The second I saw this one pop up on eBay I knew it would be mine. I have a thing for Japanese Telecasters, especially the 50’s reissues made in 1996. This was the third I have owned, the other two both being Sonic Blue, my favorite Fender custom color of all time. The 1996 models are Fender 50th anniversary models and have a little gold sticker on the back of the headstock letting you know. I don’t think they are really any different than any other year in that vicinity, but for some reason I know I can count on them feeling EXACTLY how I like a Telecaster to feel.
As I searched one night through the Telecasters online, I came across this one, and as I’ve explained before, I have no problem falling in love with the way a guitar looks as much as the way it plays. I figure you can always replace the pickups or tweak the neck or whatever, but you just can’t fabricate vibe. The instant I saw this one, with the original 50s Italian water decal pin-up girl and the little metal Saks 5th Avenue plate on the back of the neck, I knew I would be bidding and bidding more than I should. Sure enough, I got into a bit of a bidding war at the end, but prevailed with a last second bid that was way more from the heart than the brain...or the bank. It was pretty beat up for a guitar that was only about 6 years old, but why pay an extra $1500 for a Fender Custom Shop Relic when you can have this for $500?
The guitar played great and sounded like a Tele should. The stock pickups and hardware on the Japanese Teles always seem to work just fine for me. I admit I’m not as discerning as Brad Paisley or Eric Johnson when it comes to these things, but I know when it sounds like crap, and these never do. This one would be a great one to have back because it’s not expensive in the scheme of things and it’s a darn serviceable guitar. In fact, I might just have to keep on the lookout for another one of these when I can afford it. Maybe back to Sonic Blue. But I never should have let this one out the door...man, I wish I had that one back!
1 comment:
I rock an 80s MIJ Tele.
Cold dead fingers, man. Cold dead fingers.
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