Thin Skin '52 Tele: A Review

[New Madrid]

I posted this over at the Fender Forum. Thought some folks here might also be interested....

The Thin Skin '52 Tele and I have nearly two weeks and one long gig under our belts (straps?). Here's a brief review.

First impressions

Right out of the box, the thin nitro finish looked beautiful--a very nice shade of butterscotch, not too much orange or yellow in the tint--and revealed quite a bit of the ash body's swirling grain. At 7.16 lbs, the guitar felt well-balanced, light, and resonant, and had been well set-up from the factory (with 10's).

Right away I took it upstairs to one of the luthiers at the shop for an inspection. He gave the truss rod a quick turn in anticipation of some heavier strings and pronounced the nut fit for play. The neck was straight and the intonation close.

Play testing

When I got it home and plugged in, I was quite knocked over by the quality of the pickups and the singing, resonant quality of the tone. No doubt the lightweight ash, chunky neck, and tall frets contribute to the sustain and sonic complexity. I was expecting to find the neck a little too small (I usually prefer baseball bats on Teles). I've come to love the '52 neck, however. It's just thick enough that chording is comfortable anywhere on the fretboard, but not so fat that it gets in the way of ambitious lead lines. And the neck's wood and finish are gorgeous.

Disaster strikes

I decided to raise the neck pickup a bit to even out the output levels of the two pickups. Unfortunately, the only flathead screwdriver I had on hand was a little too wide for the task and I somehow clipped the coil on the bass side while turning the screw. The pickup was DOA. With an out-of-town gig the following night, I had little choice but to just play the whole night on the bridge pickup. Needless to say, I was furious with myself for breaking my brand-new guitar. The gig went well, though, and the bridge pickup sounded very full and thick as Tele bridge pickups go.

New and improved

Before I left for vacation last week, I ordered two things for the new Tele--a set of Custom Shop Nocaster pickups, and some pure nickel Snake Oil strings (11's). Even though I had the dough for a set of boutique pickups, I decided to give the Nocasters a try based on the recommendation of a player whose tone I dig and whose opinion I trust. Having owned Fralin and Lollar-equipped Teles in the past, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the Fenders. I figured I could always resell them and get something else.

A blessing in disguise

I finally installed the Nocaster pickups last night and I can give them an unqualified thumbs up. In fact, they are so good that I'm now thinking that the demise of my original neck pickup was a blessing in disguise. The original pups were good enough that I probably wouldn't have changed them. But the Nocasters are even better at capturing the old-school country and blues sounds that really get me going. They are as good as the Lollars, Fralins, and Duncans that I've owned--and at $100 they are an absolute steal.

Now I know about the debates over Alnico 3 versus Alnico 2 and Alnico 5. Nobody seems to know definitively which magnet was used the most during the earliest days of Fender. And I'm well aware of the benefits of handwinding. But putting aside everything but tone, Fender has managed to build some spectacular pickups at a very reasonable price--pickups that work perfectly in a spanky ash Tele and that deliver exactly the 50s-era tones that I wanted to capture with this guitar.

Strings do matter

Finally, I'd like to thank all the FDPers who chimed in on the Snake Oil Strings thread. I orded a few sets based solely on your reviews and I couldn't be more pleased. The Snake Oils, combined with the Nocaster pickups, bring out far more woodiness in this Tele than did the D'Addarios I'm accustomed to using. For lack of a better expression, it sounds like the whole guitar is being played now, and not just the pickups. I'm not sure why the difference is so striking--whether it's the lower output, different materials, or better winding techniques. But I'd say that the Snake Oil strings made as much of a difference as the upgraded pickups.

To conclude

I've been through quite a few guitars over the past few years, trying to find my number one (I can't afford more than one nice instrument right now). The procession has included several fine Teles, an excellent Strat, a few Gretsches, and two nice Gibson hollowbodies. At the risk of false prophesy, I'll say that this one may be the best single guitar for everything that I need a guitar to do. It's also the best-built and most tonally satisfying Fender-type guitar that I've owned and one of the best I've ever played--and I work for a Fender (and Anderson, Grosh, and Nash) dealer.

Whether or not Fender sticks to the limited run of 140, these guitars are great buys for the money. Arguably as good as a Custom Shop Nocaster (especially with Nocaster pickups!), considerably nicer than the standard '52 Reissue, and collectable to boot--for $1400. I'm feeling good!

[sidneystreet]

Thanks for the excellent review! That Thin-Skin has been haunting me for a while. It sounds like it is the real deal.

Also, I have to agree about the Nocaster pups. I have played a few teles with those pups and they are very fine indeed. I own Fralin, Lollar, Stuart, Hamel etc., and those Nocaster pups are certainly in the same league. At close to half the price, they are a bargain as well.

[rhinocaster]

A great review on a great guitar. I will also chip in on the tone quality of the Nocaster pickups. I've used almost every boutique pickup for Telecasters in the past and I can say the the Nocasters are my choice above all else. I think that Fralin and Lollar are making fantastic units, but their Tele offerings have never done it for me. And don't be too hard on yourself for clipping that neck pickup. Everyone should play a gig with an Esquire at least once in their lives!!

