all Tele® guitar players).
'72 Telecaster DeluxeVintage buffs, retro freaks, style hounds, collectors and Tele enthusiasts take note! The long wait for the '72 Telecaster deluxe is over. It's not just the oversized headstock. It's not just the dual Fender "wide range" pickups and the 70's one piece "C" maple neck. It's a feel, sound and vibe that hasn't ever been recreated - until now. No need to break out the bell-bottoms and muscle cars - come get some 70's before they pass you by again.
The '72 Tele® Deluxe sports an alder body, famous '70s headstock and two Fender® "Wide Range" humbucking pickups with a traditional three-way switch and four skirted amp knobs (a "must have" for all Tele® guitar players).
I have a Fender '72 telecaster deluxe (reissue) that I bought second hand about 6 months ago. It plays great, except the action is quite high and hurts my fingers to play. I'm an intermediate standard guitarist, but I like guitars with low action.
I was recently told that the action can be adjusted via the truss rod. Is it safe for me to tighten the truss rod to pull the action down, and if so by how much is usual? On this guitar the truss rod protrudes near the headstock and is easily accessible. So I want to know if it is safe to adjust this myself?
Guitarists out there...any help appreciated!
Don't start making adjustments until you know what needs fixing. The truss rod is only part of the equation. The truss rod adjusts "neck relief" or the bow of the neck. Ideally, the neck should be very close to straight, with a teeny forward bow. You can check this with a straightedge....eyeballing down the neck isn't accurate enough. Alternately, you can put a capo on the first fret and press any string on one of the highest frets. This turns your string into a straightedge. At the midpoint on the neck, there should be a small gap between your string and the top of a fret.....the gap should be about the thickness of your high E string.....009 or so. As you know, this is adjusted by turning the truss rod. Be gentle. Do it in 1/4 turn increments and let the neck adjust.
Once the neck relief is adjusted, you can raise or lower the string height at the bridge. You can also check the top nut to be sure it is as low as possible. Think of it as a zero fret. The strings should pass over it at the same height as any other fret. When you're all done, don't forget to adjust the intonation. Chances are that all the adjustments will have thrown it off. Check the open strings against the 12th fret harmonic on a tuner. Move the bridge forward or back until the notes are the same. A lot of info here: http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/action.htm
