A Fender Telecaster once played onstage by the late, great Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt is up for sale, and as vintage guitars with rock legend provenance go, it is something of a bargain.
Dated as a 1989 Tele, and listed by Denmark Street Guitars for just £7,999 ($10,460) on its Reverb page (reduced from £9,599), this has heaps of Quo mojo.
Now, this is finished in white, with a black single-ply pickguard, and it has the rosewood fingerboard preferred by Parfitt, but it is not to be confused with his iconic 1959/‘60 model.
Parfitt, who died in 2016, bought his circa '60 Tele in Glasgow for £80, and had it modified with a wraparound tailpiece, while this '89 Tele is stock, with a six-saddle bridge. But there are loads of details for Quo fans to get excited about.
For a start, the top of this electric guitar is signed by Parfitt. This has all but been removed over the years but other details remain, such as the “Rick No1” label on the back of it, and the piece of white electrical tape across the neck plate that reads “Rockin A.O.T.W” in black marker pen.
Was this used to play Rocking All Over The World? It ships in its original touring case, inside which you will find an official certificate of authenticity.
Just add a wall of Marshall amps and you are good to go. Be advised, string it up heavy; Parfitt liked heavy strings.
His original white Telecaster, his main stage guitar, had its bridge replaced for good reason; Parfitt wanted everything locked down so nothing moved. The battle-scars on its finish speak to not just its length of service but how hard he played it.
“It is just the most wonderful guitar,” Parfitt said, speaking to Total Guitar in 2014. “I string it very heavily. I’ve got a 56 bottom E on it. My main role in the band is to keep the engine room rocking, so the bottom strings are really thick, and it’s quite a brute to play.
“But I had all the bridge modified here, took all the springs and everything off so nothing moves. Strings come straight down, straight through the body, and into there, and you can drop it, you can do what you want with it and it never budges. It never goes out of tune. I whacked f**k out of it and it’s just the most wonderful guitar.”
And isn’t that what the Fender Telecaster was made for? So while it would be understandable for any new owner to treat this ’89 Telecaster with kid gloves, Parfitt would surely have approved if you decided you wanted to hit it hard.
You can check it out at Reverb or enquire at Denmark Street Guitars.
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