[Mark Byrom]

What a great story. The Thin Skin is easily one of the best new Teles I ever played. You were lucky to find one at just over 7 lbs. I especially liked the part of your review where you describe the guitar coming together as a whole rather than just the pickups. Very interesting. What stuck with me as I remember the two Thin Skins I played a good while back was how much more lively they felt compared to a normal '52RI.

[dreamer]

How does the 7.25" neck play for lead guitar? I think I want a 9.5" but not sure.

[Telemarkman]

Thanks for the great review New Madrid !

I have one question for you though (anyone can chime in of course).

You write:

Originally Posted by New Madrid

Whether or not Fender sticks to the limited run of 140, these guitars are great buys for the money. Arguably as good as a Custom Shop Nocaster (especially with Nocaster pickups!), considerably nicer than the standard '52 Reissue, and collectable to boot--for $1400. I'm feeling good!

As far as I've been able to find out, it has the same specs as a standard '52RI except for the finish. Same wood, same pickups etc.

For those of us who like the poly undercoat of a standard '52RI, what would make the Thin Skin a "considerably nicer" guitar than the standard one ?

Just curious.

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by dreamer

How does the 7.25" neck play for lead guitar? I think I want a 9.5" but not sure.

Players like Jimmy Bryant, James Burton, Roy Buchanan, Roy Nichols, Don Rich, Steve Cropper, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton etc., etc., etc. didn't seem to mind the vintage radius fretboard. But if you wanna be shure not to fret out during big bends, it's safe to have your action a little higher.

[frogger]

I have Nocaster's on my FSR 52RI 60th anniversary Tele and I must say they are a little darker sounding but oh so fat. Sounds like you have a real tone monster now especially playing with 11's.

[New Madrid]

For those of us who like the poly undercoat of a standard '52RI, what would make the Thin Skin a "considerably nicer" guitar than the standard one ?

Just curious.

If you're perfectly happy with the poly undercoat, then the Thin Skin wouldn't be a considerably nicer guitar for you. It would only be slightly nicer if you prefer taller frets, and not at all nicer if you don't. Keep in mind that the Thin Skin Tele IS an AV '52 RI except for those two features. If tall frets and a thin nitro finish don't mean much to you than there's absolutely no reason to get a Thin Skin.

For me, a guitar's finish is important. That's why I've been willing now and in the past to shell out extra cash for new and vintage guitars with thin nitro finishes. Some other features, like fretboard woods, are a much bigger deal to others than they are to me. The "thin skin" makes my Tele more desirable to me, and that's a subjective thing.

Interestingly, my posts about the '52 Thin Skin Tele have sparked a contentious debate over at the Fender Forum over which is "better"--the Thin Skin, or the regular '52 RI. A few AV '52 owners got bent out of shape at my suggestion that the Thin Skin is an improvement over the standard model. IMHO, it is. But that doesn't make it a better choice if you happen to favor vintage frets and a poly undercoat. For Telemarkman and others, the Thin Skin offers nothing new and improved.

[Telemarkman]

Thanks for your honest answer New Madrid !

I must admit that I wondered how the essentially same guitar (except for the frets), could be "considerably nicer" than the standard '52RI, just because of the different finish.

AFAIK, I was the first one to link to the Thin Skin '52RI when they were introduced at Wildwood Guitars. I thought this must be the guitar for those who wanted a '52RI but didn't like the "pumpkin" finish. I never thought of it as a different or superior model, though, just more authentic looking.

But I must admit that I've been wondering about what would have happend if Wildwood had those Thin Skins at the time I ordered my '52RI. Would I have preferred the Thin Skin to the standard model ? We'll never have the answer to that, but today I'm perfectly happy with my "Pumpkincaster", and I really don't care for the higher frets, so I guess it turnt out the best way for both of us.

[Georgeatt]

Man, I can't wait: I just ordered one and it should be here Friday

From the Wildwood website I understand that, while the thin skin tele has the 7.25 neck radius, it is different from the 52RI in that the frets are taller and wider:

"Featuring lightweight bodies, a "Thin Skin" nitrocellulose lacquer finish
(just like the Custom Shop does it), and 6105 fret wire, these instruments
have all the vintage look and feel you've come to expect from Fender's
American Vintage Series, plus the singing sustain and chime you get with
taller, wider fret wire and a nitro finish."

[AJ Love]

I've got one, it is a truely fantastic Telecaster. Superb tone and craftsmanship. Bends are super easy but it has that 7.25 inch radius that I like... I've got a fantastic sounding Nocaster pickup sitting here, but I'm not convinced I'm going to install it, as the guitar sounds so great as is... the '52 RI pickups in this particular guitar *might* have more variety on tap depending on pick attack you can go from Twang to deeper Blues.... here's a pic

[New Madrid]

"I've got a fantastic sounding Nocaster pickup sitting here, but I'm not convinced I'm going to install it, as the guitar sounds so great as is..."

