1962 RI Tele - made in Japan

imalrightjack

Anybody know much about these?  I've been offered a 2007 one but finding it hard to get details of spec, etc.

ICBM

It's not blue and relic'ed by Stevie Wonder is it...?

imalrightjack

ICBM said:

It's not blue and relic'ed by Stevie Wonder is it...?

@ICBM lost on me but if it's a reference to the '52 AVRI, then it's in nice nick!

ICBM

imalrightjack said:

@ICBM lost on me but if it's a reference to the '52 AVRI, then it's in nice nick!

Sorry, I should have posted the link .

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/152990/extreme-relic-sh-te/p1

bbill335

they're pretty similar to the MIM 60s classics but with bound body, probably not as heavy (the MIMs tend to be really heavy IME) and slightly different pickups/electrics. the necks might be slightly smaller but, if you like the MIM 60s, the MIJ 60s is like a "deluxe" version because of the cooler finishes and binding.

crunchman

Are you talking about the bound body one?

I had one of those several years back.  It came with Texas Specials - sounded a lot better after a pickup change.

I didn't like the neck profile on it that much.  That's a matter of taste so others may like it.

With the original saddles the intonation was not nice.  I had to change the saddles and put compensated ones on it.

With new pickups and saddles, it was a very good guitar if you liked the neck profile.

imalrightjack

crunchman said:

Are you talking about the bound body one?

I had one of those several years back.  It came with Texas Specials - sounded a lot better after a pickup change.

I didn't like the neck profile on it that much.  That's a matter of taste so others may like it.

With the original saddles the intonation was not nice.  I had to change the saddles and put compensated ones on it.

With new pickups and saddles, it was a very good guitar if you liked the neck profile.

Yeah the bound one. I reckon I’ll pass. The money spent doing it up and the radius put me off. Thanks!

rze99

Fender MIJ '62s are beautifully made and put together, but they do need USA or other better pickups than the Japanese stock ones which are a bit thin and uninspiring, but the stock pickups are Ok for jingle jangle.

The necks tend to be slim on the '62s – too much so for some - but nicely carved, incredibly stable and the rosewood is always high quality and often nice and dark. Saddles might benefit from replacing too.

The poly finish looks and feels higher quality and has a more classy look than MIM. It also doesn't chip off like MIMs do.

Some say the basswood body ones can be a bit dead, but I've not had a basswood body.

I've had my 1985 '62 Custom MIJ since the mid-nineties and  It's a great guitar (with a Seymour Duncan Jerry Donahue in it) also have a 2015 62 in Lake Placid Blue, that has a more substantial neck more like the USA '64 reissue carve. I put the USA '62 Custom pickups in that one. 

Funkfingers

I have one of the 2016 short run Sixties Stratocasters. Despite Fender’s claim of special winding, the stock MIJ pickups were disappointing. Fender Tex-Mex overwound pickups were better. A bridge pickup wound to approximately 10k nailed it.

Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups are nice. Oil City Pickups Diamond Geezer in low output mode is just as good PLUS it has the option to switch to a higher output mode.

For Telecaster, the OCP Wapping Wharf does the same trick. Low output level for twang. Full output for Esquire growl.

PhilKing

I have one from the mid-90's.  The neck is exactly the same shape as my 1960 original Strat and 62 Tele, so I really like it.  I changed the pickups to Bare Knuckle Blackguard Flat 52's.  It sounds great, and for me is a great substitute for when I don't want to take the originals out.

Modellista

rze99 said:

I've had my 1985 '62 Custom MIJ since the mid-nineties and  It's a great guitar 

I have the same guitar from the same year - is yours sunburst too?  It's a really great guitar, particularly the neck which has a lovely dark bit of rosewood, smallish but decent frets, and a nice vintage tint to the back of it.  The body's nice, I echo the opinion of it being quality thin poly.

I have been looking at Custom Shops around the £2.5k mark but have decided that it's basically impossible to improve significantly on this guitar.  The switch went dodgy so I replaced that and the pickups at the same time.  Now it's got a Bare Knuckle Boss in the bridge - around 8k seems to be perfect for the appropriate bark/twang combo.

It's heard here through a Boss Katana head and a bit of slapback.  For me, it looks and sounds the business.

(Warning: stetson content.)

relic245

I have one that I bought already upgraded with BK flat 50's and a callahan bridge.

I absolutely love it and get great compliments whenever anyone else plays it  

mani

I have a lefty 85 mij Tele custom, had it quite a while now. There was no need to change the pickups for me - has an amazing attack to the sound, not heard a Tele like this. It's a D shape neck, very thin sunburst finish, small frets, etc. Best bit is the weight < 6 pounds.

stickyfiddle

Don't be scared of basswood - I'm 99% sure my CIJ paisley Tele is basswood and it sounds fantastic. 

But do budget for new pickups and wiring. It's always the weak spot on MIJ Fenders for some reason. Usually lovely guitars otherwise.

Modellista

My original bridge pickup seemed quite well-made, complete with string around it, approx. 6k.  But it was fairly microphonic and I was concerned about that being a limitation at louder gigs.

The Bareknuckle Boss is excellent, but the pressed-steel bridges are inherently microphonic so it's perhaps not the instrument for high-gain styles.  But for clean stuff like country or low-gain blues, no problem.

The wiring is generic plastic stuff but totally fine.  The pots are large and decent.  My switch gave up the ghost but replacements are readily available.