Francis Rossi’s iconic Status Quo Tele to go up for auction
Francis Rossi’s classic 1947 Telecaster will go up for auction in December at the auction house Bonhams in Knightsbridge, London. It is expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000.
According to Bonhams, the green Telecaster first made its appearance on Status Quo’s single Down The Dustpipe in 1970 and has been featured on nearly every Status Quo album and single since then, up until 2015.
In a 2014 interview with Total Guitar, the Rossi revealed he originally purchased the instrument second-hand as a replacement in the late 60s. The Tele initially sported a sunburst finish, which Rossi later refinished a number of times before finally settling on green Ronseal. Rossi also shared in the aforementioned interview that he hasn’t always been fond of the Tele. “Everyone seems to think this is a wonderful guitar,” he said. “I’ve got a love/hate relationship with the thing. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I don’t.”
The 1947 Tele sports a peculiar modification, namely a hole drilled into the lower end of the body. The Status Quo guitarist explains that it was a failed attempt at ensuring the jack cable stayed plugged in during performances. “People think it’s for the knob, but these [jack cable and plates] used to fly out, ‘cause weren’t very secure,” Rossi explained.
More information on the 1947 Telecaster at bonhams.com.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
