Review: 1989 FENDER JAPAN TELECASTER TL72-55 Guitar

Howdy!

Even casual readers of Rex and the Bass know that I love both Telecasters and Japanese guitars, so when those two planets align I am like a high school kid with a cheesesteak and a Coke Zero. Check out today’s beauty: a Japan-built Fender TL72-55 Telecaster. This is a fairly faithful recreation of a 1972 Telecaster, and gives the performance of the American-made reissues at a fraction of the cost. I picked this non-export model a while back in Japan, and I am trying to figure out how it fits into my collection.

As this is a model TL52-55, it is one of the midrange models. The “72” in the model designation means this is a 1972 Tele style, and the “55” in the name designates 55,000 Yen, which is around 600 bucks right now. And Japanese music shops don’t bargain much from list price. The serial number on the headstock has an E9 Made in Japan prefix, dating this to 1989 (or so) according to Fender’s website. That puts this one pretty squarely in the period of time when Fender Japan was at its best.

This guitar has a transparent finish over its very pretty 3-piece Sen ash body, and it is not terrible heavy, coming in at a touch over 8 ½ pounds. It still sports the original 3-ply black pickguard, and pretty much everything else is original too, except for the output jack (which was probably a wise upgrade).

The maple neck is a peach with a period-correct water transfer label and a C-profile. The original frets are normal-sized and were probably well finished when it was new – they are still level after almost 30 years, but they do have some visible wear. The neck pocket to body fit is very precise, showing the fine craftsmanship that went into building this instrument.

The hardware includes the aforementioned 3-ply pickguard and a traditional Tele bridge with 3 steel saddles. As I said earlier it is not terrible faithful to the original and this is because of two things: the truss rod screw is a hex type and they installed Gotoh sealed tuners at the factory. There are no problems with these things, of course as the hex is less likely to strip and Gotohs are very nice tuners that work smoothly and hold well. The electronics pickups appear to be original to the guitar, too.

This Tele is not a museum piece and it has had its share of use over the years, but it is all honest playwear and it has a nice vintage vibe to it. In particular there is wear to the fretboard and pitting of the metal parts, which really add to the character of the instrument. People pay extra for relicing, you know…

There is a pretty good reason it is showing some wear, and that is because it sounds great and it is a smooth playing guitar. The tone is everything you could ever want from a Telecaster, and it will kill any Stratocaster that crosses its path. Everyone needs a Telecaster!

Mahalo!

2003 Fender TL52-SPL Telecaster MIJ Review

Howdy!

The Fender Telecaster has been around for 60 years, but I still think of it as the ultimate electric guitar, and if I could only have one guitar it would have to be a Telecaster. Of course I have a many guitars, but there is no good reason for me to have more than one Tele, but one of the ones I have chosen to keep is this 2003 Fender Telecaster TL52-SPL. This is a guitar that was made by Fender’s Japanese subsidiary, and it is kind of a nod to Keith Richard’s iconic Micawber guitar.

If you are not familiar with Keith’s guitar, it is a truly a one-of-a-kind, and mysteries about what parts were used to build it. It started out as a 1952 to 1954 (nobody is really sure of the year) butterscotch Fender Telecaster, and it has been routed at the neck for a humbucker, which is generally held to be a Gibson PAF. The pickup is installed backwards so that the pole pieces are closer to the bridge. The bridge pickup is from a Fender lap steel with only two mounting holes for the screws. I think he uses the stock 3-way switch configuration.

The bridge on Mr. Richard’s guitar is a six-saddle solid brass unit, probably from an old Schecter. The low E-string is left off, so the saddle has been taken off too. He tunes it to open G with 0.011, 0.015, 0.018, 0.030 and 0.042 gauge strings. His tuners have been replaced as well.

Supposedly he named his guitar after a character from Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield (the one that ended up in a debtor’s prison), believe it or not. Anyway, it seems like everybody out there has tried to build one of these, and the specs for them are all over the place, which seems like a good place to start talking about my guitar.

This one was built by the Fender Japan Custom Shop in 2003, as model TL52-SPL, so they chose to base this guitar on a 1952 Telecaster spec. It has a white ash body with a clear blonde finish that allows the grain to show through. It has darkened over the last 15 years and gotten some bumps and bruises so it has a nice vintage vibe to it. It has a simple single-ply flat black pickguard.

