Nocaster
Encyclopedia
The so-called Nocaster was a short-lived variant of what is now known as the Fender Telecaster
, the original solid-body electric guitar
created by Leo Fender
. The Nocaster, produced in early to mid-1951, was the result of legal action from the Gretsch
company over the guitar's previous name, the Broadcaster (Gretsch already had the "Broadkaster" name registered for a line of drums). In the interim, before Fender
had come up with an alternate name and printed appropriately revised headstock
decals, factory workers simply snipped the "Broadcaster" name from its existing stock of decals, so guitars with these decals are identified simply as "Fender", without any model name. By the summer of 1951 the guitar was officially renamed as the Telecaster and has been known as such ever since.
The term Nocaster was originally coined by collectors to denote these transitional guitars that appeared without a model name on the headstock. Since they were manufactured in this form for only a few months very early in the Broadcaster/Telecaster's history, original Nocasters are highly prized and expensive collector's items. There are no official production numbers, but experts estimate that fewer than 500 Nocasters were produced.
Fender has since registered Nocaster as a trademark
to denote its modern replicas of this famous rarity. These period-accurate recreations feature the original Broadcaster/Telecaster internal wiring scheme, which incorporates an unusual tone circuit. There is no conventional tone control in this setup; however, as in later Telecasters, a three-position lever switch is used to switch between pickups. In position 1, a potentiometer blends the neck and bridge pickup signals to vary the tone. Positions 2 and 3 select the neck pickup in either bright or dark tone (the equivalent of a tone control being fully clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively), but nothing in between.
The '51 Nocaster reissue is a model currently offered by Fender's Custom Shop
through certain dealers in North America.
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
, the original solid-body electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
created by Leo Fender
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, or "Fender" for short...
. The Nocaster, produced in early to mid-1951, was the result of legal action from the Gretsch
Gretsch
The Gretsch Company was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a twenty-seven year old German immigrant recently arrived in the US. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums, until his death in 1895. His son, Fred, moved operations to Brooklyn, New York in 1916...
company over the guitar's previous name, the Broadcaster (Gretsch already had the "Broadkaster" name registered for a line of drums). In the interim, before Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
had come up with an alternate name and printed appropriately revised headstock
Headstock
Headstock or peghead is a part of guitar or similar stringed instrument. The main function of a headstock is holding the instrument's strings. Strings go from the bridge past the nut and are usually fixed on machine heads on headstock...
decals, factory workers simply snipped the "Broadcaster" name from its existing stock of decals, so guitars with these decals are identified simply as "Fender", without any model name. By the summer of 1951 the guitar was officially renamed as the Telecaster and has been known as such ever since.
The term Nocaster was originally coined by collectors to denote these transitional guitars that appeared without a model name on the headstock. Since they were manufactured in this form for only a few months very early in the Broadcaster/Telecaster's history, original Nocasters are highly prized and expensive collector's items. There are no official production numbers, but experts estimate that fewer than 500 Nocasters were produced.
Fender has since registered Nocaster as a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
to denote its modern replicas of this famous rarity. These period-accurate recreations feature the original Broadcaster/Telecaster internal wiring scheme, which incorporates an unusual tone circuit. There is no conventional tone control in this setup; however, as in later Telecasters, a three-position lever switch is used to switch between pickups. In position 1, a potentiometer blends the neck and bridge pickup signals to vary the tone. Positions 2 and 3 select the neck pickup in either bright or dark tone (the equivalent of a tone control being fully clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively), but nothing in between.
The '51 Nocaster reissue is a model currently offered by Fender's Custom Shop
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop primarily exists to compete with smaller companies and independent luthiers that, in turn, build products reminiscent of those...
through certain dealers in North America.