'52 Reissue Finishes

[Stirlingp]

Hello everyone. Needless to say, I'm new. My question is regarding '52 reissue finishes. I've seen "blonde", "butterscotch blonde", "clear", etc. How many are there? I've got a shot at buying one, but want make really sure it's authentic. THANK YOU!
Stirling

[Mik]

The made in USA Fender 52RI has only one finish: nitrocellulose lacquer butterscotch blond, with the rare exception of NCL black (late 90s) and rarer exception of NCL copper (late 90s).

All of the USA Fender 52RI's follow most if not all of the specs of the current production American Vintage '52 Telecaster (pick ups and model number changed in 1998):

http://www.fender.com/products/view_...elecaster®

Good hunting,
Mik

[Uriah T.]

MIJ '52 Reissues came in lots of different colors- clear, blonde, butterscotch, black, mary kaye, etc. MIA came only in Butterscotch and the aforementioned exceptions (by Mik). The Butterscotch color varies over the years.

But to be clear: the only teles currently made by Fender that are ALL nitro are either custom shop or their Thin Skin series.

All their other guitars have a poly undercoat; MIA, MIM, and MIJ. I believe even the Highway Ones, wth their acrylic lacquer, have a poly sealant.

[Mark Davis]

What happens alot of the time is people call all kinds of 50's style Teles 52 reissues. Sorta like when someone says hey bring me a coke when pepsi is just fine or someone calling any portable music device a walkman when Sony only actually made The Walkman all others were copies.

Fender has made 2 versions of the 52ri since 1982

0101303 made from 82-98
0100202 made from 1998-present

As mentioned in another thread above Butterscotch Blonde 850 is the Standard color with black and copper offered as options a few times thru the years.

Since there is only 1 offical 1952 reissue Tele the color is Butterscotch Blonde 850 is the color code anything else isnt really a 52ri.

[Telehackster]

My apologies for highjacking the thread, but does anyone know if it's possible to get specs for the 0101303 model? It would be interesting to compare these details to the current version.

Many thanks.

[Dacious]

There have been a few revisions other than the 'official' change - the 0101303 model had a slimmer neck front/back (not quite as chunkly), otherwise same width at the nut and 21st fret. Colour has varied, and some time in 2002/2003 alnico 3 magnets were subbed for the earlier alnico 5 in the pickups. Winding and DC resistance stayed the same, but inductance varied as they are a slightly weaker magnet. The pickups sound similar - I have both versions but the new ones are a little more detailed and slightly less output.

There's been several colour variations - the neck used to be 'orangier' than it is now. The body has been both lighter and darker than a 2006 is today. There were 4-digit serials with a dimple on bridges earlier (so they couldn't be sold as a genuine 50's), which later became 5 digits. These like the old ones are randomly allocated so you can't really pick a year. All AV52s should come with the tweed case, COA until August this year, case candy kit of parts to convert to later wiring and six barrel bridge, vintage strap and lead, ashtray. Many got separated at GC who flogged the bare guitar for less without them, and then sold the bits as spares/accessories or seemingly lost them.

Even the Thin Skin and Custom shop Teles will have:

1. pore filler - a fine silty grit applied to stop up the large pores in the ash which will otherwise soak up paint like a sponge - you'd have to cover it in 4,5,6 coats of paint to level out the orange peel.
2. sanding sealer - an inert clear plasticky finish (looks like dried Elmer's glue) which gives a hard sandable surface so you can shoot less colour coats. This speeds the finish process by reducing no. of coats and time, so costs a lot less.

So no Telecaster has '100%' nitro finish. There is some form of inert, non-laquer, airtight surface under the paint. Even alder Teles got sealant, just not pore filler.

Telecasters ever since day one have had this, because filler and sealer is cheap, but topcoat paint (and stacking/waiting/drying/recoating/painter's prep labour) is expensive.