They did not go for the early 1950s V profile, but rather with a chunky C profile neck with a 1950’s type spaghetti logo on the headstock. This one shows honest wear here and there, but there are still a few years left in the original frets. They chose to install Gotoh sealed back tuners, which work very well, but I am not sure how they match up with what is on the original guitar.

The bridge is a modern chrome piece with block-style saddles, so it does not match up with the brass piece found on Mr. Richards’ guitars, or many of the other Japanese copies. This should be easy enough to fix. .

The pickups are a Fender Dragster humbucker at the neck and a traditional vintage single coil at the bridge. I went ahead and turned the neck pickup around so the pole pieces are closer to the bridge; there was plenty of wire to do this without any problems. I would really like to try out a PAF re-issue to see how it changes to tone on this beast.

Fender’s Japanese subsidiary has a legendary quality reputation. This one has been played for a few decades, so the finish has dulled but it is still a solidly built guitar that will be around for another twenty years. It is not too heavy for a Telecaster, coming in at around 8 pounds, which is pretty ok.

It came to me with 0.009s, and it just did not sound right. I now have it set up in normal tuning with 0.010 Slinkies and it sounds and plays marvelously. The neck humbucker really provides a lot more body to the tone, but as I said earlier I would really like to see how a PAF sounds in this thing, as well as a brass bridge.

These were never imported to the US, so if you want one like this you will have to find one from a Japanese seller on eBay, or build your own. This might be a good place to start!

Mahalo!

1994 Fender TL52-88TX Telecaster Guitar Review

Aloha!

When it comes to guitars, I am a huge Telecaster fan and I love Japanese guitars, so when these two things are combined it is pure bliss! Today we are going to look over another perfect combo: a Japan-built Fender 1994 TL52-88TX Telecaster. This is a fairly faithful recreation of a 1952 Telecaster, and gives the performance of the American-made reissues at a fraction of the cost. I picked this non-export model on a business trip to Japan, and will be selling it pretty soon as I recently happened upon a factory Keith Richards “Sunny” Tele.

As this is a model TL52-88TX, it is one of the more expensive models. The “88” in the name designates 88,000 Yen, which is a around $715 right now ($838 in 1994). And Japanese music shops don’t bargain much from list price. The serial number on the back of the neck has a Made in Japan T prefix, dating this to 1994 (or so) according to Fender’s website. Do not be distracted by the extra serial number on the bridge. Every 52 RI Japanese Tele I have seen has an extra A-prefix serial number stamped into the bridge.

This one has a transparent finish over the nicely figured ash body (northern light ash, I believe). It is a tad porky for a Tele, coming in at a touch over 8 pounds, but it is not nearly as heavy as a lot of these I have seen (10 pounds plus, in some cases).

The 25 ½-inch scale neck is a peach with a period-correct water transfer label but with a more modern oval profile. It has a 42mm nut (I hate using inches for nut measurements) and a 7 ¼-inch fretboard radius; the 21 frets are normal-size and are very well finished. The neck pocket to body fit is very precise, showing the fine craftsmanship that went into building this instrument.

The hardware is faithful, with a classy single-ply black pickguard, and a traditional Tele bridge with 3 brass saddles. The tuners are the vintage Kluson in-line type, and they hold fine. In keeping with the 1952 Tele these, there are flat head screws everywhere, and not a single Phillips head in sight.

The pickups are original to the guitar, and they are super-hot Fender USA Texas Specials which give it the TX in the model designation. They sound great, and this thing will kill any Stratocaster on the block. Taking the control cover off, you will find that this is wired like a modern Tele (volume/tone/3-way switch), but still uses vintage-type cloth-covered wiring.

It is in fabulous original shape, with no modifications or repairs, not a lot of play wear, and no major dings or scratches. It plays great and will make its new owner very happy. Drop me a line if you are interested…

Mahalo!

1987 Fender Japan Keith Richards Sonny TL67-70SPL Telecaster Review

Aloha!

Here is another guitar from Fender’s Japanese affiliate that you will not see every day, a rare 1967 Reissue Keith Richards signature Sonny Telecaster, model TL67-70SPL. Of course, Keith’s is a 1966 Tele, but it is hard to get everything right…

The serial number on this had an E-prefix, and it is marked “Made in Japan,” which dates this one to around 1987. This is one of the earliest ones of these that I have seen.

