Tell me about 80s Fenders please?

floeighty2

I have been offered a guitar in a trade deal (no one on here) and it’s a 1987 Fender American Telecaster 52 reissue.

Im useless when it comes to vintage type stuff.  I also don’t know what the calibre of the late 80s Fenders are except it’s before they lived to Corona I think. What should I look out for? If anyone could also PM what they’re generally worth that would be great! I do love a telecaster so if the details are there I’d be very tempted! Thanks for any help it will be gratefully received! 

Caffeine_Vampire

AVRI, 1st year of the new USA production. Good rep on those guitars but no different from the AVRI’s from subsequent years as far as I know. 

richardhomer

Certainly not ‘vintage’ in the true sense of the word.

The early Fullerton reissues seem to go for daft money - but 87 is Corona period. Later ones are likely to be lighter, have a thinner finish and be more vintage correct.

It may well be a perfectly nice guitar - but don’t let the fact it’s 33 years old cloud your judgement. Best viewed as ‘used’ - as opposed to ‘vintage’.

ronnyb

Fender was sold by CBS in 1985 and the new owners FMIC moved to Corona in 1986. At first they only produced the reissues and then the American standard in 1987 followed by the strat plus's. My late 80's strats and teles are good quality, i think Fender at that point were trying to regain their reputation after the 70's stuff.   

sixwheeltyrrel

I would say (as an oldie) that the mid/late eighties is primarily the birth of the 'modern' era for Fender. It's when they came back fighting with the strat plus/ultra and such like. Vintage reissues weren't front and centre and don't command high prices in the second hand market.

There have been countless more incarnations of a 52 Tele since that time which quite probably are equally as good.

chris78

At some point there will be someone who will start flogging them as “ultra desirable early Corona” Guitars.
Fender have got better though, not worse. An 87 reissue will be fine, but the necks are skinnier than later ones and pickups have improved over time as well.

Funkfingers

What richard homer said.

Fender has been mucking about with the neck profile on the AVRI '52 Telecaster since it first appeared almost forty years ago. Get yer mitts around the neck and decide whether it is comfortable for you. If it is not, make polite excuses and leave.

Next, assess the skinny vintage style frets for wear and remaining life expectancy.

floeighty2

Yes, my use of the word vintage was Ill thought, apologies. I’m just a bit useless with older stuff past the 90s really! Hence why I need the help! 

floeighty2

The sellerFunkfingers said:

What richard homer said.

Fender has been mucking about with the neck profile on the AVRI '52 Telecaster since it first appeared almost forty years ago. Get yer mitts around the neck and decide whether it is comfortable for you. If it is not, make polite excuses and leave.

Next, assess the skinny vintage style frets for wear and remaining life expectancy.

The seller has said it has a skinny neck and the frets are in great condition. He’s touting a high value on it though which has thrown me a bit.  I just don’t know enough to tell whether it’s high, low or somewhere in between. I see what the past few years teles have been going for so Im thinking anywhere between 1000 to 1300 at the moment. Thank you everybody so far for the help, it really is gratefully received. 

ronnyb

chris78 said:

At some point there will be someone who will start flogging them as “ultra desirable early Corona” Guitars.
Fender have got better though, not worse. An 87 reissue will be fine, but the necks are skinnier than later ones and pickups have improved over time as well.

Who would have thought though that the much derided guitars from the 70's would command prices that they do today? 

sixwheeltyrrel

It's quite possibly a really decent Tele @floeighty2 ; and one you'll be happy with. However, even in today's broad interpretation, it's not a 'vintage' guitar. It's not really in the collectable/sought after camp either. 

Not meaning to be overly negative (not clear if it's one you want to own and play) but £1300 goes a very long way if a Telecaster is what you're after.

floeighty2

sixwheeltyrrel said:

It's quite possibly a really decent Tele @floeighty2 ; and one you'll be happy with. However, even in today's broad interpretation, it's not a 'vintage' guitar. It's not really in the collectable/sought after camp either. 

Not meaning to be overly negative (not clear if it's one you want to own and play) but £1300 goes a very long way if a Telecaster is what you're after.

I realise it’s not a vintage guitar, that was my poor choice of words.  I think he’s valuing it far too high in this case.  It could quite possibly be a great tele, but he’s saying ‘easily worth 1650 all day long’  which it’s clearly (after this info you guys have provided) not! 

Hurling_Fruitmig

richardhomer said:

Certainly not ‘vintage’ in the true sense of the word.

The early Fullerton reissues seem to go for daft money - but 87 is Corona period. Later ones are likely to be lighter, have a thinner finish and be more vintage correct.

It may well be a perfectly nice guitar - but don’t let the fact it’s 33 years old cloud your judgement. Best viewed as ‘used’ - as opposed to ‘vintage’.

I sort of know what you’re saying, but it is within a couple of years of being physically as old as the instrument it aped back in 1987.

Caffeine_Vampire

Just a note re: the ‘52’s.  I’ve played dozens of them over the past 30 years, they’re a particular favourite of mine and I’ve never played a bad one. There may have been spec changes to Fender models since the move to Corona but the quality of their instruments has been consistently high imo. Frailers generally always have a few in if you’re in the area and want to try them out. 

floeighty2

Caffeine_Vampire said:

Just a note re: the ‘52’s.  I’ve played dozens of them over the past 30 years, they’re a particular favourite of mine and I’ve never played a bad one. There may have been spec changes to Fender models since the move to Corona but the quality of their instruments has been consistently high imo. Frailers generally always have a few in if you’re in the area and want to try them out. 

Never been to Frailers, can’t see any 52s listed on their site at the moment, but I’ll keep an eye out as they’re not too far away from me. I’ll have a good think about what to do! 

crunchman

floeighty2 said:

sixwheeltyrrel said:

It's quite possibly a really decent Tele @floeighty2 ; and one you'll be happy with. However, even in today's broad interpretation, it's not a 'vintage' guitar. It's not really in the collectable/sought after camp either. 

Not meaning to be overly negative (not clear if it's one you want to own and play) but £1300 goes a very long way if a Telecaster is what you're after.

I realise it’s not a vintage guitar, that was my poor choice of words.  I think he’s valuing it far too high in this case.  It could quite possibly be a great tele, but he’s saying ‘easily worth 1650 all day long’  which it’s clearly (after this info you guys have provided) not! 

£1650 is too high.  Having said that, I'd rather pay that much for an 87 than a late 70s.

For that money I'd prefer to buy a new American Original though.

For second hand value, look around for another AVRI or American Original unless he's willing to bring at least £300 off his price.

idiotwindow

Yes, £1650 sounds far too high and almost puts you in the same territory as the new Broadcaster re-issue (£1850 at most of the usual dealers). That comes with handwound pickups and has a proper fat neck. 

brooom

I think it's a rep that was awarded largely due to the fact that there weren't a lot of decent fenders around based on the old specs. Unless people looked at the japanese market.

Personally I don't the early reissues all that great or accurate. Some will be good guitars, others won't... plain and simple.

floeighty2

Thank you everybody for the advice and knowledge, it has been really appreciated.  I’ve fed back to the chap, but he’s not having any of it, which is of course totally fine! It has all been very interesting I have to say.