1952 Fender Telecaster

Pictured is a 1952 Fender Telecaster
Photo courtesy web

Scotty bought one of these in 1952 along with a Fender Deluxe amplifier after leaving the Navy and used it initially with the Starlite Wranglers.  He really liked the neck on this but having always played full bodied guitars he didn't like the feel of the smaller solid body and soon switched to a Gibson ES-295 in 1953.  

Boyhood friend James Lewis and Scotty with his Fender Telecaster - ca. 1953
Photo courtesy Lee Moore

The 1952 Fender Telecaster featured a solid ash body finished in butterscotch blond, 21 fret bolt-on maple neck, single coil bridge position and neck pickups, volume and tone control and 3 way switch. The Telecaster was essentially a two pickup version of the Fender Esquire that was originally introduced in 1950 as Fender's first electric solid body guitar (the very early Esquires were offered in single and double pickup configurations).  The Telecaster was initially introduced as the Broadcaster but Gretsch had a drum line with a similar name so they changed it to avoid issues. To use decals already printed some models were released in the interim with the "Broadcaster" name cut off and these guitars have since been referred to as a "Nocaster."

Boyhood friend James Lewis and Scotty with his Fender Telecaster - ca. 1953
Photo courtesy Lee Moore

original page added October 2002, updated February 2015

Due to an old photo of Scotty and his friend James Lewis from around 1953 showing Scotty on a porch with his Fender it had been mistakenly identified as an Esquire and the error has propagated over the years as such.  Recently alternate photos surfaced which revealed the guitar to actually have been a Telecaster, complete with the neck pickup.
James V. Roy  February 21, 2015

 

Harold L. McKinley's 1952 Esquire
Photo courtesy Harold McKinley

Recently we were contacted by Harold McKinley of Memphis who wrote:

For several months now I have tried to get to Scotty Moore through Sun Studio's but no help. In the middle 1950s I purchased the above guitar from Mr. Ed Fitzpatrick, OK Houck Music Company, Memphis, Tennessee and was told at the time that it had been traded in by a Elvis group and I'm sorry to say that I hardly knew who Elvis was at that time. Mr. Fitzpatrick has long passed. During all these years I have wondered about whom owned this guitar and just recent ran across the Scotty Moore's site on the inter net and began to put 2 and 2 together. I am almost 100% convinced that this could be the 52 Fender he owned.

I have no paper work and no serial #, the bridge only says patent pending. The guitar is a 52 model. My strongest belief that it could be Scotty's is that the internet article is quoted that Scotty purchased his Gibson ES-295 from Mr. Fitzpatrick at OK Houck Co. around 1953 or 1954 no other information. I do not remember ( to long ago) the date or year I acquired the Guitar but it was sometime in the mid 50's. One marking that would be recognized quickly is that someone before me installed a second pickup. I never learned to play but note the neck which shows that the guitar was played a great deal.

I am sure if that is true he would be happy to know that it is still around and I would be very pleased to know the original owner to be Scotty Moore and receive authorization of being the first owner. I understand the privacy but I am sure he would be interested in knowing it is still around if it is his.

Harold L. McKinley
September 2, 2010

Unfortunately since no substantial documentation with corresponding serial numbers exists with either party there is absolutely no way to authenticate it as even bought at Houck's let alone ever belonging to Scotty. However, it is still a 1952 Fender Esquire and though modified somewhat is still a valuable instrument in its own right.

James V. Roy
October 10, 2010

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