Tele Customs... AVRI 72 vs MIM 72

[Racer5]

This is going to be my next purchase, but I haven't found the AVRI to play in person. Searched for reviews on here but found little, has anyone actually bought the american 72 custom? Played a few MIMs, they are solid aside from the lackluster humbucker. Some of the best MIMs I have played as far as fit and finish go.

A few questions I couldn't find an answer for...

-does anyone know what's actually under the pickup cover on the AVRI wide range? Any better than the ball of wax under the MIM?

-how about pot value? still using 250k all around like the MIM?

-"lacquer" finish... what is this? I would assume it's not nitro since they don't call it nitro like they do with the AVRI52, but does it wear the same? Does it check? Seems like the poly finish on the MIM might be more faithful to the original, although I'm not thrilled with how pale the necks can be on the MIM.

I don't mind ordering one and returning it if it doesn't work out, but I like to research these things before dropping $1000+

[bigballs]

Please don't let this sink again! I have exactly the same questions!

[Chautauqua]

Don't sweat the "lackluster" WRHB's, if they're potted like my 72 Tele Deluxe and is a simple swap to 500k or 1ohm pots will seriously wake it.up and if you go MIM (which are really well made) you'll have more left in your pocket to swap the pots and even send.out the pups to Telenator if you want. IMO the pups in the AVRI aren't anything special, the WRHB is the exact same (and IMO there's no HB out there I'd rather have in a guitar so...) and the quality of the MIM's are spot on meaning you're not throwing away money like you are on some rigs. All things considered I'd go MIM in a heartbeat and save the extra money and go MIM.

Cheers

Dave

[scottwatermusic]

I was also wondering if the WRHB in the MIM's were the same as the ones in the AVRI.

[mimmo]

Originally Posted by bigballs

Please don't let this sink again! I have exactly the same questions!

+1!

[TeleKato]

You might do a little search on WRHB over on the 'Just Pickups' forum, as this has been discussed over there -- as well as 'fixes' for the MIM one. As well as options.

I opted to build my own '72 Custom-- see separate post riding around the first page of this forum right now. I ended up doing it all for about the cost of the AVRI -- maybe a tad more. But I got what I wanted across the board and I'm a happy camper. It features the Lollar Regal. Me likey (me lovey actually).

Also ... take a peek at the Telebration '75 ... some interesting looks, and also a limited edition and about the same scratch as the AVRI.

[Racer5]

Originally Posted by TeleKato

Also ... take a peek at the Telebration '75 ... some interesting looks, and also a limited edition and about the same scratch as the AVRI.

On paper it seems like something I'd love, but it just doesn't do it for me when I look at it.

[Racer5]

Originally Posted by Chautauqua

Don't sweat the "lackluster" WRHB's, if they're potted like my 72 Tele Deluxe and is a simple swap to 500k or 1ohm pots will seriously wake it.up and if you go MIM (which are really well made) you'll have more left in your pocket to swap the pots and even send.out the pups to Telenator if you want. IMO the pups in the AVRI aren't anything special, the WRHB is the exact same (and IMO there's no HB out there I'd rather have in a guitar so...) and the quality of the MIM's are spot on meaning you're not throwing away money like you are on some rigs. All things considered I'd go MIM in a heartbeat and save the extra money and go MIM.

Cheers

Dave

For sure, I've owned a 72 thinline and a 72 deluxe and put 500k in both of them, and it was much more usable. It's a fine humbucker, I would just expect something a lot better for twice the price, but it sounds like most of that extra money goes towards the finish...

[dough]

"On paper it seems like something I'd love, but it just doesn't do it for me when I look at it."

Exactly the opposite for me. I love the way they look, but the HB in the neck, at least with the MIM version I owned briefly, didn't cut it for me. That said, I once played a MIM Deluxe with two of the same HB's which was absolutely fantastic.

[Chautauqua]

Originally Posted by Racer5

For sure, I've owned a 72 thinline and a 72 deluxe and put 500k in both of them, and it was much more usable. It's a fine humbucker, I would just expect something a lot better for twice the price, but it sounds like most of that extra money goes towards the finish...

