Made in Japan Telecasters!

[JBennett]

They used to be in shops all over, but Fender Mexico seems to have taken over the budget market in the US.

[caliban335]

JBennett, those are a pair of classics. Some day I'm getting an Annie in Smoke Green.

[samato]

For years I've been trying to track down any information on a nylon string tele style acoustic/electric I played years ago. Actually, I'm not sure how acoustic it was, it might have been a solid body like a Gibson Chet Atkins - I don't recall.

It was definitely a Fender or Squire though and it played and sounded really good. It was at a shop I where I used to work and I was never able to talk to the owner directly but I offered to buy it though the guy who ran the shop. All I could find out was that the guy wouldn't sell it and that it was purchased in Japan, probably not a model they ever sold in the USA.

Does anybody know about the guitar I'm describing or how I might be able to track one down? Aside from the Gibson Chet Atkins model, which is way out of my budget, it's the only nylon string acoustic/electric I've come across that actually sounds good plugged into an amp and doesn't have major feedback issues when trying to get it loud. Plus it looked cool - black tele style body, rosewood fretboard I believe and classical style headstock. I have no idea about the electronics but I liked the sound a lot.

[cactusrob]

Originally Posted by samato

For years I've been trying to track down any information on a nylon string tele style acoustic/electric I played years ago. Actually, I'm not sure how acoustic it was, it might have been a solid body like a Gibson Chet Atkins - I don't recall.

Is this it? I googled "Fender Japan nylon string Tele". You're right, it looks as though there's very limited info out there about 'em but I did find one pic.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...eleAcFront.jpg

[cactusrob]

And this:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/arc.../t-239296.html

and this (though most of the links are dead here)
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...ssicaster.html

[samato]

Hmm, now I'm not even sure. I seem to remember it looking more like this one:

http://www.theangelconversations.com/pics/FenderHMT.jpg

I thought it had a classical style headstock but maybe not.

[Dave Yeats]

Originally Posted by samato

Hmm, now I'm not even sure. I seem to remember it looking more like this one:

http://www.theangelconversations.com/pics/FenderHMT.jpg

I thought it had a classical style headstock but maybe not.

You're probably thinking of the "Telecaster Classical Thinline" made in Japan from 1995-1998. Spruce top on basswood. I have one converted to steel string use. Steve Winwood has one.

Top right corner of this catalog page:

[samato]

Originally Posted by Dave Yeats

You're probably thinking of the "Telecaster Classical Thinline" made in Japan from 1995-1998. Spruce top on basswood. I have one converted to steel string use. Steve Winwood has one.

Top right corner of this catalog page:

Yeah, that's probably it but in black.

[azoldguy]

I have a blonde MIJ that would appear to be the same model as the Aqua (sorry if I butchered the name of the color) in the photo from byrdbrain. Does anyone know the model number? Thanks.

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by samato

Yeah, that's probably it but in black.

well, there was another semi hollow nylon string FJ tele...the TLCL-120. In the 1997 catalog it is pictured with two F holes and equipped with the Mike Christian piezo p`ups...but it only came in red. It was in the Craft Collection series and was quilted maple over laminated mahogany...their words...one tone control only. Didn`t see many so maybe they weren`t made for very long but I sure would like to come across one.

[PoiDog]

All I can say is that you should probably try looking for the guitar in the U.S. The dollar is sooooooo weak here that the Japanese are beginning to refer to it as the American peso!

Geez....

[OuttaspaceMan]

Originally Posted by JBennett

1998 CIJ Classic 50's telecaster.
I bought it new for 425 dollars. (Just found the receipt this weekend.)

Beautiful. Congratulations!

[Leo1951]

1996 50th Anniversary 62 Reissue like the one Edge plays on U2 tours except mine is black. It is quite the most beautiful Tele that I have ever seen. It is the best playing with the best neck of any Tele that I have ever played. I won't go so far as to say it is better sounding that the MIA's that I have owned or played but it is right up there with the best of them.

[low_register]

My first Tele!

[teleplayr]

'62 Custom Tele w/Bigsby

[sneakyjapan]

Doesn`t the Edge have at least one of every guitar model ever made?

[DocJay]

Here is mine. TL52VSP. I bought it used from Ishibashi a while ago. This model comes standard with a nice thick V-shaped neck, two-piece ash body, nitro finish, cloth wiring, CTS pots, and orange drop cap. I got it pretty cheap because the previous owner modded it with a Joe Barden bridge, and had it refretted with some larger (maybe 6105?) fret wire. Really quality work, but modding of any kind knocks down the price here in Japan. I added a four way switch, and an electrosocket jack (because the other one kept coming out). My first tele and I'm really happy with it.

[Leo1951]

Originally Posted by sneakyjapan

Doesn`t the Edge have at least one of every guitar model ever made?

Maybe but he doesn't play all of the on tour. He does play his MIJ on stage.

[gwjib04]

This '96 MIJ I got almost a year ago. Its my first Tele and I have to say once I got it I knew I never would need anything but a Telecaster. Its got all the sounds I was looking for and the only thing that holds it back is my own skills. Its a little heavy, got a finish that is a lot thicker than I'd like but given that its not a "really expensive" guitar I feel more comfortable modding it. I'd like to change out the neck pup for a lollar and mill down the ash tray to make more space for twanging on the bridge.

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by Leo1951

Maybe but he doesn't play all of the on tour. He does play his MIJ on stage.

You are new here, are you under the impression I don`t appreciate MIJs or something? I sold my last two MIA guitars last month while I was in Montreal...all I own now are MIJs and I own quite a few though I am whittling them down to a more manageable number, over the years in Japan I have been extremely fortunate and found some absolute gems but since the big quake on March 11th I seem to have lost the spark for playing though it did reignite my passion for drawing and painting so not all bad. Point is, I own some top notch MIJs and have seen even more...and have also left more than my share on shop floors, there are some MIJs that are as good as anything made by anybody, and there are some that aren`t.