Mr Grumpy
Ambassador of Comings and Goings
So, as youse knows from the other threads, I have been gassing for a tele and ended up getting a Fujigen.
Previously, I had a Fender MIJ tele which cost about US$1200, and I really didn't like it much... Changed the pickups to CS 64's didn't like them any better than the standard. Changed the screw bridge saddles to Gotoh compensated brass x3 saddles (much preferred that sound). Just couldn't get on with it/never grew to love her, so outed it:
Thus, I was a bit worried about buying another MIJ tele. I did really like the traditional string tip in the hole tuners. I very much did not like the 7.25 radius fretboard.
I also had a Cort tele which I didn't overly love, but that was mainly the sounds that were frustrating, and it was damn ugly. I did, however like the compound radius neck. I also liked the hard Canadian maple neck, but I wanted a maple fretboard this time around.
I also wanted a looker! In the past, I had a PRS Korina which was along the lines of a LP junior, but also tele-esque, imho, and beautiful. Plus, it was really light - I like a light tele (the MIJ 70s was far too heavy, imho). I like the look of the yellow body and black pick guard. The wide and flat neck was very painful for me to play, it had to go (relates to an old wrist injury in a factory when I was paying my way through uni...).
I considered:
- MIJ teles for a fraction of a second (the truss rod is at the wrong end for my liking)...
- MIM standard teles; some nice ones, but a Vintera modified, at over US$1000 in the US and US$1400 here in Korea are not good value.
- MIA performer with a humbucker in the neck - they are a bit pricey here, US$1500, but I really like them. I loved the off-white with maple fretboard. If I start loving teles then I might well get something like this down the road.
- MIA standard/professional/professional 2 - very nice guitar, but those horrible tuners, why???
- Fender Original 50s, now with the 9.5" fretboard over the AVRI's 7.25, it's a lovely guitar (plus I love the smell of lacquer when getting a guitar out); just about perfect, but too much money.
- Edwards; the truss rod is at the wrong end...).
- some Korea made teles - quite nice, good specs, but I could afford to spend a bit more to get something more to my liking.
My wishlist:
- off-white
- maple board
- traditional (or locking) tuners with a hole in the top
- traditional bridge with brass saddles
- not too wide a neck
- flattish radius or compound radius fretboard
- really traditional and classy tele pickups, leaning towards 50s style, but no glassy ice-pick horribleness
- black pick guard
- light weight
For 800 of your (or mine in this case) US dollars, I went for this:
Previously, I had a Fender MIJ tele which cost about US$1200, and I really didn't like it much... Changed the pickups to CS 64's didn't like them any better than the standard. Changed the screw bridge saddles to Gotoh compensated brass x3 saddles (much preferred that sound). Just couldn't get on with it/never grew to love her, so outed it:
Thus, I was a bit worried about buying another MIJ tele. I did really like the traditional string tip in the hole tuners. I very much did not like the 7.25 radius fretboard.
I also had a Cort tele which I didn't overly love, but that was mainly the sounds that were frustrating, and it was damn ugly. I did, however like the compound radius neck. I also liked the hard Canadian maple neck, but I wanted a maple fretboard this time around.
I also wanted a looker! In the past, I had a PRS Korina which was along the lines of a LP junior, but also tele-esque, imho, and beautiful. Plus, it was really light - I like a light tele (the MIJ 70s was far too heavy, imho). I like the look of the yellow body and black pick guard. The wide and flat neck was very painful for me to play, it had to go (relates to an old wrist injury in a factory when I was paying my way through uni...).
I considered:
- MIJ teles for a fraction of a second (the truss rod is at the wrong end for my liking)...
- MIM standard teles; some nice ones, but a Vintera modified, at over US$1000 in the US and US$1400 here in Korea are not good value.
- MIA performer with a humbucker in the neck - they are a bit pricey here, US$1500, but I really like them. I loved the off-white with maple fretboard. If I start loving teles then I might well get something like this down the road.
- MIA standard/professional/professional 2 - very nice guitar, but those horrible tuners, why???
- Fender Original 50s, now with the 9.5" fretboard over the AVRI's 7.25, it's a lovely guitar (plus I love the smell of lacquer when getting a guitar out); just about perfect, but too much money.
- Edwards; the truss rod is at the wrong end...).
- some Korea made teles - quite nice, good specs, but I could afford to spend a bit more to get something more to my liking.
My wishlist:
- off-white
- maple board
- traditional (or locking) tuners with a hole in the top
- traditional bridge with brass saddles
- not too wide a neck
- flattish radius or compound radius fretboard
- really traditional and classy tele pickups, leaning towards 50s style, but no glassy ice-pick horribleness
- black pick guard
- light weight
For 800 of your (or mine in this case) US dollars, I went for this:
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But, played for 30 mins or so, couldn't find any fret problems and am starting to get used to the different scale length/neck/body type.
.
