New to Me JD Tele on the Way!

[telemomo]

I stopped playing guitar for a couple years and sold my Am Series Tele and favorite amp (Tophat Club Deluxe). I kept a really nice CIJ 58 RI Strat and Marshall JTM combo in case I wanted to dabble.

Well, I am really enjoying playing again. My Marshall took a dive last month and I replaced it with a Tophat Club Royale 2x12 (KILLER amp)! I really like my Strat, but it just does not have the twang, jangle, sparkle, and spank of a Tele. Therefore, I set out on a quest to find a good Tele at a fair price.

Having spent the past few weeks combing TGP and ebay for the right Tele at the right price, I took the plunge and bought a Jerry Donahue MIJ Telecaster circa 1986. I love the feel of big, chunky maple necks and just did not want to shell out the $$$ for a 52RI. I have never laid hands on a JD Tele and I am waiting anxiously to receive mine. It is totally stock. What can I expect from the JD Tele? Will it twang, jangle, sparkle, and spank? Are the stock pups quality? I realize the JD has a "V" neck and the 52RI has a "C" neck, but is the JD as thick and chunky as a 52 RI?

Thanks for the responses.

Mike

Mike

 

[KokoTele]

You haven't met chunky until you've tried a 1" thick neck. I loved the neck on my Donahue, though I eventually replaced with one that had much larger frets. The soft V shape may take some getting used to (it did for me), but once used to it I loved it.

52s (RI and vintage) are pretty chunky, but not as much of a handfull as these.

I'm not sure what the stock pickups were. Mine came with oddball replacements. I can say that the Duncan pickups in the Custom Shop version are superb, and really not that expensive.

My guitar went through a few owners before it got to me, and each of them regarded it as one of the most resonant Telecasters they'd played. And yes, it will twang and spank with the best of Teles, and it will sparkle and chime with the best of Strats.

You got yourself a good one. Which color did you get? I think it came in trans red, trans blue, and sunburst. The trans guitars have opaque paint on the sides that hides the endgrain completely.

 

[Mark Davis]

The JD necks are bigger than your average 52ri they are a nice soft v.

Really confortable and those are great guitars rare now too.

 

[Jack Wells]

My MIJ JD is the lightest Telecaster in my stable ........ even lighter than the Thinlines. Probably because of the basswood body.

......

 

[telemomo]

My new JD Tele is the 3 color sunburst.

Eryque, I am really relieved to read that the JD's can twang and spank. My AmSeries Tele would really jangle, sparkle and chime too. God, I love Tele tones!

Mark, if my JD neck is bigger/thicker than the stock 52 RI's I have played, I will be in geetar heaven!

The owner states that the JD weighs about 7.5lbs. He bought it from his brother who was the original owner in 1986. It is purported to have two small dings in the body, but is otherwise in great condition. The photos look outstanding. If everything turns out as it should, I think I got a pretty fair deal at $600. I snagged it right after it was listed on ebay.

It sounds as though I will really love this new JD Tele.

FWIW, the most amazing Tele I have ever played was a Custom Shop Nocaster (Fat, FAT neck, light as a feather, TONS of "mojo" and it sounded amazing through the Vox AC 30 it was plugged into). I just could not justify the $$$ because I am not that skilled a player and I have a nasty vintage sports car habit that my wife has to put up with.

Mike

 

[Jack Wells]

Sounds like a decent price considering this one recently sold for $810.

http://cgi.ebay.com/FENDER-CUSTOM-J...ryZ38083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[johnspierce]

The JD necks are bigger than your average 52ri they are a nice soft v.

Not in my experience. I owned a sunburst JD and a 52RI at the same time and the JD neck is very similar in size to the 52RI only difference being the V shape vs. U on the 52RI. Neither is as robust as a custom shop nocaster neck, which in my mind is a good thing because I consider them *too* big.

Those JD's are excellent guitars. I thought the stock pickups were great. The tuning pegs were not quite as stable as my 52RI, but easily replaced. Love the bound body. I should have kept that one, it's in the top echelon of many guitars I have owned. The neck is definitely the best part of the JD.

