Crestline Tele Copy

Funny. Funny. Funny. I can't believe this guitar is on this site. The Crestline telecaster was my first guitar approx age 14. I bought it at the original Bound Brook Music Center in NJ approx 1979, it was all I was budgeted for. I wanted a les paul copy that was $20 more but the 'rents didn't go for it. Probably $69 dollars or thereabouts. I think they even made me pony up most of the cash, I sold a mini bike for $40 and forked it over so they would at least take me there.

The most cheesy thing was the bridge pickup was the same style as the tele neck "chrome" pickup and was weaker than a dano lipstick tube pickup (that is, it did not even have a copy of a fender tele bridge pickup).

First mod (besides throwing away the ash tray bridge cover) was took a router to it and I stuck a les paul "wrong patent number" T-pickup in it. My friend took the other pickup and stuck it in a similar quality guitar. Next mod was dimarzio strat super distortions- these of course, did not mount properly so they were taped and glued in with a new black pickguard (preserved in my high school year book). By college it got a red paint job- and made it's red debut at the Seton Hall Battle of the Bands in 1983. (Probably myself and Danny from the Characters are the only two people that still remember this event). Then a year later it got some Van Halen stripes. Then a black paint job by the mid 80s, where it served as a backup guitar. It met it's end when sacrificed at an outdoor show where we also destroyed a jazz bass copy as well. Only thing worth saving was the replacement pickups.

From what I remember it was intonated OK, but I was a beginner and there was more of a problem with me bending stuff sharp from poor technique than the guitar itself being off.

Neck was OK, but the frets were not well polished. Played fairly well for a cheezer. One thing I recall is the wood or the finish they used STUNK (as in odor, not quality). Smelled like a dead mouse was inside the body cavity every time you took off the pickguard!

Was just OK. Funny story, as kids going out at in the back yard at the drummers house, we looked at his parents barbecue grill and it had the EXACT SAME Crestline logo. Same script font, same goofy "crest/shield" logo. Certainly a Japanese thing- like Yamaha using the brand name on everything from instruments to blow dryers to motorcycles to satellite components to... you name it.

I should have complained about the smelly wood, but I didn't.

I appropriated the other Les Paul pickup from my other band mate when he disposed of his cheese guitar in the early 90s- That guitar now hangs in my garage as a decoration- an Encore 335 copy. The gold pickup covers were ripped off and thrown out, the mounting brackets were cut or bent to squeeze them into a non-fitting location. But they still work, last weekend I installed them into decent copy guitar which had microphonic pickups. This is what made me think of the crestline, and brought me here.

The story of the les paul pickups was another classmate got DiMarzio super distortions for late 60s Les Paul. Replacing pickups was all the rage at the time which was 1979. The transaction took place in the now non-existent Green Brook High School library. I remember this because I took the ink date stamper thing they used to mark the library books, and stamped the under side of the pickup. Sept. 14, 1979 - still visible. $20 sealed the deal, I split it with my friend who took the other pickup.

Ah the regrettable things we did back in the day- Joe for getting getting rid of his guitar's original pickups and me for literally ripping the covers off with pliers- not even unsoldering them, and hacking up the mounting brackets. Lucky I didn't damage the bobbin or wires. They sound great in the Japanese flying V installed on a recent rainy Saturday. Yep, this story is more about the Les Paul T pickups made between 1965 and 1975, which are not the highly valuable PAFs, but certainly worth a lot more than the crestline telecaster!

Bought new in March 1980. Solid ash body, natural finish Tele-copy
Japanese made.
Paid $99.00 at music store closeout

Great sounding for light rock music.
No buzz or hum. Bright sound from the bridge pick-up.
Good sounding for a low price instrument

Easy to tune, holds tuning well. Quality finished wood, still looks new at 23 years old. Controls work well. Plays like a genuine Tele.

Played hard at times but still performs great.
Nothing loose or noisy. Finish still looks great.
Neck still straight and comfortable.
Great instrument.

None available, Discontinued in very early eighties.

Been playing guitar / bass too many years to remember.
I like the beautiful finish and smooth sound. As well made as any Fender import models. Simple tuning and controls make it a great anytime instrument. Great value. Sorry it's no longer made. Would be a great economy instrument.

Crestline was a line made by one of the big Japanese manufactures probably of the mid 70's. I have been fascinated with the brand. It is a solid ash body. It came spray painted a rasberry color that I stripped off and found a beautiful body beneath. Lot's of work. Neck is bolt on maple with rosewood fretboard. I had a single coil neck and bridge. I changed out the neck for a Dimarzio humbucker supertone. Not sure if I like the set up. The guitar is the very old style tele not string through with an ashtray cover. Pickgard was sprayed a few times too many so it needs replaced. I refinished it in satin. Tuners are not locking but are ok.

I need to listen to the guitar more since adding a humbucker to the neck. The stock pickup 20+ years old sounded tinny and I wanted more boom. I run it through a peavy with 4 10's. Has some body and butt.

Poor guitar has been through alot, several jerks painted it but the original wood is really nice. Neck seems to need more adjustment.

The guitar has seen many miles and many moons. It looks good and feels good. I'm working on sound. I sometimes change my mind with these things and sell them so I will have to wait and see.

The guitar was manufactured by one of the large japanese manufactures 30 some years ago.

Too many guitars and not enough time to play. I'm not that attached to the guitar.