TL67-70SPL can be decoded as follows: TL = Telecaster, 67 = 1967 re-issue, 70 = original price (70,000 Yen), SPL = special build. This guitar is expertly crafted with a white ash body that has been sprayed with a 3-tone sunburst finish, so that the grain shines through. A single-ply black pickguard is mounted, and it provides a nice contrast. I am tempted to see how a tort guard would look, but this is how Keith’s is, and he knows best!

The neck has a medium C profile with vintage frets and there is a late 60’s type logo on the headstock. Gotoh tuners are used on these Fender Japan Custom Shop models for their stability, although they look out of place on this guitar. A four-bolt F-stamped plate holds the neck to the body. The signature feature of this guitar is that the bridge is machined from a block of brass, with six solid brass saddles. It makes a huge difference in the tone of the guitar. I am sticking with normal tuning, not the 5-string open G that Keith uses, so there are still six saddles on this instrument.

On to the pickups: this one uses a Fender humbucker at the neck and a traditional vintage single coil at the bridge. The pickup used in the neck position has that Gibson PAF '57 reissue humbucker sound. On all of these the bridge pickup is a bit weaker than the neck, but this particular guitar seems a little worse. I am going to have to chase that down to see if it can be improved.

The craftsmanship on this guitar is impeccable. The fretwork and nut-detailing are superb. The neck pocket fit is as tight as they come. There is a good reason that these guitars were not exported to the US, as they are a tough act to beat. Of course, this guitar is 20+ years old, and it shows some honest wear, but it is still quite handsome (and it is not nearly so beat up as Keef’s).

It plays as nicely as it looks as the frets and neck are still very serviceable, and I have it set up with 0.010 Slinkies. After I look into the electronics situation I will get back to you all to let you know how it turned out.

Mahalo!

1986 Fender Telecaster TL72-55 Telecaster Electric Guitar Review

Hello! If you have been reading Rex and the Bass for a while, you may know that I love both Telecasters and Japanese guitars, so when those two planets align I am like a high school kid with a bottle of whiskey and the keys to dad’s Porsche. Check out today’s answer to my prayers: a Japan-built Fender TL72-55 Telecaster. This is a fairly faithful recreation of a 1972 Telecaster, and gives the performance of the American-made reissues at a fraction of the cost. I picked this non-export model on a business trip to Japan, and it will be taking the place of my all-black Tele, which is now for sale.

As this is a model TL52-55, it is one of the midrange models. The “72” in the model designation means this is a 1972 Tele style, and the “55” in the name designates 55,000 Yen, which is around 600 bucks right now. And Japanese music shops don’t bargain much from list price. The serial number on the headstock has an E Made in Japan prefix, dating this to 1984 (or so) according to Fender’s website. That makes this a very early post-JV instrument made by Fujigen, so it is pretty rare.

This one has a stunning transparent finish over the 3-piece Sen ash body. There is some amazing figuring/quilting to the body grain, which you will not find much on any of the Japanese instruments (or the American ones either, actually). It is not terrible heavy, coming in at a touch over 8 ½ pounds.

The maple neck is a peach with a period-correct water transfer label and a C-profile. The original frets are normal-size and wee probably well finished when it was new – they are still level after 30 years. The neck pocket to body fit is very precise, showing the fine craftsmanship that went into building this instrument.

The hardware is swell, with a classy three-ply black pickguard, and a traditional Tele bridge with 3 steel saddles. As I said earlier it is not terrible faithful to the original and this is because of two things: the truss rod screw is a hex type and they installed Gotoh sealed tuners at the factory. There are no problems with these things, of course as the hex is less likely to strip and Gotohs are very nice tuners that work smoothly and hold well.

The pickups appear to be original to the guitar, but rest of the electronic parts are not. If you lift up the control panel, It looks like sometime over the last three decades someone decided to upgrade and rewired this Tele with USA CTL pots, a USA CRL switch and a Orange Drop capacitor. This is a worthy upgrade as the pots are often the weak link in the MIJ guitars.

This thing is not a trailer queen and its has had its share of use over the years, but it is all honest playwear and it has a nice vintage vibe to it.

