TE-150 B Bender Tele

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Reborn Old

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Thought I would post a link to this non-catalog 1981 TE-150 B-Bender model,
basically a TE-80 with B Bender hardware added on.

http://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop38/DS02375402/
 
There was a Fender JV Tele B Bender that went for under 100k y a few months ago, as well.
 
noooo... :-?

I was much too late to see this... very rare model.
Nice to see they actually turn up once in a while.

Any Idea what it went for ?
 
The Fender JV TL-52-200 went for around 87k y on Yahoo auctions IIRC.

I would think the Tokai TE-150 sold for between 150k and 200k y,
because popular vintage Tokai models rarely sell for less than their original valuations in stores, unless there are condition issues.
It might have sold for less. Only the buyer + shop know for sure. :wink:
 
An interesting model this.
The TE-150 was essentially a TE-80 that had a Parsons-White String Bender attached to it. This involved routing out the back of the body and putting levers and springs in, which were attached to the front strap button.
When you pulled on the body, it would sharpen the B-string for a pedal steel effect.
You could also get a dual bender for B and E simultaneously.
There is a reference to them in 1982 Catalogs, Vol5 and 6. Look for the dude with the moustache.

Peter
 
15660498317_97ff4ed114_b.jpg

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i'll do a full report when she arrives..
 
Congrats Duff ! Looks like a beauty.

There was a 1985 - 87 TE Special Edition logo model with the same Parsons rear cover + hardware listed a week earlier,
but I couldn't be sure if bender hardware was retro fitted or factory original on that one, and condition wasn't as nice as yours.
 
There was one listed at Ishibashi at a reasonable price. Is this that one? Looks to be in great shape, congrats!
 
I thought originally it was Clarence White that modified the Tele when he was in the Byrds?

Anyone know why it's called the Parsons Tele? Did Clarence give it to Graham?
 
A brief history here ...

http://www.fender.com/news/the-bbender-telecaster-guitar/
 
Thanks Reborn Old! That makes a little more sense. I hadn't realized there were two Parsons in that group.
 
wulfman said:
There was one listed at Ishibashi at a reasonable price. Is this that one? Looks to be in great shape, congrats!

yes, it's that one. Don't know if it was a reasonable price, i have no clue about the 'fender' tokai models. What does a te-80 normally sell for?

the serial is 00087xx, but i thought these started with a L?
any clue on the year, or is it 1980 like the lp's and es models?
The neck sais te-80, but from what i know these were Te-80's with the parsons and then sold as te-150's. So that sounds correct.

I don't think there is a serial number on the neckplate. Possible concern?
 
The neck plate is the only place there would be a serial # after early 1978,
so yes, no neck plate # would be a concern.
00087XX is a 1980 number.
L prefix + other Fender format serial #'s began in 1982
 
thx reborn old, you're the man!

There might be a serial, i just can't see it on the photo's.
But after i bought it, I was told the serial, so i guess it's 1980 then and it should be on the neck plate.
Great, my birthyear :D
Still have a lot to learn about the different headstock scripts during the years.

I was told there was a case included, which is a nice surprise.
 
some more pics.. let the experts have a look and make sure everything is ok.
It's def a one piece body so far i can see. 80 stamp on neck.

only this on the neck :

15960765246_55d56c0d99_b.jpg


and the body.. BL IS BLOND???:

15800798397_1246186c08_b.jpg


neck pickup

15799143698_176827c70d_b.jpg


and another shot
15986532285_28d1c6b7a7_b.jpg
 
Great closeup pics Duff ... she's lovely ! HNGD !

The BL code is for a Blonde finish.
GS would have been the color code on yours if the finish was original, I expect.
Yours was part of the same run as Felixcatus's TE-80 ... also with a BL finish code.

I think those cases were an extra 14k yen over and above the 150k purchase price in 1980.
 
Thanks.
Do you know what the codes mean? I know my gibson copies but the fender tokai copies are still new to me.

Could it be they sprayed something else then they stamped?
Used to happen at fender. The finish looks original to me, sunken in the wood and I cant find any traces of any other finish in the cavities.
One thing is certain, this guitar was finished, then routed for the bender.
I have no idea if that's the case for other tokai te-150.
Maybe they needed one fast and routed a finished te-80.
The back cover is also different from the other tokai te-150's i've seen. No logo, just name of the company. I found an ebay listing claming this kind of cover to be late 70's, but i have sent an email to stringbender.com, and asked at the b bender tdpri forum.

15370176093_aeb3f3d8ca_b.jpg
 
There is a fair amount of info at the Tokai.de website courtesy of Peter Mac.
Pages from his book in progress :
http://www.tokaiguitar.de/1.php?pageid=13&tplid=2

Color codes are listed on the 3rd page from the bottom.

As to body stamps MM=RR CC
M = month, R = line run number as best we can tell, CC = color code
The letter A was used on lacquer finished models as far as I can tell.

I agree, the finish looks professionally done on yours.
Someone might have decided at the last minute to go with a different color ?
... or the wrong stamp code was used perhaps ?

There were a lot of variations on the Parsons mods.
Later B-Bender models had pivot points at both strap pins, according to catalogs at least.
 
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