Maple Body Telecaster

[Singapore]

New to this forum and relatively new to guitar so hoping experts here can help me. I just bought a telecaster that was offered as a refurbished Fender Telecaster maple body. It is solid body, looks like made from 3 pieces. Having bought it I can't find any evidence that Fender has made maple body Tele's after the very early days so doubt this is an actual refurbished Fender body. Can anyone tell me if that's the case, and/or how I might be able to tell? Not trying to raise issue about counterfeit products, or complain about seller, just trying to determine what I have on my hands.

[SAguitar]

I can't recall any Fender bodies being made from maple, it would be a very heavy chunk if it was.

[Singapore]

I can't recall any Fender bodies being made from maple, it would be a very heavy chunk if it was.

it weighs 3.4 Kg, or 7.5 lbs.

[tele savalas]

Probably chambered, then. And not Fender.

[Singapore]

Seller did say he baked it to reduce weight - would that have made such a difference?

[tele savalas]

Do you have photos? Roasting maple gives it a caramel color. It doesn't change the weight significantly.

[Singapore]

Here are photos. It was sold as seller refurbished with a custom neck and new 6-saddle bridge, so hardware etc. might not look like Fender in any case.

[Singapore]

And a few more photos.

[tele savalas]

Nice looking guitar, but I doubt that it is a Fender. The maple does not look roasted, but it is impressive that it weighs as little as it does, since it is not chambered. How does it sound? From what I've heard, a maple body would typically make a guitar sound brighter.

[infant]

I built a maple bodied Tele about 20 yrs ago and it weighed well over 10lbs. I had a HB in the neck position and a cheap MIM Fender bridge pup. The guitar sounded like a piano. It just sustained forever. I ended up selling it to alleviate some gas (I was buying a Gibson Howard Roberts).
I agree that yours may not be a Fender as I don't believe they ever made an all maple body.

Rob