There is a pretty good reason it is showing some wear, and that is because it sounds great and it is a smooth playing guitar. The tone is everything you could ever want from a Telecaster, and it will kill any Stratocaster that crosses its path. It will surely make me a happy camper if I ever take a break from writing and get some decent playtime in.

Mahalo!

2008 Fender Japan Telecaster All Black TL-71-AB Electric Guitar Review

Hi there!

It would not be a trip to Japan for me without wandering through a few music stores and checking out the instruments that we never get to see her in the states. Today we are looking at another gem – a fairly rare 2008 Japanese Fender Telecaster – the “All Black” model. I think the model is TL-71-AB, meaning that its basic design is similar to a 1971 Tele.

You can see why they call it this – it is almost all black! The body is glossy black, as is the back of the neck and the headstock. I am willing to bet it originally had a black pick guard on it too, but it was wearing a red tortoise shell one when I found it hanging in the store (it was a used instrument). I do not mind, though, because I think it is a nice contrast. They went for a silver Fender logo and no other markings on the headstock.

I read online that these are made of basswood. but it weighs 8 pounds, 1 ounce, which is a tad heavy for basswood, so I had to pull the neck. It looks like ash in the neck pocket to me. The neck is maple, and it is has a pretty rosewood fretboard.

The hardware is certainly good enough, with chrome Gotoh sealed-back tuners to hold the strings solidly. Their clean modern look goes well with the color theme of the guitar, and I am glad they did not choose black tuners. And fortunately they went with a three-saddle bridge – Telecasters with six-saddle bridges just do not look right.

The electronics are where I get a little lukewarm on this thing. This was not a super high-end guitar, so it ended up with a basic run-of-the-mill pickup set and chintzy pots. The wiring looks awfully thin, too. But, all-in-all, it is a solid instrument.

I found this one at Komehyo in Nagoya, which has the biggest secondhand guitar inventory that you will find in the city. It is in like-new condition, with not a scratch or ding on it, and the price was cheaper than what you would pay for a MIM Telecaster here in the United States.

Of course it looks awesome, and the finish is just beautiful. But it also plays very well, with nice fretwork and a great set-up and action. I wish there was a little more bite to the sound, and this one might get a set of Lollars and nicer pots and wiring if I am able to hold onto it for more than a month or two, but in the meantime it is certainly good enough for anything I will be doing.

Mahalo!

1994 Fender Japan Telecaster TL52-80SPL Keith Richards Micawber Model

Howdy!

Today we are looking at another fine example of the wonderful instruments that come from Fender’s Japanese subsidiary. And, like many of them, it is not imported to the United States.

It is a super-rare TL52-80SPL '52 Reissue Telecaster that was crafted by Fender Japan Custom Shop. Hallelujah, it is a Keith Richards signature Micawber model! Buying one of these would save a fellow a lot of trouble if he is in a Rolling Stones tribute band. This one was built in 1994, in case you are keeping score at home.

This guitar is expertly crafted with a white ash body that is sprayed with a light Butterscotch Blonde finish, so that the grain shines through. In real life, the finish is a bit lighter than the US Made ‘52 re-issues. It is at least a shade or two lighter, and is closer to the way the finishes came from the factory in the early 50s. It comes with a single-ply flat black pickguard.

The neck has a chunky C profile with a deep nitro tint, and vintage frets. A 50’s type spaghetti logo is used on the headstock. Gotoh tuners are used on these Fender Japan Custom Shop models for their stability, but unfortunately do not fit the theme of this guitar. A four-bolt F-stamped plate holds the neck to the body.

The bridge is machined from a block of brass, with six solid brass saddles (one more than Keith’s). It makes a huge difference in the tone of the guitar. If you want to be Keith, you are going to have to lose one of those strings, you know.

This SPL model comes with a Fender humbucker at the neck and a traditional vintage single coil at the bridge. I have heard from my guitar sources in Japan that the pickup used in the neck position is actually a Gibson PAF '57 reissue humbucker. I cannot verify this, but it looks like one too. It certainly has that Gibson humbucker sound.

The craftsmanship on this guitar was probably outstanding when it was new, but 20 years of hard use have given it a well-worn vintage vibe. As it is, the original frets are still good, and it is a marvelous playing guitar that sounds amazing.

Too bad that you will never see one of these at your local Guitar Center.

Mahalo!