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by Dacious

There have been a few revisions other than the 'official' change - the 0101303 model had a slimmer neck front/back (not quite as chunkly), otherwise same width at the nut and 21st fret. Colour has varied, and some time in 2002/2003 alnico 3 magnets were subbed for the earlier alnico 5 in the pickups. Winding and DC resistance stayed the same, but inductance varied as they are a slightly weaker magnet. The pickups sound similar - I have both versions but the new ones are a little more detailed and slightly less output.

There's been several colour variations - the neck used to be 'orangier' than it is now. The body has been both lighter and darker than a 2006 is today. There were 4-digit serials with a dimple on bridges earlier (so they couldn't be sold as a genuine 50's), which later became 5 digits. These like the old ones are randomly allocated so you can't really pick a year. All AV52s should come with the tweed case, COA until August this year, case candy kit of parts to convert to later wiring and six barrel bridge, vintage strap and lead, ashtray. Many got separated at GC who flogged the bare guitar for less without them, and then sold the bits as spares/accessories or seemingly lost them.

Even the Thin Skin and Custom shop Teles will have:

1. pore filler - a fine silty grit applied to stop up the large pores in the ash which will otherwise soak up paint like a sponge - you'd have to cover it in 4,5,6 coats of paint to level out the orange peel.
2. sanding sealer - an inert clear plasticky finish which gives a hard sandable surface so you can shoot less colour coats. This speeds the finish processand costs a lot less.

So no Telecaster has '100%' nitro finish. There is some form of inert, non-laquer, airtight surface under the paint.

Telecasters ever since day one have had this, because filler and sealer is cheap, but topcoat paint (and stacking/waiting/drying and recoating and painter's prep time) is expensive.

Everybody, try and memorize this !

What Dacious says is true - and Mark has said it before - but I guess it will end up in the bass-mint before long !

[Mark Davis]

Originally Posted by Telehackster

My apologies for highjacking the thread, but does anyone know if it's possible to get specs for the 0101303 model? It would be interesting to compare these details to the current version.

Many thanks.

Things changed from the 1303 to the present day 0202 model are.

Different more accurate headstock shape
12th fret markers moved
the color tint changed a little
0202's got chunker necks
A3 mags instead of the A5's in the older ones

thats what I am aware of other small details might have changed

[Telehackster]

Thanks for all of the information, Dacious and Mark. I knew about the change but wasn't sure what was involved. You guys are very helpful, and I appreciate your sharing your considerable knowledge.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Excellent stuff--thank you!

[Dacious]

People tend to obsess about this a bit to much - and some people beat Fender over the head about it ad-infinitum. But at the end of the day, finish serves two purposes: protecting the wood from discolouration and rotting, and making it look more attractive.

Having sprayed poly and nitro I love nitro for the smell, the feel and the ease of prep and cleanup, plus the way it relics. I also love old guitars with the checking and character wear.

But Leo Fender didn't go and test every finish for how it 'sounded' from varnish - lacquer - conversion (Ric's been using catalyzed furniture finishes since the 60's according to John Hall, the CEO). His aim was to get the lowest cost finish that produced an acceptable appearance and lasted a reasonable time. He had no thought that in the '90s and 00's we'd be arguing about the sonic merits of one over the other.

When he set up his paint shop, he just went with what was state of the art for mass-production, which was acetone-thinned nitrocellulose used by America's auto makers; therefore the equipment and paint was readily available, easy to use for good results and offered the cheapest unit cost compared to anything else. Today there are good reasons not to spray tons of thinner into the atmosphere, so it is not the best option.

If Leo was setting up a factory today, he would use what Fender and most other people 'round the world use - a water-thinned or low-VOC poly, because that has superceded nitro for environmental, cost, ease-of-use and longevity reasons. It gives a longlasting, glossy finish with one high-build coat.

I think it's great Fender gives the '52 a topcoat of lacquer - just another little touch like the slot-head screws, cloth-coated wire and fibre bobbins on the pickups which makes hardly any difference to how it plays. There's some love for the old girl there, that the other reissues maybe don't quite get.

But really it's like pissing yourself in dark pants - gives you a warm feeling but hardly anyone notices!