Yeah, I took the long way to not saying that... to me it seems like seeing as the electronics are the same its all down to the finish and I've NEVER thought "gee I can't stand this NON-nitro finish..." so thank you for saying what I couldn't seem to spit out with all that typing ;) Have a look at this build : http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...n-waiting.html its GORGEOUS and the cost really puts building your own into perspective aye...

[Racer5]

Originally Posted by Chautauqua

Yeah, I took the long way to not saying that... to me it seems like seeing as the electronics are the same its all down to the finish and I've NEVER thought "gee I can't stand this NON-nitro finish..." so thank you for saying what I couldn't seem to spit out with all that typing ;) Have a look at this build : http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...n-waiting.html its GORGEOUS and the cost really puts building your own into perspective aye...

I saw that, that build really didn't help the GAS!

At least in the pics, I think I like the MIM 72's sunburst better--dig that orangey shade in the middle.

[sonny wolf]

The original 1970s era ones had a nitro finished body over a poly undercoat.Most people think 1970s Fenders were all poly...not true.They would apply a thick poly undercoat and paint the bodies with a nitro topcoat which explains why those guitars aged the way they did and appear the way they do nowadays(typical nitro wear and tear)...poly does not age that way.The necks were finished in poly except for the headstock face which explains why nowadays the headstock is typically amber and darker than the rest of the neck.So the AVRI reissue is similar to an original one where the body is a nitro topcoat over a (thinner)poly undercoat except for a full nitro neck instead of the original's poly neck/nitro headstock face.The Mexican version is fully finished in poly.

[Racer5]

Originally Posted by sonny wolf

The original 1970s era ones had a nitro finished body over a poly undercoat.Most people think 1970s Fenders were all poly...not true.They would apply a thick poly undercoat and paint the bodies with a nitro topcoat which explains why those guitars aged the way they did and appear the way they do nowadays(typical nitro wear and tear)...poly does not age that way.The necks were finished in poly except for the headstock face which explains why nowadays the headstock is typically amber and darker than the rest of the neck.So the AVRI reissue is similar to an original one where the body is a nitro topcoat over a (thinner)poly undercoat except for a full nitro neck instead of the original's poly neck/nitro headstock face.The Mexican version is fully finished in poly.

Interesting. I always wondered why the 70s Fenders had that orange-y color on the headstock.

I got to browsing used gear, and now I'm thinking about a Thinline, since I'm already building a neck-bucker Tele... life is so hard

[StratBluesRock]

I bought a '79 Strat neck for my Hendrix build and it is in excellent shape, the headstock face is only very slightly more yellowed than the neck. Great playing neck, and it will play better once my friend finishes refretting it with jumbos.

[fender4life]

I have a MIM 72 thinline, and this guitar just couldn't be better. I won't part with it, EVER. The AVRI's i am quite sure use the same body and neck from the same pile in the USA but are sent to mexico for finishing and parts. The hardware isn't likely any different because AFAIK there is only one tuner being made that looks exactly like the F tuners, so i'm pretty sure are the same tuner. Bridge is probably the same, both are steel. Pickups, i dunno. But i'm a big advocate of dumping the WRHB unless you just have to have that sound. But i had a custom pickguard made for the pickups of my choice and now this thing is like i said destined to remain with me till i take my last breath. Dare i say, my fav electric to date of my 40 years of playing. So needless to say, the AVRI is a lot more money for nothing IMO. No one would ever convince me a AVRI is going to sound better than mine, pickups aside. The MIM is as good as any fender 72 you're gonna find.

All that said, if you are looking at this guitar for the WRHB's mainly, then i would suggest go with the MIM and have telenator sell you a set of his cunife pickups. They are ungodly expensive, but after that your MIM will sound better than a AVRI by a mile if theres any truth to how good they are compared to the RI versions. Even if the AVRI WRHB's have been bettered a good bit i'm sure they are still mediocre compared to the cunife. The total cost will be about the same as the AVRI. But you will have real cunifes and the best WRHB tone you can get today.

[Controller]

I have a '72 thinline RI and I think it's great, WRHBs and all! I gig with it often and it sounds very good.

If you want a different sound, pickups are easy (not necessarily cheap) to swap.