JP

 

[Mark Davis]

image removed

Thats the one I had added a white pg thought it looked better than the black.

I had a 1988 52ri and the JD neck was at least 1/8" thicker than the 52ri I owned.

 

[johnspierce]

I had a 1988 52ri and the JD neck was at least 1/8" thicker than the 52ri I owned.

Okay, now your statement makes sense. The 88 52RI's neck profiles are quite a bit thinner than the current 52RI's (I have a 2004 model). Just didn't want the original poster to think the JD neck was as thick as a Customer Shop Nocaster neck.

take care,
JP

 

[telemomo]

Thank you all so much for responding. Based on everyone's impressions, I have a real good feeling about this one.

Thanks for posting the pics Jack and Mark.

Mike

 

[singlecoil]

JD Tele

my JD is my all time favorite tele and I've been through a few at my age lol. i must admit that I did change out the pickups and the 5 way switch to a standard tele switch. Van zandt tele pu in the bridge and a Van zandt blue strat pu in the neck. this guitar is super light and stays in tune all night and the neck is perfect plus it sound killer. can you tell that i like it a lot! congrats on your new axe, the sunburst are really sharp imho and you're gonna like it. if you don't like the tone don't sweat it, change'em out and you'll be fine.

 

[KokoTele]

$600 is a really good deal. These shot up in value a few years ago and now $600 is on the low end, particularly if it's in good condition. I bought mine for $425 5 or 6 years ago, which was a decent deal at the time.

Mine weighs in right at 7 1/2 pounds.

 

[TWANGNUT]

Kindof off the subject but Mr.Donahue....Check this!

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

Telemomo that's a sweet slab-o-wood you got coming. Congrats and Welcome!

 

[Lance]

The BEST tele neck.

I've had two JDs now....and the necks are the best ever made by fender (IMHO). Thicker than the 52...with a little "V" to them. Nice rolled edges....and perfect fret size.

Anyway...sold the JDs but kept the neck on one.

My current #1 is a partscaster based off that JD neck. (with 3 pickups like a JD except it's a firebird PU in the neck)

 

[KK Jale]

I think it came in trans red, trans blue, and sunburst. The trans guitars have opaque paint on the sides that hides the endgrain completely.

Just to mention, the JD also came in black. They were rare, and may have come at the end of the run. I saw a rack of three on a close-out deal at a guitar show once.

Didn't buy one... should have!

 

[Patrick]

I always admired those guitars. Very unique I.M.O., I especially enjoyed the Strat neck pickup. Which might just be one of the best meshs for both Tele and Strat tones.

Wish I could find one cheap.

 

[Jellecaster]

I know that they aren't very popular in these parts, but I have two of his Peavey Omniac JD models and they are great guitars. He designed the shape because he thought that Teles were "butt heavy". It really feels like a compact Tele and the neck is just awesome.



Not a great photo, but the blueburst really is beautiful...

 

[frankthomson]

re;omniac...it looks like that AXIS or WOLFGANG model [which BTW are also remarkable!]

 

[KokoTele]

I've had two JDs now....and the necks are the best ever made by fender (IMHO). Thicker than the 52...with a little "V" to them. Nice rolled edges....and perfect fret size.

Anyway...sold the JDs but kept the neck on one.

My current #1 is a partscaster based off that JD neck. (with 3 pickups like a JD except it's a firebird PU in the neck)

The JD only had two pickups, a tele bridge and strat neck. Unless, of course, it's Ginger the Wonder Tele, which has an added neckbucker now.

 

[Lance]

Better!

[URL="http://www.lanceholland.com/guitars/images/sparkle2.jpg"][/URL]


Yes...it's only the neck of a JD. The rest of the guitar is:
- Body by that guy Tony that does the sparkle flame jobs
- Vintique bridge, controls, knobs
- Firebird neck, Texas Special middle, Harmonic design bridge
- Gotah tuners

It's wired as a 5 position strat would be...except the 4th position is a funky out of phase thing I figured out...a lot like a jazzmaster middle tone.

(hey!....you can see the blue JD I sold in the upper left of the picture!)