Members Aristotle Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 I have a potential trade pending on one of these and don't know much about the MIJ Fender Telecaster Customs. I've done a search, but this is a discussion board and so it's good to solicit new opinions every once and awhile. My main question is whether these have alder bodies (like the AVRI) or basswood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Aristotle Posted January 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 tough crowd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mandooks Posted January 16, 2012 Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 I believe it depends on the year it was made. An 80's MIJ Tele will be basswood from what I've found doing research on these guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted January 16, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 16, 2012 It's pointless without further detail, like whats written on the neck heel and in the neck pocket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members valued customer Posted January 16, 2012 Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 superb guitars, my number one for years. swap the bridge pup for something with a bit more girth and you are home free. the neck pups are not the hoodoo CUNIFE wide ranges, but, IMHO, very close. their construction is very similar, just diff materials. great necks, great fit/finish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted January 16, 2012 Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 Used to have one in CAR. Loved it. My bass-playing second wife took it with when she left. God, I miss that guitar ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members unworthy Posted January 16, 2012 Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 Don't know about the wood species, but early-80s MIJ Fenders were generally considered better than their MIA brethren until '86 when Fender started to get their act back together. Cousin had a Strat from that era that kicked ass. Of course, he could make anything sound great. :-) D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashtray Posted January 16, 2012 Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 Are you referring the the double bound tele? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smorgdonkey Posted January 16, 2012 Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 Used to have one in CAR. Loved it. My bass-playing second wife took it with when she left.God, I miss that guitar ... HAHA!! Nice delivery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Aristotle Posted January 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 16, 2012 Are you referring the the double bound tele? Yup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashtray Posted January 17, 2012 Members Share Posted January 17, 2012 Yup They're on my "wanted" list. Sometimes I find one for $500, but often people are asking stupid money for one (recently $1,200 - really?!). I didn't think they had a basswood body - alder perhaps? Not sure. The ones I've played have been resonant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alecto Posted January 17, 2012 Members Share Posted January 17, 2012 MIJ Fenders have a great reputation but I'd try it first before buying. I'm not sure; some guitars are alder others are basswood. Either way, they're solid guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted January 17, 2012 Members Share Posted January 17, 2012 Early 80's MIJ Fenders are at least as good as MIA one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted January 17, 2012 Members Share Posted January 17, 2012 Just remember fender Japan makes and made models from cheap to expensive so it depends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GodBlessTexas Posted January 17, 2012 Members Share Posted January 17, 2012 They're on my "wanted" list. Sometimes I find one for $500, but often people are asking stupid money for one (recently $1,200 - really?!). I didn't think they had a basswood body - alder perhaps? Not sure. The ones I've played have been resonant. Basswood gets a bad rap, but it's not a bad tonewood by a longshot. It's just ugly if you're into the look of wood grain and natural finishes. I'd take basswood over pine any day, and even then pine still sounds pretty good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members geektard Posted June 28, 2012 Members Share Posted June 28, 2012 I bought this, very good nick, from Japan via eBay. Unfortunately the neck hummer sounded like a pillow and the bridge sounded like an icepick but the acoustics were good, the neck straight, if wide, and generally in good shape except for the block of wood between the neck and the hummer being broken and a bit missing. Doesn't look like anyone's main axe. These MIJs are very well built but the wiring and Ups can let them down. I changed the hummer's pots from 250k to 500k, earthed the bridge PUp and glued the neck end block back in to be tidy. Now it sounds fantastic - classic Tele. I love the ability to switch quickly between lead an rhythm thanks to individual controls for each PUp and the toggle (which I keep hitting by accident). A great finger picker's guitar - nice string spread. Not many people seem to have realised that the 80s was 30 years ago so as far as the wood is concerned it's like buying a 60s guitar in the 90s. Fix the wiring and/or drop in some nice SD Antiquities and you'll have a very nice axe. MIJs are going to jump up in value eventually. Maybe I'll hang onto this for a few more years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MatthewTKK Posted June 28, 2012 Members Share Posted June 28, 2012 I've got the same model and I love it - the build is superb (by the way, you can tell if it's early in the run or late, because they changed from slot-end tuners to pass-through at the end of 84). I bought some 1M pots for the neck pickup but can't bring myself to alter it - it's definitely my favourite guitar to play though. I have a late 80s Fender Japan Tele which is also superb - between the Squier and the Fender it's just a matter of preference, not quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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