ONE OWNER 1951 Fender Nocaster with one MYSTERIOUS feature…

[@jrm2fla]

Tyler Mehal played beautifully… the passages leading into those major 7th chords are so sweet, the volume swells, the management of clean versus breakup tone… masterful! That angle hole was obviously for weight relief and improved tone….

[@soundstorm9508]

I love how they try to do damage control on the mystery hole like it could've come from the factory that way, lest the value be decreased, like some yokel with a long drill bit didn't put it there for some unknown reason. Gorgeous guitar in any case. Thanks for sharing.

[@ak1969]

And that hole was drilled after the paintjob.

[@georgeellison926]

Agreed. To think that a guitar left the factory with a hole in the side like this is absurd. And there are an awful lot of people who can drill holes at an angle, and a whole lot of people who own drill presses and milling machines.

[@saradamsmc]

Queue in the most expert Fender historians on the Internet

[@dashmasterson1040]

The best explanation of the Telecaster genre of guitars I've ever heard is this...two sticks of wood bolted together with some metal bits screwed to them. Oh, and that's a tone hole.:)

[@johnnymossville]

It sounds absolutely incredible too. both pickups sound great. You can tell the guitar was played a lot and loved. Makes the guitar even more special.

[@jeremyversusjazz]

as an ex advertising guy im guessing it was to mount the guitar on some sorta space age looking floating display. given the provenance and that the dude drove around the west showing off and selling the new fangled fenders, thats my guess. so it would’ve looked like it was floating in front of some sort of display .

[@Old-Skull.]

That doesn't make sense, you don't make that amount of work just to screw a hook, if you want the guitar floating the best way to do it is with a hook, screwed like the strap buttons, one because it's not something so destructive as it was that hole , second because the only way you could use that hole to support that guitar is by placing the guitar upside down , it doesn't make sense and third because nobody destroys a pefect playing finished instrument for marketing purposes, to integrate a the guitar in a display they could have used a non working guitar with fake pick ups and all . If you listened the guy and you know something about working with wood you know that all what he says is truth, it's a very complicated hole to do it straight , now imagine in angle , the objective of that hole was to reach that cavity, I have no doubt of that and the first thing that comes to my mind is to attach a microphone like Les Paul did , maybe it was a custom order in which the buyer wanted the option to place a microphone but never was installed .

[@jeremyversusjazz]

@@Old-Skull. youre prolly right.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

That is definitely a tone adjustment hole. A cinch for any home DIY player looking to enhance high end notes at little cost. Some people also apply shielding paint with a long fine brush. Rock on.

[@larrychung3190]

So much better than a West Coast partial eclipse. 🤓👍🏽 the truth about aircraft drill bits.

[@brianmanning-ym8gj]

great amp sound and chord progressions, playing.

[@kevinhuber8723]

Great preserved guitar and cool story. The irregular drills in my trade, tool maker, are refereed to "jobber length" where they are ordered custom for the job.

[@pandorasflame7742]

The Fender Broadcasters/Nocasters are the crown jewel for any collection not only because of their history and rarity, but also their unique sound. Something about them is just so hard to replicate. I was lucky enough to be able to hold and examine one for roughly 30 seconds at an event years ago. They sound and look amazing in person. I know I'll never have one, but I've had 30 seconds very few other people will be able to relate to.

[@saradamsmc]

Wow great story and wonderful playing... this whole video is a gem, just like that guitar deserves

[@williamhurrelbrink3324]

Very nice demo. Excellent story and vid of the original guy. Too sweet!

[@chubbyoo7]

Might have saw one of those once. Wasn’t supposed to look at it , but we did.

[@bddmhopp5]

500 made, 2000 known to exist

[@gordonanderson3111]

20,000,000 relic replicas coming out of China - and to be fair some of which sound really good, 'cause yu know they have cornered the market on rare earth magnets.

[@stratman9449]

we all know that 90% of all "antiques" are made in india and china......sorry about that....

[@stratman9449]

@@gordonanderson3111 to be fair...i've got a fantastic "replica" fender telecaster made in Mexico by "Fender"....60th anniversary...cost me (with 20% discount) 360.- Euros in 2011.....special "promo"....haha....

