Finally! Rosewood Tele pics.

[terminal3]

Sorry these took so long!!!!









Some words on the actual photostream here, in addition to two bonus Telecaster pics (the others ones in my rack, anyway!)

Enjoy!

[terminal3]

[terminal3]

[magicguitar]

Nice!

[Edutainment]

I want one! These are the sexiest Teles. I love rosewood.

[doster]

For me one of the most beautiful versions of the guitar we love. Refresh our memory and give us the details. You know, who, what, where, when and why. How does she sound and are you really sleeping together!

[terminal3]

Originally Posted by doster

For me one of the most beautiful versions of the guitar we love. Refresh our memory and give us the details. You know, who, what, where, when and why. How does she sound and are you really sleeping together!

Bought a few months ago from a UK dealer, got a great price (compared to another one that was selling on Denmark St). Still not as cheap as these things were even 4 or 5 years ago but I think fair for a rather pretty axe.

Thanks to the good people here (who dispense excellent knowledge & advice in return for nothing other than pics such as these!) we determined that it's a very early example - early '86, possibly even late '85 if they were actually making these then (some have told me yes, some no). We all know that the serial number is generally useless (it's an 'A') but the lack of a 'Made In Japan' decal on the back of the headstock means that it's one of the earliest that there is. The original neckplate had the word 'FENDER,' in caps, stamped on the top of it.

Also, and possibly most notably, it's a 'satin' finish (recently referred to as 'oil' on another MIJ RW post) - as opposed to the more common glossy - I was speculating that it may have been refinished, but several people who have seen it in person (and myself) actually doubt that because of the fact that it's so well done if it is - other than some buckle rash on the top of the rear of the body (see the 5th posted picture, you can get an idea but it is *that* subtle in reality). I think at least one person has insisted that it's a refin but many have said that it isn't, that there are a few like these kicking about that came from the factory.

I have since removed the neck but there's nothing in the pocket other than four holes, no other markings whatsoever.

Not sure what else to add - it has a couple tiny dings, invisible in the pictures - I don't imagine anything more serious than what Fender now would call a 'closet classic' and very lovely in real life. The switch crackles a bit, rather than clean it I'm just as likely to replace it when I get around to it. The action is a touch higher than I normally like (although fairly well set-up for that) but I'm waiting on fixing that till I switch out the saddles [to 3] for a more vintage vibe.

If I slept with her, my wife WOULD kill me, although she in her infinite good taste agrees that it's the "prettiest guitar I have."

And the sound? Sweet as sugar, with what I'm calling a slightly 'warm' version of the Tele Twang(R) that we all know and love. Just lovely. Even for stock FJ 80s pups she sings!

[jwells393]

Is your's chambered? If not, what does it weigh? Guitar slinger who recently bought what appears to be an early one said his is not. I have some of the later glossy models and they are all chambered.

[lewis]

Beautiful.
Congrats and thanks for sharing.

[FirstBassman]

Yeah, very nice!!!

[terminal3]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Is your's chambered? If not, what does it weigh? Guitar slinger who recently bought what appears to be an early one said his is not. I have some of the later glossy models and they are all chambered.

It's chambered. Just for fun anyway, I've given it a rough weight on a not-perfectly-accurate digital bathroom scale, and it's coming in at 8.5lbs.

[guitar slinger]

Nice tele... I am simply loving mine looking at it hope to get it out of the house soon to see how she sounds. I took the guard off of mine today just to check and it is not chambered.

[AndrewG]

I one of those back in '86; got it new but 'soiled' because it had a chunk of finish out of the lower edge of the headstock, near the nut. Mine was high gloss and the frets had been lacquered along with the fingerboard and needed cleaning off.
I remember it as utterly gorgeous looking but very spiky, tonally, which I partially tamed by fitting an active mid boost in the control cavity.
I've got the serial number written down somewhere..A0...?

[jwells393]

I took the guard off of mine today just to check and it is not chambered.

Did you remove the control plate? That's how you tell.

......