AJ,

Having made that swap, I can say that for my guitar the Nocaster bridge pickup was the clear winner. It's hard to describe the difference, but it seems that the Nocaster pup just has more depth, more of that 3D thing going on. I'm not sure why, but that's what my ears told me when I was trying to decide which bridge pickup to keep.

[AJ Love]

Thanks for your perspective on the pickups, New Madrid. I do like Nocaster pickups in general. And I've got a Lollar Alnico 3 pickup sitting here waiting to go in a Telecaster too... I'm just not convinced I'm going to change anything on this Thin Skin. It sounds so good as is, I don't know if I want to mess with it... we'll see

[sidneystreet]

Originally Posted by AJ Love

...I'm just not convinced I'm going to change anything on this Thin Skin. It sounds so good as is, I don't know if I want to mess with it... we'll see

Don't change a thing until you start desiring different tones. Unless you become dissatisfied with the current pups, you'd just be swapping them as an experiment. Of course there is nothing wrong with that, but you might as well enjoy your new guitar as is for the time being.

[Fatmanstratman]

Originally Posted by AJ Love

I've got one, it is a truely fantastic Telecaster. Superb tone and craftsmanship. Bends are super easy but it has that 7.25 inch radius that I like... I've got a fantastic sounding Nocaster pickup sitting here, but I'm not convinced I'm going to install it, as the guitar sounds so great as is... the '52 RI pickups in this particular guitar *might* have more variety on tap depending on pick attack you can go from Twang to deeper Blues.... here's a pic

Wow - is it REALLY finished in that bright orangey colour, or is it just the photo that is not doing it justice? I see why someone earlier referred to theirs as the "Pumpkincaster".....

[AJ Love]

The photo doesn't do it justice. It looks very much like a classic '52

After playing it for a few more hours this afternoon, there is no way I'm changing out these pickups, it sounds so good just the way it is... I'm gonna keep this Telecaster stock

[Rock on]

What happened to the pickups when you touched it with the screwdriver.

Im new to pickups.

thanks

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by AJ Love

The photo doesn't do it justice. It looks very much like a classic '52

After playing it for a few more hours this afternoon, there is no way I'm changing out these pickups, it sounds so good just the way it is... I'm gonna keep this Telecaster stock

Except for rewiring it to modern wiring.

You'll lose nothing, but you gain the possibility of the two pickups together. But if you want the tone to stay unchanged, don't use the .022uf cap that comes with the wiring kit, keep the ic503z (.050uf) in there.
If you do change the caps however, it will sound brighter when you roll back the tone control.

[sidneystreet]

Originally Posted by AJ Love

The photo doesn't do it justice. It looks very much like a classic '52...

I've seen a BUNCH of pictures of Thin Skin '52 reissues with finish colors similar to the standard AV '52 reissue. Could you point to a tele from Nacho's book, or the telecaster bible etc. that most approximates your tele?

I have yet to see anything resembling a true vintage blonde finish that would be accurate for a '52 tele. Frankly, the blonde Baja tele appears to be much more period representative than is the Thin Skin.

[New Madrid]

Mine is much closer to blonde than to pumpkin.

[alabama blues]

About the color -- I had my new '52 Thin Skin sent to my parent's house in Alabama since I live in France. My brother checked it out for me (and my G&L 25th Anniversary) and sent me an e-mail that said "I have looked at both guitars. They are both gorgeous, but the Fender is a mustard color I love. I also strummed it, and for some reason, I think the sound is better than on most electrics." I wrote back "that color better be butterscotch blonde and not mustard!" Now I can't get that mustard thing out of my mind, although I agree that the sound is better than most other electrics!

[gitarjoe]

I will buy one, when they put a nice fat neck on it.

[Disastercaster]

Nice little article there NM..

[AJ Love]

I ended up putting a Lollar Alnico 3 (with staggered pole pieces) bridge pickup in mine. As I was saying earlier in the thread, the Tele sounded fantastic stock, so I was hesitant to modify it, but I figured I could always change it back.

The difference was more subtle than I thought it would be but there definitely is a difference.

The Lollar sounds "sweeter" and has more "spank" and a more balanced tone and a wider range of tones. Like every Lollar pickup I've played (both Tele and Strat pickups and his Imperial Humbucker), it is very responsive to pick attack and can go from snarl to sweetness and back. Very cool... the tone is "thicker" with a bit more Mids but I'm not finding it overly Mid-Heavy like I've read in some reviews. A very cool pickup... I can see why Jonathan Wilson of GVCG likes this pickup so much, it is easily one of the best Telecaster pickups I've heard.

[jorgefm78]

Hi, cheers from "old Madrid" - Spain ;-)

I'm a "tele-sound" fan. I own a fender copy made by Corean Brand Fenix, but heavily modified with all fender electronics, including:
- 4 mod switch
- volume and tone circuit
- "texas special tele" pups installed in a local custom shop.

Now I'm thinking of changing bridge saddles (6, vintage type) to solid -american standard type. I will submit pictures of my old friend very soon!

Hasta luego, Lucas
(is like "see you later, alligator...")