New member - New Guitar

[Roop]

Hi, I'm new around here!
I have just purchased a brand new (2007 model) CIJ '52 Special Reissue Tele on e-bay (Guitar won't be here till next week).
Heres a pic:
baf1_3.JPG

I'd like to hear from anyone who has a similiar CIJ guitar. Especially interested in hearing peoples opinions on the pickups on these guitars. I've heard that Japanese pickups and electrics aren't the best. Is this true?

I'm already considering changing the pickups. Any suggestions? I mainly play blues and rock. Also, is it possible to use normal replacement humbuckers on these guitars? Is the string spacing ok or do I need to find specialised humbuckers designed for Tele's?

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Califatboy]

Hi Roop...
I cant give you much feedback on the issues you posed but I can say that is a very pretty telecaster and welcome to the forums...you can learn a bunch here.

[BritishBluesBoy]

Hey man,
Congrats on the new Telecaster. Looks really nice. I'd suggest playing it for a while before changing anything. You may find you like it just as it is... If however you do decide to start tinkering any standard sized hummer will most likely fit just fine...

Welcome aboard too!

[PeteMac]

Welcome to the site.
Personally, I'd wait till you get the guitar, play it for a while and see how you like the sound, and if you can make it work with your amp and set-up. Don't ever go changin' stuff just because you've heard "such and such" about a piece of gear. Your ears are the only true guide as to what sounds You like.

Good luck with it.

BTW: What part of Oz you from?

[garytelecastor]

welcome and +1

[Fatmanstratman]

Welcome to the TDPRI, Roop! Great looking Tele you've bought there.

For a moment, I thought that was a picture of ME sitting behind that Tele!....

[moggy]

G'day Roop, welcome to the forums.

Bob.

[bglaze]

Roop, that is a mighty fine looking tele! I wouldn't even think about changing those pickups until you feel they aren't up to task to your ears. I have heard tele's a lot cheaper than yours sound gorgeous. You just can't ever tell until you give it a try yourself, so wait and see...

Welcome, and congrats on a great purchase you'll never regret.

[Roop]

WOW! Thanks for the warm welcome guys. :D
I just have to wait till thursday now before I get my hands on the new Geetar! Waiting sux :(
I currently use a Fender Hot Rod deluxe as my main amp but this is way to loud to bring to work with me (I work a 9/5 roster on an isolated mine site).
Can anyone suggest a small amp (preferably Class A )?

PeteMac: I'm currently living in Perth.

Fatmanstratman : The resemblance is uncanny! PS I'm following your Tele build thread with great interest.

[geardaddy]

welcome! that's pretty guitar you picked up, and it's not too orangey, which is the one thing i hate about some of those butterscotch guitars...

i'm waiting on a japanese '52 myself, though the pickups aren't stock, and i have nothing to offer about the sound of japanese electronics...but i will second the prevailing opinion, and advise that you spend a little time with your guitar before tinkering...

you may not know this, but you are now expected to give a detailed report as soon as you've had a little time with your guitar...the cat is out of the bag, and you've brought it upon yourself...

oh, and say hello to peter garrett for me...

p.s. i thoroughly enjoyed australia's performance at germany '06...they were fun to watch, and rather inspiring!

edit: my avatar is the incoming '52...mid-90s, i believe, though i'm gonna have to do a little homework because someone scratched out the serial number...

[Armchair Bronco]

Originally Posted by Roop

I currently use a Fender Hot Rod deluxe as my main amp but this is way to loud to bring to work with me (I work a 9/5 roster on an isolated mine site).
Can anyone suggest a small amp (preferably Class A )?

Check out the Zvex Nano amp. Sure: it's a boutique amp, and it ain't cheap (I've seen 'em around $450 on eBay used), but at a 1/2 watt it's the only tube amp in its niche. Capable of bedroom levels, but with enough power for an open mic night, too. And if you mic it up, the sky's the limit. (No, I don't have one, but I researched this for months before I finally settled on an Orange Tiny Terror because I wanted something with more wattage.)

http://zvexamps.com/

There are also several YouTube videos demoing this amp. Here are two of my favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHSM5GJD87A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U9yl...eature=related

[tiktok]

I've got a NanoAmp and love it, but there's now another amp in that nitch, the Electrosonic Parallax:

[kdangler]

I purchased one of these in June and it is my favorite of my Teles (I also have a CIJ Tele Custom in transparent blue). I love the Dragster humbucker and the way it mixes so nicely with the bridge pickup. I can't get that sound on my other Tele. The bridge pup is really quite lively and I don't find it ice-picky at all! I didn't like the bakeliite pickguard so I had a glossy one made. Because they place the Dragster so close to the neck, a stock Tele pickguard cut for a humbucker in the neck won't fit properly. I love this guitar and hope you enjoy yours as much!

[Roop]

kdangler: Thanks for the response, nice to hear from someone else who has one of these guitars.
Good to hear that your happy with the Dragster pickup. Could you describe the neck pup only sound?
Could I ask what amp(s) you usually play your '52 through?

