Is this a real MIM body?

I’m not sure there was even a fender Mexico in 91

Welcome to the forum

Edit: I’m wrong apparently fender started making guitars in Mexico in 90

 

Yep. It's the old Ensenada plant that burnt down 1994. The new plant produces bodies with the cnc crop circles. A lot of bodies and necks to the old plant came from the US during that period.

 

Looks nice.

 

Welcome, Steven!

I think it is, but whatever it is, it is a better than average, pretty decent looking body. MIM or not, you're still going to have to go slow, to get the pickguard, bridge plate and etc fitting just so.

But the neck is an issue. I think it was painted in black, then an effort to strip the black off was attempted. Doesn't look like roasting to me.

 

From what you've shown, that body looks pretty nice. I would consider a neck refin, but there is so much finish on the fretboard (from the look of it) that it would be a pain. It looks like someone did burnouts across it with their moped, and then sealed it in lacquer It's probably a finish experiment that didn't go quite right.

 

Yeah that's a Chinese "toasted" neck off Bay. When the roasted maple craze hit, a number of sellers in China were literally holding the necks over an open flame, lightly charring them and calling them roasted maple. They're mostly gone now replaced with poorly roasted necks with no charring.

That neck s firewood, literally and figuratively.

 

whooda thunkit.... is this a real MIM?

 

nice body but i think someone smuggle that neck up their butt

 

Was there a MIM Custom model in '91?

I found an MIJ.

 

The neck will work for this look

 

this is what I'm seeing too. that routing is definitely tele custom. interesting.

 

I don't think this is a Fender body. Tele Customs made by Fender (US, Japan or Mexico) have a three bolt neck (micro-tilt or copy thereof in the case of Japanese models). The Squier Tele custom currently made has a four screw neck mount. I'm not sure whether these were made back in 1991 but remember seeing a photo of one somewhere.....

 

Some MIM telecasters, like my James Burton Std. and the California model for example have that HB
route even if all single coil pickups. If this is a MIM the body thickness should be approximately 1-3/4".
If 1-5/8" or less then an Asian type.

 

Nothing to lose. Bolt it on. It may grow on you depending on what you do the rest of the guitar. I've ought a few of those highly flamed (not roasted) and they have been ok. I've had to dress the sharp fret ends on a few and occasionally have a high fret or two that I have just reset with a whack from a hammer on a maple block. Some have been just fine right out of the box.