Opinions on tele deal appreciated - UPDATE

munckee

My current top G is a 2013 butterscotch roadworn mexican tele which I love.  I didn't buy for the relicing, not really my thing and its very light anyway.  I've always wanted an older fender with 'mojo' but 60s 70s US guitars are out of my reach.  I've been offered an 85 MIJ tele custom in sunburst.  I've always had a thing for sunburst bound teles so I'm interested but yet to try it.

Financially even if I can sell my roadworn for what I want I will probably have to put maybe £100 on top unless I can haggle a better deal.

Anyone got any opinions on the sanity of the deal, I have a doubt about rosewood but if I like it as much as my roadworn I will seriously consider it.  

My thinking at the moment is that if I like them the same then getting a roadworn in the future will be easier than a 33 year old guitar, the japanese might go up in value (might not!) the roadworn I guess will hold its value.  My niggle is the roadworn is so good I begrudge adding money to it!

I realise there are ageing issues with MIJ teles which @samothy01 has given me some help with.

Thoughts, musings etc?

fandango

A few thoughts ....

Are finances really that bad you have to sell to buy? Raid the savings?

Is the MIJ to be an investment or a player? Think about it. One precludes the other.

If you could only have one, then the sensible choice is to choose the one that feels better hanging on a strap, in the hands, and gives YOU that mojo when you play it.

munckee

fandango said:

A few thoughts ....

Are finances really that bad you have to sell to buy? Raid the savings?

Is the MIJ to be an investment or a player? Think about it. One precludes the other.

If you could only have one, then the sensible choice is to choose the one that feels better hanging on a strap, in the hands, and gives YOU that mojo when you play it.

Finances are fine, I'm a home only player, I've got 5 guitars the others have no major value and with amps/pedals its about as much as I can realistically justify having tied up in gear (all my wife will let me have!)  If I was going to have two valuable (in my eyes) guitars the other would be something else.

The MIJ would definitely be a player.

ICBM

If the MIJ is meant to be a player then you should allow for the cost of replacing all the electrics, including the pickups. (Assuming they haven’t already been done.)

If that makes it unaffordable then don’t do it. Also make sure it doesn’t need a refret.

I doubt a MIJ Fender will ever be a real investment for collectors, so don’t have any fear of changing it, at least as long as you don’t modify the woodwork.

Personally I think a sunburst Custom in one of the nicest Teles, but if you don’t like rosewood boards then it may not be the right choice for you...

Johnnyseven

If you love your mexican tele why would you sell it to fund a guitar you've never played?

fandango

Then my thoughts would turn to how quickly you could sell the roadworn, and whether there's a timeout on the MIJ.

You might have to make some compromises.

munckee

fandango said:

Then my thoughts would turn to how quickly you could sell the roadworn, and whether there's a timeout on the MIJ.

You might have to make some compromises.

Unless it was mind blowing I would let it go before I compromise.

The MIJ is apparently totally mint and unchanged @ICBM I would expect to put in top spec wiring and pickups in it if it was a keeper. 

streethawk

How much are we talking for each guitar?

The  2013 roadworn looked to be an improvement over previous versions. Probably worth the same as the custom, unless prices have gone up. 

munckee

streethawk said:

How much are we talking for each guitar?

The  2013 roadworn looked to be an improvement over previous versions. Probably worth the same as the custom, unless prices have gone up. 

roughly 650 for the RW and 750 for the custom.  Its from a shop so I expected a higher price.

munckee

Johnnyseven said:

If you love your mexican tele why would you sell it to fund a guitar you've never played?

I would play it before I decided. 

The rosewood thing is because i always picture maple boards on fenders, i have a rosewood board on my semi hollow and that's fine.

streethawk

munckee said:

streethawk said:

How much are we talking for each guitar?

The  2013 roadworn looked to be an improvement over previous versions. Probably worth the same as the custom, unless prices have gone up. 

roughly 650 for the RW and 750 for the custom.  Its from a shop so I expected a higher price.

Ah, gotcha.

EBay are doing a £3 selling fees promotion at the minute, might be worth jumping on that.

Might struggle to achieve 650 clear profit though.

750 for the custom sounds ok for a shop if it's truly a minter, but am not sure of prices these days. Used to be sub 500 all day long.

I'd be looking to get less for the RW, easier sale, and then wait for a better priced Custom to show up.

Or simply pop a trade ad in the classifieds. 

jonnyburgo

I had a stock 62 bound Tele MIJ the stock pickups sounded like dog dirt.

samothy01

£750 isn’t too bad for a shop mij! But I fully agree with everything said so far, however my experience with custom mij teles has been very different to @jonnyburgo and mine is still all stock to this day!

DeeTee

ICBM said:

If the MIJ is meant to be a player then you should allow for the cost of replacing all the electrics, including the pickups. (Assuming they haven’t already been done.)

Sorry to go slightly off topic. I'm just wondering why it'll need a pickup change? Do they deteriorate, or are MIJ Tele pickups just a bit crap? (I'd like a nice one some day) 

munckee

My understanding is MIJ has great build quality with average electronics. 

meltedbuzzbox

You'd probably import one from ishibashi (used) for 350-450 landed. 
I love mij fenders but I couldn't go over 500 for one unless it was other worldly. 
As mentioned above the stock electrics are garbage so you need to factor in those changes. Also things like the control plate on a tele would need to be redrilled/filed to accommodate cts pots

Iamnobody

I wouldn’t consider this unless you really want a bound Tele with a rosewood board.

It sounds like you have a nice Tele that could be swapped for a no better or lesser guitar.

Silly as it sounds the binding really used to dig into my forearm on mine.

kt66

Just bought my first ever Fender, a new MIJ '69 Paisley Tele, sounds great to me. 

robgilmo

Those early 80's double bound MIJ Teles are great guitars, they are a 62 reissue, I'd snap someones arm off for a trade of a mex plus 100 quid! Those 80's MIJ are not the same as the more recent ones, they are much better.

robgilmo

Be aware though, it will have vintage frets, not the same as your medium jumbos. Can you not try before you buy?

rossi

most MIJ  are 7-5 rad too