Cheers

[gtrwrks]

Originally Posted by tiktok

I've got a NanoAmp and love it, but there's now another amp in that nitch, the Electrosonic Parallax:

Killer look.

[kdangler]

THe Dragster is not as dark (at least to me) and muddy as a Gibson humbucker. It seems more focused and clear. I don't use an amp. For the last 24 years I have gone through an FX rig through DI boxes to the board. My FX rig even has it's own monitoring system on it so if where I play (churches, etc) don't have good equipment I can always sound the same. I even have a vocal processor on my rig. It's a tank but I like it.

Enjoy your new guitar!

[sneakyjapan]

Midnight Oil...one of the best shows I ever saw at the Spectrum in Montreal years ago now. Great band.
Dn`t own one of those teles, but do own several MIJ Fenders, made prior to the change to CIJ and love em to bits. The ones I have came with full size pots and steel switches, not sure when they changed to the smaller cheaper looking electronics.
Hope you like yours as much as I like mine.

[AjayTele]

G'day Roop.

What you have bought there is no so much a '52RI, but in fact a CIJ Keith Richards Micawber Replica, hence the Gibson style HB very close to the neck and the modern 6 saddle bridge.

I have both a MIJ version and a CIJ version of that model and I would seriously suggest that you do not modify the guitar, for two reasons.

1. It will sound really good the way it is. These are really good Teles in standard condition and the pickups are not cheapies.

2. Modifying it will immediately devalue it, given that it is a replica guitar, not a standard "cooking model" Tele.

Having said that, I have modified one of mine, but only to make it more like Keef's actual Micawber.





The mods I have done are very simple and easily reversable though. Just converted to 5 strings (removing one of the saddles) and inverting the Humbucker.

[unzari]

My TL-67SPL (I think this particular model was discontinued, but don't know when exactly) came stock with a Dragster in the neck and a flatpoled, vintage pup in the bridge.

I know the Dragster was made in Japan, as was the bridge pup, I think, though others might be better able to confirm that.

We've all heard the story about MIJ/CIJ build quality and the fit and finish of their guitars, as well as the flip side, particularly the el cheapo electronics. Hearing this, would almost make you want to swap out the innards even before you plugged the thing in. Maybe I just got lucky, but the switches and pots, despite being plastic, have been very good to me over the four years I've had the guitar. All I've ever had to do was do a little light cleaning, and they've been flawless and silent.

As for the pups, I really, really like the bridge pup. It hits the mark for what I'd like to hear in a Tele bridge. As for the Dragster, I really like it, too, and it matches up with the bridge volume-wise very well, though to my ears it can be a little muddy with the tone rolled all the way down. But it does sound okay, and the middle position is great, especially with the tone rolled off a little bit. I'll be replacing it soon, most likely with a Fralin P-92.

My advice would be for you to play the thing a little while before you decide you want to swap things out.

[bobthecanadian]

Hi Roop,

Nice guitar. Just play it. If you start tweaking and changing things, do the simple and cheap things first. Grounding, shielding, caps, pots, etc... If those things don't shape the sound the way you want it, then you will already know how to tweak the next pickup purchase. Oh, by the way, it's a lot of fun, too.

Bob

[Roop]

Well I finally got some time off work and have had a chance to play the new Tele!
To say I'm impressed is an understatement!
The settup leaves a little to be desired - low but with some terrible fret buzz on the low E and A strings. I'll book it in for a pro settup later this week.
The neck is seriously awesome: smooth, fat and chunky, it suits my hands far better than my MIJ James Burton or my Squier affinity. If I were to get another Tele (and I'm aiming to ;) ) it will definently have a neck similiar to this one - just great!
After having some doubts about the pup's in these new CIJ's, I'm actually blown away! The sound just through my lil Fender frontman 15R is amazing, I could gig quite happily with this amp/guitar combination.
The neck pup kicks much ass! There is some volume discrepency between the 3 selector positions but nothing a good settup can't fix.
Can anyone point me towards spec's for these guitars? I'm not sure what neck profile this actually and I'd like some info on the electrics/ pups too.

With that I'm off to play my "Micawber"!
Rock on!

[unzari]

This link has some info on the Dragstar, though I've been too lazy to translate it:http://www.21frets.com/squier_jv/domesticjv.htm. I'd actually really like to read how FJ described it.

[Roop]

Thanks Pete!

[markinlondon]

Like Bob said, I'd consider changing the pots, caps and switch. I'd even leave those until they start to play up (and they will). Maybe the knobs too, I really don't like those little ones they fit to CIJ teles.
FWIW, I bought a CIJ '52 with American vintage PUs a few years ago because it was just so good. I hadn't even gone out to buy a guitar that day.

[StuH]

Welcome Roop!!!!

I'm in mining aswell and work in an isolated camp. Your tele looks fantastic. You should pick u