[sneakyjapan]

that A number of the neckplate is only used as the serial when there is no other number because, if it were the serial, 90% of Japanese Fender teles would be from the 80s. Only used FJ tele I had with the bridgeplate number written on the warranty card had no other serial anywhere and was a CIJ from this decade, now sold. There is nothing on the neck butt of my rosewood nor in the neck pocket either. Mine also says MIJ but they changed to CIJ late 90s so that wouldn`t help in dating them. Even though I have seen on line sellers here say theirs are from the 80s, safe to say it`s not a JV `cause those have that on the bridgeplate, and interestingly the only rosewood thats pictured in all of my Japanese books with articles on FJ, is listed as an `85/`86, and they say it`s the 69-115 model...so we know there were at least 3 versions...69-98, 69-115 and 69-150...excluding the basswood/rosewood veneer models the comapny came out with over the last few years. The one in my book does not have the F neckplate, which means nothing actually because they do pit heavily and are easily swapped.
I guess we`ll just have to live with the fact that some questions about FJ may never get answered...though theres no shortage of web sites out there run by folks who are certain they have all the answers. Best we can do is exchange the data we can gather from the guitars we actually own and leave out the stuff seen on Wikipedia.

[guitar slinger]

Mine is chambered... thanks for educating me JWELLS

[ehawley]

BEAUTIFUL GUITAR!!.......... Congrats!!

[jwells393]

Mine is chambered... thanks for educating me JWELLS

I had a feeling it might be. Mine weigh in at around 9 lbs. If they weren't chambered, they'd probably weigh 12-13 lbs.

[terminal3]

Originally Posted by sneakyjapan

I guess we`ll just have to live with the fact that some questions about FJ may never get answered...though theres no shortage of web sites out there run by folks who are certain they have all the answers. Best we can do is exchange the data we can gather from the guitars we actually own and leave out the stuff seen on Wikipedia.

and therein lies the magic and the fun.

one thing I like about these rosewood teles is that since rosewood of this sort is virtually impossible and/or illegal to obtain now [let alone extremely difficult to work with!] is that counterfeit copies are going to nigh on non-existent, so just about every one of these is going to be a genuine example. seeing the little differences between everyone's versions, even though they're all out of FJ, is always exciting.

[sneakyjapan]

Fender isn`t the only Japanese comapany that made the rosewoods, Van zandt made by a company called PGM bilt some in the last few years, and I`ve seen another brand but can`t remember the name...there are so many top notch Japanese builders. A local shop has recent the F/USA version at around $5000.oo.

correction...was in the shop today and the F/USA is $6000.oo

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by terminal3

and therein lies the magic and the fun.

one thing I like about these rosewood teles is that since rosewood of this sort is virtually impossible and/or illegal to obtain now [let alone extremely difficult to work with!] is that counterfeit copies are going to nigh on non-existent, so just about every one of these is going to be a genuine example. seeing the little differences between everyone's versions, even though they're all out of FJ, is always exciting.

These Japanese Telecasters weren't Brazilian rosewood were they? AFAIK it's the only rosewood which is regulated through CITES.

[terminal3]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

These Japanese Telecasters weren't Brazilian rosewood were they? AFAIK it's the only rosewood which is regulated through CITES.

you could be right, I'm not sure and that's why I used "and/or"...

[improv4]

That's a very sweet guitar.

[sneakyjapan]

Brazilian is regulated now but it wasn`t always. Theres a local name stamp...hanko... shop that displays elephant tusks in the window, and I was looking through my recent Yairi catalog and they have some models they list as having genuine ivory and tortise shell pickguards...so it`s available and probably from existing stocks...but I can`t say for sure. It repulses me to see those tusks displayed in the window but I`m just a guest here, though I`d love yo go in there and give them a piece of my mind...a small piece though `cause you know, those self medicating years of my youth have taken their toll on my brain cells no doubt...and don`t get me started on shark fin soup restaurants...but theres a " it`s part of our culture" mind set here that won`t go away until homosapien does.
Nice tele.