[@stratman9449]

and it sounds just as good......

[@maxwhitten8376]

I really appreciate your time. I love watching these. Thanks.

[@bigboss6568]

It sounds incredible

[@nazfrde]

Beautiful playing!

[@soundstorm9508]

This is what was commonly referred to as a "toot hole", pioneered by Joe Walsh. You'd run a clear tube in there with some refreshment powder in the cavity and take yourself a little toot while pretending to fiddle with your amp mid set.

[@jasonbates2687]

blow hole? lol

[@jasonbates2687]

the blow hole?

[@motopresent-motorcyclingmi7723]

Skyler, beautiful, man. I knew a fella bought his first guitar a ‘51 nocaster, I was a young guy 17 I think, my parents and the Birdsongs talked and I got to sit there and play it through his silver face Twin Reverb for 30 minutes. I had an emotional reaction listening to Skyler make that guitar sing again

[@sidberns1373]

Very nice plying enjoyed that 🙌

[@fabulousfreddyisready]

This is a guy that knows how to get the tones out of a Tele. Nothing shrill, but still twangy. Nice job.

[@johnfritz15]

I agree with the mic theory. Les Paul had a mic setup on his guitar. This may have been set up for one and never finished.

[@felixramirez6898]

Pure Americana baby . Nothing like it anywhere .

[@FL-BEACH-MAN]

My Telecaster is No Caster - and never will be even if I scrape off the Telecaster label. What an amazing guitar.

[@mrmouse-ol9pw]

Wow. Rarely does a material item make me drool. A true dream guitar

[@3fingersjkjk480]

Am still looking for my 51 Fender NoCaster stolen in 1981 serial number 011 if ever come across it

[@philbert006]

Leo fender was an inventor and tinker almost more than anything else. Could have been anything. I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have plugged the hole with a dowel and finished it right over. I'm also hesitant to discredit the competence of someone living in that area back then and their woodworking skill. Pine is very soft, and with a punch and a small pilot hole that could have been done easily by an amateur even. Unfortunately, the younger people are, the more incredulous they seem to be that someone without advanced technology and resources could do anything with any kind of skill or precision. There are amazing examples of wooden instruments from hundreds of years ago that can't be replicated today. But its simply a skill issue. Until you have had a lifetime of self reliance and patience to perfect a craft, it may seem mysterious. But personally, I think there's too much hipster and not enough common sense in the analysis of something that in the end, don't amount to a fart in a windstorm. Perhaps just say, well, I don't know why its there, rather than throw some shade at someone or try to assign some significance or added value to a hole in a guitar. All that aside, a beautiful example and a piece of American history, thanks for sharing it with us!

[@johnbriggs3916]

A Nocaster has an Ash body. Pine was only used for early Esquires.

[@persistence_of_vision]

Naw, it was aliens.

[@robertbull6895]

Good explanation about the “factory hole”. Noting the cigarette burn on the headstock my guess it was a holder for a lit smoke, legal or otherwise. 😂

[@gordonanderson3111]

Great sounding guitar - reminds me of the time I was visiting some folks in the mountains of Colorado, yes in South Park, and there was a Native man there with a cheap beat-up case with a guitar he wanted me to look at. I was not in the mood to do a restring on a cheap old guitar but after dinner I opened the case and 'AHHHHhh' - there was Broadcaster serial number 0223! Without going into the whole story of trying to buy and/or sell it - I was too poor to have even tried at the time and wary of angering a Navaho Medicine man - u yet it was an awesome adventure driving it out to LA and seeing what Norm might give for it! but i digress - You know about the small holes that are used to hold Fender bodies in the milling machines and then plugged? It is one way to ID a real vintage Fender body; look up the exact placement measurements and look for the trace of a hole under the finish, right? It would be interesting to look at some other 'no-casters' and see if they have a plugged hole in that spot, maybe, maybe not.

[@GREENECAMARO]

Be a great addition to JB’s collection.

[@bwvideo0905]

Agreed....😊

[@StephaneLegout]

A piece of history 👍🏻!

