So how do you guys feel about Japanese teles? I've heard they make great RI guitars and can be more accurate than Fender USA.
Anyone out there have an opinion of USA vs. Japanese?
Just wondering if they are worth the price.
So how do you guys feel about Japanese teles? I've heard they make great RI guitars and can be more accurate than Fender USA.
Anyone out there have an opinion of USA vs. Japanese?
Just wondering if they are worth the price.
The best Tele I EVER played (and I've played hundreds in the past 35 years) was an MIJ 50s RI. Absolutely stunning. I could have bought it for $350 back then but didn't and I kick myself every damn time I remember it.
As for MIJ vs USA, it still depends on the individual guitar. The US makes some dogs and so does Japan... but that aside, I have found them to be about equal in quality, with recent American guitars surpassingly good. A late 80s MIJ Tele can be a prize, but as for a new one? I don't think you can do much better than current MIA production.
I have a mid 90's MIJ 50's RI.
Great guitar.
The only comparison I can make to current US vitnage spec Teles is that I paid about 1/2 (or less) what something kind of similar(US52RI) would cost, and didn't get the thick, sometimes gummy feeling neck finish. That hermetically sealed feel is a deal breaker for me.
I'm not an expert on vitage accuracy, but my MIJ feels much woodier that the US 52RI's I've played, and the old Tele's I've played were definitely on the woody side.
USA CS or Time Machine Tele's are truer, finish&feel-wise, to the old ones, to me at least. In comparison, mine looks like an even more ridiculous bargain
The only slight knock I have on mine would be that I wish the neck were fatter. But then it probably wouldn't be like the year it's trying to emulate.
I'm addressing that issue by putting a parts-o-Tele together w/a chunky "boat neck."
I haven't seen any newer MIJs around.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
I found a MIJ '98 RI (60-something) the other day. It played well...just not sure about pups. I played it against an '88 USA tele and the US won in terms of feel and tone. I think the price would have to win me over, however.
I've found some MIJ online, but I just can't bring myself to buying a guitar that I haven't played. I don't know how some guys do that?
I own four MIJ Telecasters: two 90's Deluxes, an Aerodyne, and a '52 Reissue made between 1997 and 2000. I love them all, but the '52 RI is one of the best guitars I've ever played.
Knowledge is the small part of ignorance that we arrange and classify. -- Ambrose Bierce
It seems like a lot of people swap out the pups.
I got mine used and the previous owner had already put an SD in the bridge. Not sure what model, flat pole, no number on the baseplate. ???
I like the Neck p'up too, but don't know if it's stock.
I have new pots and a switch I haven't gotten around to installing yet.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Of the Japanese Teles and Strats I've owned/played, the nicest have been the 80s/early 90s MIJ reissues (not the CIJs) and also the Bacchus models. I have a Bacchus sunburst, double bound, with rosewood fingerboard. It's one of the nicest Teles I've ever come across (it now has a Fralin Steel Pole 43 in the neck and a Fralin Blues in the bridge).
Japanese teles.... that covers a lot of ground. The vast majority of MIJs are not seen outside the country. I`m assuming most posters on this thread are referring to Japanese Fenders... save for Phat, I too own several Bacchus teles and the `54 models have FAT necks, they make great guitars. I have some of their teles, strats and a LP jr.
As for MIJs... there are Seymour Duncans, Van Zandts, Crews, Momose... part of the Deviser group that includes Bacchus...Combat, the Edwards line that features Duncan p`ups are real nice, among many many more.
I own quite a few older FJs from the 80s and 90s and they are some of my faves but the high end Duncans... made by ESP... and VZs would make Leo proud. New, they are not cheap but used they can be had for good prices. The Japanese are making some amazing guitars these days, not that they didn`t before but they did have some, shall we say, odd guitars in years past. But I must say, compared to the US Fenders I have, and no disrespect intended, my Van Zandt...it`s a strat though... and my high end Duncans are at the very least, on par with the F/USAs I have [ two 52 RIs and a custom shop keith made for the Japanese market ]. Are all MIjs outstanding?... not by a long shot, but if a buyer looks around there are some fantastic guitars to be had. Older FJs are going up in price nowadays but even with them you have to be careful because they made some low end models that shouldn`t be mistaken for their high end models that can be outstanding... some custom editions and ExTrads are among their best.
shoganai ne
I bought an '86 MIJ Tele earlier this year. I haven't got to spend alot of time with it since I took it to my parent's house in Nevada as soon as I got it. But from what little time I have played it I can say I dig it and prefer it over my MIM Tele which will soon be for sale. Someone really loved this guitar as it has lots of wear but it plays and sounds awesome. So I guess what I'm really sayin' is that me likey! :)
by the way Phat...where`d you get a Bacchus?
shoganai ne
They're better built, but less historically accurate.Originally Posted by 95strat
That's fact, not "feeling."
04DEC05: Gone -- So long!
are all the Fender USA models historically correct? Both my USA 52s are from 1997 but I believe they made some changes to the model sometime after that. I just wonder how important the accuracy is maily because the Japanese don`t call their models ReIssues...we do. Plus...F/J has so many models that I`d wager some if not most are designed with the Japanese player in mind since on average they are physically smaller than westerners, and I`m referring to the guitar necks here. But even among my older FJs there are slight differences in the bodies as well.
shoganai ne
I have a damn-near mint '96 MIJ 50's Tele in Vintage Blonde. Gorgeous. Plays like a dream, sounds fantastic. Nice and light, and I hate it.
I've been holding onto it thinking that I loved the guitar, telling myself it had sentimental value. 2 days ago I realized that it hadn't been gigged in 8 years, and had only been out of it's case a dozen times in that period.
