American Original 50's Telecaster Incoming

Maybe you're right. Not to split hairs, but I thought the AV52 production continued into early 2018, or perhaps they were just still in stock then.

On another note, I've tried all the iterations of these and I can attest that the latest one (the AO '50s) is the one I like the best. The neck and frets put it over the top, it feels super good to play.

My only quibble is that I wish they had carried over the "bananacaster" or "Harper" blonde-ish finish on the AV52 "PV" series to the AO '50s instead of going back to the "pumpkincaster" dark butterscotch finish that looks like the AVRIs.

 

Beautiful

 

Had you been around in 1982-83, while CBS had just completed their deal to sell Fender (back) to the management team at Fender Fulerton(CA), which only included all the original guitar templates, a pretty big pile of parts but not most of the machinery to make Fenders and not the factory building, the management knew there was going to be a problem - where to get enough guitars of high quality to 1) supply the retail chain, and 2) get cash flow going until they could buy new CNC, lathes, milling equip etc to manufacture in volume.

So we (I worked at Fender from 1975 to 2000) turned to the best imitation Fender guitars made outside of the US, Japan. The premier wooded western musical instrument company in Japan was Fujigen Gakki, they had made counterfeit Stratocasters, Telecasters and some Jag's and Basses for years until scared into stopping by Law Suits. The had the equipment, just not the precise 1952 Telecaster, or 1957 Stratocaster, or 1962 Jaguar (etc.) cutting templates and plans. A contract was made, the templates were sent to Japan with Fender managers to over-see the production. The Japanese Squier's were born.

The 1982/83 Squier Telecaster is such a perfect copy of the original, including using a Japanese Ash body, US supplied Maple blanks for the Necks and exact copies of the PuPs except that they were Fujigen gakki's own highly engineered Ceramic/Alnico hybrid magnets with the same wire gauge and winding turns. These PuP's sound like '52s. The electrical components like the CTS pots and Switchcraft switches had already been "cloned" years before for the counterfeits and they were perfect, even the Japanese made "Orange Drop" caps were perfect. AS we know now, no one manufactures and copies until they engineer it better, than anyone else on Earth. The neck to body pockets are so precise, they were better than the USA 1980's made Fenders.

These 1983-84 and 85 Fujigen Gakki Squiers are so superior, "Good" condition ones are selling in the $1000 + range. These sold for $155 retail at Fender Authorized Dealers in 1983.

Here is my 1982 made "pilot" run "83" '52 Telecaster Squier in "Blonde wash" on a highly figured Japanese Ash 2-piece body, with my minty 1963 Tremolux. I brought this '82 "52" back with me from Japan September of 1982. The first full shipment arrived in December of 1982 as "1983" models.

 

Well, the booklet in the case says it was printed in 2001 - so what is it then? My luthier says it's a 52 reissue...

 

This is exciting congrats.

I tried one of these, the neck was BIG.

+1 For Fender's QC

 

Love my 2018 lefty!

 

SO JEALOUS! Beautiful guitar, and I will never find one! VERY rare!

 

Yes, it's a 2001 AVRI 52 reissue . . . like the man said, they were made from late 80s to 2012.
No argument there. The OP is talking about his new American Original, or AO model.
They're similar to the 52 RIs, except for a 9.5 radius and slightly bigger frets.

 

what would you say is the most notable difference than the 52 reissue?