[@looking_33]

Never seen someone try to over explain a drill press so much

[@Meddled]

It feels like it is gearing up to making this hole some sort of miracle factory mod, rather than a random pointless hole drilled into a guitar. "It's a factory hole". Maybe, but it is also a useless, ugly, irreversible modification. Finish in the hole could point to a high quality, period correct refinish.

[@looking_33]

@@Meddled They're trying to get some mojo voodoo price premium because it's worth significantly less with a 1/4 hole straight through it. Just act as normal humans and either plug the hole and spot refinish and disclose it or leave it as it is, damage to the body, and sell it for less without gaslighting people.

[@stockholm1752]

10:43 - Holy baseball bat, man!

[@cognoscenticycles4351]

Lucky 1302, the Holy Grail, no pun intended, of Leo's beloved Telecaster.

[@IPLAYLOUD]

I have seen a few 50's Fender Guitars that had holes drilled in that spot for Saxophone Strap holders. The hole in this one is much, much longer than would have been needed for a Sax Strap, but it might have been done to have something attached to hold the guitar.

[@PixieintheMainframe]

Sounds like my Classic Vibe.

[@paluceash]

Theres no a galaxy of difference between a Squier CV and a Vintage or Cistom Shop guitar IMO

[@miserableunoriginal]

Craftsmanship

[@gryzew]

@@miserableunoriginal yes the expert luthier just spent 7 minutes talking about the craftsmanship and originality of a hole. This video is literally "jumping the shark" of vintage guitar corksniffing vids.

[@miserableunoriginal]

@@gryzew I’m not sure if you’re trying to bash my comment or support my statement? I was just simply stating the difference between a squier and custom shop guitar from the last poster. Essentially they’re all just pieces of wood with wiring and electronics. But attention to detail separates a production line squier and a custom shop made guitar.

[@BobHolland1949]

I miss my 1951 Esquire I was the 2nd owner. Original poodle case with sales receipt. TV Radio Center in North Carolina. Gone long ago where I don' t know now.

[@bradleyfurer7847]

Maybe the guitar was part of a display?

[@PanitheHusky]

When I lived in Seattle I got to see Jay Roberts play the Twilight Zone Telecaster. His dad Howard Roberts was played that TV show theme when he was part of the Wrecking Crew.

[@kevinwilson2082]

Skyler, I just want to say thank you. I’m sure Leo is somewhere thinking, “Now THATS what I built this guitar for. Thank you Skyler.”

[@handle433]

Roy Buchanan used to drill a hole in the headstock and hang his on the wall!!!

[@ccaputa]

That amp sounds amazing.😉

[@SatchPersaud-sm1gc]

Damn that thing sounds amazing, sounds like 1950s America

[@bheathcoat7650]

If money were no object.......great video

[@danlawson3986]

Come on bro, i could drill that hole no prob. I got a tool box full of long bits like that. Being a guitar maker i have drilled lots of holes like that. Its just not that big a deal. The guitar is awsome

[@amslu]

This is how you sell an overpriced vintage guitar nowadays

[@looking_33]

Lmao he was talking like it was some impossible scientific feat.

[@flapjack413]

Lol, I was thinking the same thing. If you peck drill it, rather than just plow through, it tracks straight every time. I did a lot of that in my first couple of guitars that I built, before I started putting more thought into cavity and channel layouts on my own designs. He's just trying to hype the thing up.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

So are you saying an amateur drilled it?

[@danlawson3986]

@@ChrisShortyAllen no, just not that hard a hole to drill. Easy peasy

[@andrewmazurkiewicz105]

It's obviously to hold an extra cigarette when the one in the headstock burns out!!

[@jimmyray_hawkins]

Great video and amazing guitar! Maybe Joe Bonamassa or John 5 would be interested in buying this storied instrument.

[@philbert006]

Shit, those guys buy the ones that didn't get played or drilled. They can afford to. Joe seems to avoid everyone except Norman on the west coast, probably because he hates hipsters, even though norm is kinda the original hipster. They also go way back and Joe gets the first look at anything in his wheelhouse there, too. Sure that has some relevance.

[@Richard_Lush]

Tyler is great. What a great detailed response. Well with the super short strap the mic holder or harmonica holder would make sense to me anyway.

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

Wow.