So I got it out and I searched my soul, and realized why. I HATE vintage. I hate the radius, the V neck profile and the truss rod adjustment. I hate the lower output vintage pickups (not the way they sound, the way they won't crunch up). I hate the fact that I must remove the pickgaurd to adjust the neck pickup, and I hate the vintage bridge.
I love the color. Ideally, I'd swap it for a Tele I'll play. I might just sell it and try to duplicate the guitar with a modern neck, bridge, and some hotter Pups. I don't want to mod it, the guitar deserves better.
Last edited by telecast; 07-10-2005 at 06:55 AM.
A friend in need is a good reason to screen your calls.
plays like a dream but you hate it?
shoganai ne
Yes. Did you not read the entire post, or are you just looking for an argument? It plays like a dream, but I'm not a vintage person. Pretty simple, eh?
A friend in need is a good reason to screen your calls.
My MIJ Tele has a "TELECASTER" (with the quotation marks) decal on the headstock. Is this a MIJ thang?
Nope, it's a vintage thang.
A friend in need is a good reason to screen your calls.
wow take it easy. somebody got the ump today? not looking for an arguement nor am I criticising...just asking. I did read the entire post. I`ll try to be more serious `n stuff from this point on OK?
mental note to myself... no fun allowed with telecast. OK got it. sorry for any distress I may have caused.
shoganai ne
Should've been pretty easy to tell what I was talking about without asking. I don't joke around on this forum anymore, not worth it. Serious posts only.
A friend in need is a good reason to screen your calls.
How badly do you really want to pull the necks to adjust the trussrods? :)
04DEC05: Gone -- So long!
want to... never. Have to....sometimes.
telecast...I`m not going there anymore.
shoganai ne
Hmmm, this Bacchus you speak of intrigues me. Tell me more!
I have three Japenese Fenders. A recent Pink Paisley, a mid 80's 'Contemporary' heavy metal tele with a kahler trem and a '62 re-issue Custom with binding. All excellent guitars, any time I play one of them it becomes my favourite du jour.
I met a Devil Woman, she took my heart away
She said I had it comin', But I wanted it that way
you know theres an Irishman in this city who speak French very well too. His name is Oliver and every time we meet we chat in french... I don`t get many chances to do that here. Do all youse Irish speak Francais?
shoganai ne
Zoot alors...mais non mon ami.
We mostly all learn French in Secondary School ( like High School in America )
but that's 30 years ago for me so I've forgotten most of it.
I met a Devil Woman, she took my heart away
She said I had it comin', But I wanted it that way
About a year ago I spent some time playing a variety of MIA and MIM Teles then returned home to my '86 MIJ '62 Custom RI and it put a reasuring smile on my face. It feels and plays better that what I had test driven. The build quality appeard superior everywhere I could notice. With a pair of SD Antiquities (and CTS pots, etc) and compensated brass saddles it's just reet-on!
BTW Telecast, that 3-saddle vintage bridge is THE KEY!
I live with fear every day and on the weekends she lets me go racing..
I've always been weary of the three saddle bridge due to the fear of intonation problems. How do you get around that...or are there in issues?
95Strat, that is a good point and I did have a problem. It was solved by installing an inexpensive set of smooth brass "compensated" saddles. These buggers are set at the proper angle to correct the inherent intonation problem that occures with the original, perpendicular saddles. They also cured a string breakage problem that I was plagued with, where the strings passed over the original steel threaded rod type saddles.
I live with fear every day and on the weekends she lets me go racing..
The beautiy of the vintage 3-saddle bridge is the increased pressure applied by each of the saddles to the bridge plate. More bite and snap in the attack. The new six saddle bridges step away from this, unfortunately. As always, something is lost to gain something else. In this case you give this up to gain independendt string intonation adjustment, which you really DO NOT need.
Progress isn't always. :ahem
I live with fear every day and on the weekends she lets me go racing..
Each to his own. I personally hate the way a vintage style bridge feels, and sold off a guitar because of it and all of the other 'desirable' vintage features. I'm a huge fan of the American Series bridge, and I like the MIM Standard bridge a lot too. I know many folks rush to replace them.
As for the compensated saddles, they work very well provided everything else is perfect. You're still working with a compromise, and I've installed these many times only to end up filing the nut to get the intonation correct on both strings because the guys who mail orderd them thought it was supposed to 'fix the problem'. Not that there was a problem, but whatever.
If you must have perfect intonation (which is a false sense of comfort anyway), but if it makes you feel better to see all of your strings zero out at the 12th fret, use a 6 saddle bridge.
A friend in need is a good reason to screen your calls.
Thanks guys. Interesting takes from both side of the saddle world.
Telecast, why do you say, "perfect intonation. . . is a false sense of comfort anyway. . ." Wouldn't you want you guitar to be intune wherever you play on the neck?
Yes, but you must understand that a guitar scale is a compromise. No guitar will play perfectly up and down the neck, since the frets are placed so it's 'close enough'. The Buzz Feiten system is supposed to address this to some degree, I'm not sure if it does since I've never tried it. The point is that you can only get it 'so close' to begin with, it'll never be perfect. That having been said, a Standard Tele bridge gets close enough that the average person is happy. The compensated saddles were developed when someone got their hands on an electronic tuner and decided the existing system wasn't good enough, but they still wanted the sound that a vintage bridge offers.
So get it as close as you can, but realize that a perfect '0' at fret 12 doesn't necessairly mean a perfect note at all frets.
A friend in need is a good reason to screen your calls.
Gotcha. Thanks for the info. I did not know that.
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