Nottingham, United Kingdom
About this listing
2008 Fender Japan ’52 Re-issue Telecaster TL52-DMC/VSP. Top of the line model. Crafted In Japan at the Fuji-gen factory.This is a very rare example of the top of the range 2008 Fender Japan Telecaster from their flagship “Vintage Special - DiMarzio Collection” range. Rarely found outside of Japan, this retailed for about twice the cost of the standard Fender Japan telecaster. This one came directly from the Fuji-gen factory which had a reputation for excellent quality craftsmanship. It is loaded with US electronics and boasts a build quality considered to be on a par with US Custom Shop. These were Fender Japan’s equivalent of US Customs Shop guitars and this one is a real players guitar. ORIGINS: I bought this directly from Fender Japan in Tokyo in person. My contact at Fender Japan picked out his favourite Telecasters for me to choose from and this was the pick of the bunch. The Fender Japan guitars at that time were generally only made for the Japanese domestic market and had a quality control that surpassed their US counterparts. The Japanese top of the range guitars offered US Custom Shop standards for far less money. You can see from the pics of the electronics that they used CTS pots and US electrical components with the highest quality cloth wiring and perfect solder joints. NECK: The stunning maple one piece neck looks incredible with wonderful grain markings usually only found on high end Custom Shop telecasters - standard maple necks have no visible grain markings. It looks amazing and it feels even better: it is a deep neck with a subtle V shape at the nut. It is based on a ‘52 neck and feels very similar to vintage 1970s US Telecasters I have tried. If you are familiar with the Eric Clapton Strat, it has a similar V-shape feel at the nut but with extra depth to it. After a few minutes of playing it soon became my favorite neck shape and everyone who plays it comments on how good it feels. It just invites you to dig into it and give it the full Keith Richards treatment! It is set up with a medium action with no shims in the neck but you can of course set it up however you prefer. I achieved a lower action with a small shim in the neck which felt amazing but I’ve returned it to the factory set up so you can choose your own set up. However you set it up, you can really dig into it and the whole thing feels rock solid. PICKUPS: The pickups are DiMarzio Collection (that’s what the DMC refers to in the model number). They are incredibly versatile and lend themselves to most styles of playing. Naturally that Telecaster twang comes with ease, but turn them up and they’ll drive any amp into wonderfully smooth distortion. They handle hi gain settings well without sounding harsh and they mellow out beautifully at lower gain levels. They can easily be replaced of course but I doubt you’ll want to. These were only fitted to this top of the range Telecaster. Lower spec models got Texas Specials.ELECTRONICS: This Japanese guitar genuinely has a US heart. CTS pots and US electronics wired with precision using custom shop level components and wiring. It doesn’t come any better than this. All the electronics are in excellent condition with no buzzes or crackles. BODY: the 2 piece Ash body has a fantastic natural finish with incredible markings which look even better in real life than in the photos. The finish was originally hi gloss and I sanded this back with a very fine grain paper to give a subtle matte finish which looks incredible. If you prefer hi gloss it can easily be buffed back in. UPGRADES: The jack plug has been upgraded to one that can take angled jacks easily and I have added shielding in the cavities and on the reverse of the scratchplate. These are single coil pickups so if you are playing live anywhere with older lighting systems it helps reduce any buzzing the lights might cause. HARDWARE: The vintage Klusson style pickups look great and all work perfectly. The traditional bridge and saddles are correct for the 1952 aesthetic. The original strap buttons have been replaced with strap locks. The screws are flathead screws which is consistent with the 1952 model it is recreating, such is the level of detail these Japanese top end guitars were built to.I have used this guitar since 2008 for touring and recording and it sounded great in every session. It has some signs of wear which I’ve shown in the photos but this is on the rear of the guitar. Arguably it adds to the character of this 16 year old guitar as it has been genuinely played all over the world (UK, Europe, US, Japan). There is one dent in the top of the neck which is shown in the photos. Remarkably this does not affect how it feels at all. It looks stunning and it will continue to get better with age. These top of the range Japanese guitars from this era were one of the best kept secrets. The secret is now out and that is reflected in the price although this precise model from the very top of the Vintage Special range is still rare. They come up now and again and it is likely the price of these guitars will only increase over time as they get rarer and more sought after amongst collectors. This guitar deserves to be played though.The guitar its currently in the UK but I am also based in the US and Australia so I regularly travel between these places. If you want it shipped to UK, US, EU or Australia message me and we can work out the best and most cost effective way to get it to you. I am happy to ship to wherever you are and if I happen to be travelling there anyway I can bring it with me to keep the shipping cost down.
Price£1,500
+ £100 Shipping