[@swangonzalez4797]

Guy playing it was just killin' . Very musical and soulful. Brought out the best outta the guitar. Got a Brad Paisley twanginess in the bridge. Reminds me of his blackguard. Sounded really fat compared to the thinner hillbilly twang from rockabilly playing Ive seen in other vintage blackguard demos. This guitar screams Brad Paisley blackguard. It's big and it's bold, just so fat but twangy.

[@davidpepper442]

You put your weed in there

[@sixstringcity3931]

Yeah that makes sense Are you 12 ? Or just recovering from the times you fell?

[@jpaul251]

​@@sixstringcity3931It's a SNL skit.

[@hh4826]

​@@sixstringcity3931Are you dense? Or just recovering from a lack of humour? 😮

[@greenfly1264]

Love it !

[@greenfly1264]

​@@sixstringcity3931it's a comedy reference if you know its funny,if you don't you come over abusive. Get some comedy in your life bruv. Comment only on what you know.

[@dookieday1]

That hole could have held a switch of some kind , since the pots have been changed ,to drill a hole you ad electronics for mods,

[@timwatson4118]

Great story! those saddle height screws look nasty though!!

[@rockers2rockers616]

Fender would not have sold the guitar with that hole in it. It would have become a "second ". Anyway, they would put another body with the neck, being bolt on. Interesting to see aný original paperwork

[@michelleneeds4165]

Maybe for a second jack input in case it was to be restrung left handed? Like maybe they qere experimenting with ambidextrous appointments? Its a mystery to be sure.

[@pb5313]

Maybe this is why I love classic designs but with modern appointments , so..at 9:53 you can see how far down the saddles are to make this guitar (beautiful guitar) playable to today's standards, ...Stew Mac 1° neck shim , it's maple ..am I alone ? Christ with the purists ( beautiful tone don't get me wrong) but it's ok we all understand don't we?

[@chuckyz2]

Too bad they weren't as precise with the holes holding the neck on the Body. The Bass string at the end of the fretboard is almost even with the side of neck. And the treble E is too far from the side. But it is a Nocaster and I wouldn't kick it out of bed. Sounds amazing.

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

I'd slacken the neck screws a tiny bit, then reposition the neck and tighten the screws back up to realign it. Something I've done many times.

[@chuckyz2]

@@1man1guitarletsgo I doubt there is enough slack to easily fix it just doing what you suggest. It looks way off. But it would be cool if that is all it needs. At least for them. Plug and drill might hurt the value.

[@dezionlion]

I did the same Fixed it right up! Actually my friend did it Wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t seen him do it

[@mwrable]

That guitar has some growl! 👍

[@peterb3473]

whats the amp??

[@rberth9016]

3:19 Peavey T-40!!! One of the heaviest basses known to mankind 😂

[@caseysniper308]

pretty caster, what's the price? my guess 80g plus.

[@moonlight450]

Very expensive but worth it

[@bddmhopp5]

It’s for a green bullet microphone, just like Jack White

[@remoteviewer57]

B String Bender?

[@gregdolecki8530]

The absolute longest explanation of how a "hole" came to be........

[@christianjimbomb8204]

I'm so glad I didn't move to seattle. I spent a hole day up there. What a hole I drill pilot holes all the time, then use a 12" long tube well bit

[@StandbyCymbalist]

the perimeter of the hole inside of the cavity would have chipped out if it was drilled after the body was shaped. as this isn’t the case, it’s likely the hole predates the shaping of the body

[@ES-qm5hr]

My assumption is the same. I think it was just a blank with a hole drilled in it before shaping. I don't think it had any real purpose, they just probably had it lying around, and then made into a Nocaster. They weren't too fussy with the parts. I have vintage Fenders that were made from old parts lying around. For instance, I have a 1972 Stratocaster which is was made with an earlier body which was half shot in sunburst (they never fully finished the sunburst process) then had a black finish over top. It is made from parts that date from 1970 to 1972, and should have been a three bolt neck by that time, but it is a 4 bolt. My guess is someone wanted a custom color black guitar, so they throw together parts they had to make one.

[@stevepelham9010]

What so special with that hole? There is a hole that is all. All that is needed is an pillar drill and a aircraft bit they got them back then and as much more as common.