[Racer5]

Originally Posted by fender4life

I have a MIM 72 thinline, and this guitar just couldn't be better. I won't part with it, EVER. The AVRI's i am quite sure use the same body and neck from the same pile in the USA but are sent to mexico for finishing and parts. The hardware isn't likely any different because AFAIK there is only one tuner being made that looks exactly like the F tuners, so i'm pretty sure are the same tuner. Bridge is probably the same, both are steel. Pickups, i dunno. But i'm a big advocate of dumping the WRHB unless you just have to have that sound. But i had a custom pickguard made for the pickups of my choice and now this thing is like i said destined to remain with me till i take my last breath. Dare i say, my fav electric to date of my 40 years of playing. So needless to say, the AVRI is a lot more money for nothing IMO. No one would ever convince me a AVRI is going to sound better than mine, pickups aside. The MIM is as good as any fender 72 you're gonna find.

All that said, if you are looking at this guitar for the WRHB's mainly, then i would suggest go with the MIM and have telenator sell you a set of his cunife pickups. They are ungodly expensive, but after that your MIM will sound better than a AVRI by a mile if theres any truth to how good they are compared to the RI versions. Even if the AVRI WRHB's have been bettered a good bit i'm sure they are still mediocre compared to the cunife. The total cost will be about the same as the AVRI. But you will have real cunifes and the best WRHB tone you can get today.

I had a 72 thinline a while back, traded it, and regretted it very quickly. Lesson learned.

Time to start hounding the guitar center used section...

Post some pics if you have em!

[kharrison]

I have four Telecasters including two vintage. My MIM 72 is my best guitar out of the bunch. I swapped out the bridge pickup for a custom shop version and put brass saddles on and the thing just sings. Don't waste your money on the AVRI.

[Racer5]

Originally Posted by kharrison

I have four Telecasters including two vintage. My MIM 72 is my best guitar out of the bunch. I swapped out the bridge pickup for a custom shop version and put brass saddles on and the thing just sings. Don't waste your money on the AVRI.

Wow, high praise! Thanks for the input.

[hongaku]

Speaking from a budget conscious perspective, I'm with those above that advocate getting an MIM and modding the pickups and hardware as you see fit - you'll still come out of it for less than you'd spend on a new AVRI. Now that being said, if I got a killer deal on a used, but in excellent condition AVRI 72 (Custom or Thinline), I'd seriously consider it as all I'd have to do is swap the hardware and pups over from the MIM ones I currently own. The AVRI's do seem to have just a bit more going on fit and finish wise over the MIM's, but I just don't see the massive price difference between a new MIM and a new AVRI being justified by the components and finishing details - you really are at that point paying for American labor costs and the ability to say "this is made in the USA". One could say there is of course an argument to be made for supporting the homegrown product...but I digress.

I have a MIM 72 RI Custom partscaster that has a vintage WRHB in the neck and a DiMarzio Area Hot T in the bridge - I love it and it sounds and plays fantastically. I have a MIM 72 RI Thinline that has Creamery Classic 71 WRHB's which I also love and it sounds and plays fantastically as well.

There are a lot of options now to replace the "WRHB" that Fender has chosen to use in their 70's reissue models. The most expensive is an original one (though one can still luck out on ebay every now and then - I got mine a couple months back for $330), followed by Telenator's CuNiFe mod (they also offer a couple of less expensive fixed AlNiCo pole mods), followed by Lollar, the Creamery and Curtis Novak whom all offer WRHB repros at currently around the same $200 a piece mark, give or take a few bucks. From what I know of these available replacements, they will ALL sound better (and by better I mean more like an actual WRHB), than the modern Fender reissue pup. I can personally attest that the Creamery neck pup in my Thinline sounds so similar to the real WRHB in the neck of my Custom that it's scary. I can't imagine that Telenator's mod 2 (for argument's sake let's just presume their CuNiFe mod amounts to having a NOS version of the real thing), Curtis Novak's WRHB, and the Lollar Regal don't all achieve a comparable level of similarity as well given they are all constructed in much the same fashion - although Telenator's mod 2 does not have adjustable pole pieces (which I don't feel is a negative necessarily, but a notable difference nonetheless).

But from a who cares about budgeting perspective, if you've got the money to spend, by all means spend it - if I had the money I'd get the AVRI and then mod it to my satisfation. And taking it further, if I had the money, I'd just get some actual vintage 70's ones and be done with it. Alas, I have to care about budgeting