[@flapjack413]

Nothing, and it's not difficult to do even with a hand held drill if you know what you're doing.

[@stevepelham9010]

That is right! That hole is annoying them as it sure will take some value off so what the did was an Saga of mystery and greatness one will need an huge industry machine! Yeah right...

[@b.rodclark334]

Broadcaster was second to the one-pickup and rarer two-pickup Esquire. Got some nice tones there although it would have been nicer to switch to the dark capacitor as well, but nevertheless, this is a beauty to the ears as well as the eyes!

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

As if

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

?

[@b.rodclark334]

​@ChrisShortyAllen huh?🤷‍♂️

[@tidepoolbay]

Nice! Nice Work! WooF!!🐶🐶

[@Guitarinthewoods]

Stop waving it about, you’re making me nervous 😄

[@johnwhitaker545]

Weight relief

[@imannonymous7707]

Damn

[@trimmerman1]

The hole. I have no inside information, but similar to an idea of my own. To install a piezo pickup into the body of a guitar. There could be many reasons why they opted not to in the end. Perhaps they could not shield it well enough or it caused feedback or it just wasn't the sound they wanted. So they already drilled to holes in "X" number of bodies?

[@BigDinnerBoy]

Trying not to devalue the guitar by pretending whoever drilled the hole split the atom or something. It's a hole someone drilled in the guitar after it left the factory. I use long drill bits like that every day. It's really not that difficult.

[@matthewotremba9230]

Hold my beer and give me that drill

[@zenrun2913]

Hole to install a kill switch 😮

[@frankconway9184]

I'll start the bidding at 1 Dollar. Promise I won't fill in the hole. 😊

[@DarkAtFour]

Great story/ piece/ guitar. Why no mention of Esquire? Is it just me or is it often just not mentioned as the first electric- not Broadcaster, not Nocaster not Telecaster… or am I just to attached to mine!

[@WhiteNacho]

It was going to be a B bender.

[@stkbkr1]

The same guy's the built the Egyptian pyramids drilled the hole, weight relief.

[@ivorj4715]

Drill bits do not wander if they are sharp.

[@swisscottagecleanairaction]

How much did the owner's son get ?

[@brianice9846]

That has Joe Bonamassa written all over it

[@gregmauser574]

It had a plug init and it fell out later

[@gregdiffenthal2384]

Don't tell Bonamassa.

[@jessd1952]

It's obviously a victim of an alien abduction, they left their screwdrivers on some alien planet. Your welcome.

[@PMofKhanadah]

$ 218,734.00🤑🤑

[@toml7945]

The guy saying that the hole being drilled was a highly technical process....give me break, lol any skilled wood worker could easily have drilled it..

[@davidward2753]

Holey...grail

[@montyqd]

Whoever talked you into that haircut….stop listening to them. Awesome guitar, love the vids.

[@gryzew]

It's the original 1951 factory cornhole. Leo Fender was so ahead of his time that 73 years later you still can't say what the hole is for.

[@petersamm59]

"Excellent weight" So how much does it weigh?

[@peterb3473]

I’m L/H can’t play for shirt but that’s sounds absolute dynamite.

[@Hipsters_N_Hippies]

Please keep this out of John5 hands. There was less than 500 produced, and he owns more than any other person.

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

Unbelievable' No one can figure out what the purpose of that hole is? What if someone was to inform you that their grandfather worked for fender when that hole was drilled' what would it be worth to you to know that information.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

Did he chat about holes with his grand children regularly? Sounds like you might have loads of valuable information or is it just this? Thought so.

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

@@ChrisShortyAllen Mostly talked about his time working for fender and digging ginseng as a kid' encounters running into wild animals' bears/Mt lions/ Bob cats etc. Always told one story about running into a big foot but most people knew he was just stirring up drama/ joking. As far as holes' other than the guitar, he said to never wipe that one with a razor blade.

[@ansmfella]

Dude, you look so much like FooFighters Taylor Hawkins, you could play an evil prank on Grohl 😈 😂

[@kenbash2951]

You missed what could be the coolest thing about this guitar- the neck pick up blend switch.

[@curtisnewton895]

just a fucking telecaster

[@murattaner7384]

High sound too brittle for my taste .88