Fender '62 Reissue Custom Telecaster

Telecaster body
Sunburst Finish
Rosewood Fretboard
White Fret inlays
Volume Control
Tone Control
3 position toggle switch
3 piece saddle bridge
White Binding
Locking tuners
3 ply pickguard (Covered neck pick up screws)
All chrome hardware

I've changed the pick ups from stock pick ups to aHigh output neck pick up and a Hot Rails in the bridge.
I got mine second hand but the new ones came with the great Fender Deluxe softcase's.
So everything you need :)

I play through a orange Rocker 30 Head through a 2x12 Open back Orange Cabinet, Just for reference

Neck pick up -
Solid and full clean sound with loads of bass, so really love the clean sounds from the neck or middle position toggle switching.
The neck pick ups distortion sound is very defined and full very much like a strong solo type sound from A strat oddly (think Mike McCready of Pearl Jam)

Bridge pick up -
Great distortion, very bright and gainy really useable tone where as the clean sound on the bridge i am not a fan of, too compressed and twangy for my liking.

But all in all a great range of sounds covered by both pick ups, I know i changed them but even before i upgraded the pick ups i was very happy with the sounds on offer.

The neck plays great so fast and smooth, the body has perfect weight and feels great standing or sitting while playing.
The finish looks great ecspecially the white binding and I love fenders tuning Pegs.

As Ive upgraded mine it would be unfair to judge this as mines not spec, but ive had no problems

Never used it

Looks 5/5
Sound 4/5
Playability 5/5
Value 4/5

All round good guitar definatly worth playing and getting

I bought this great, no incredible CIJ 2003 Telecaster custom with double binding, Bigsby trem-system, 3 tone sunburst over and ash, that's right ash body. I changed out the electronics and installed vintage Fender custom shop wiring and elecs. as I upgraded to Texas special pick-ups. There is not an American made tele on the planet that I would swap for this awesome tone machine. It is a fact that Tele's with the Bigsby installed have the best tone you can possibly get out of a Telecaster, Try one for yourself and you will want one immediately. The vintage RI maple neck with rosewood fingerboard is as awesome as any American Vintage neck I have ever played. This guitar does not rate a 10 but more like a perfect twelve, especially with the Custom shop upgrades. If you have never had the pleasure of playing one of these great guitars then do yourself a favor and try one out. No American Vintage Tele even holds a candle to this awesome tone machine, stays in perfect tune, and plays like butter.

It sounds phenomenal, and the Bigsby is mostly responsible for that, well that, and the great job the Japanese did in meticulously recreating this guitar from the 60's. This is the most awesome Tele I have ever owned.

Superb action, built incredibly well, finish on the ash body is superb! Not one bad thing to say about this awesome Telecaster.

yes, yes yes!

No need for it!

Overall a perfect 10! AWESOME!

This a "reissued reissue" Japan 62" telecaster from 2007, 2 single coils, string-through alder body, 3 tone sunburst with transparent glossy finish, maple neck with rosewood fretboard, chrome hardware, vintage bridge with three steel barrels, old-style tuners. I don't know how to rate the features, it is not a smartphone or so. One thing I find a bit confusing is that the screws for the neck pick up level are unvisible (under the pickguard). You can fix this by either drilling holes in the pickugard or buying a standard tele pickguard.

My style is jazz so I tend to use the neck PU only. Sound is beautiful though of course a tad thin compared to a tele equipped with a neck humbucker. Still it works very well for Ted Greene stuff. It will also replace my Sheraton for gigs because it is a lot less heavy-weight and just as suitable for jazz. A good tele is a wonderful instrument for anything, a bad tele is pure pain in the ears. This is a fairly good one. From the neck pickup you can get a bell-like tone that can produce both smooth & warm sounds and very clear & sparkling sounds depending on your attack. Middle position and bridge pickup sound great for rock'n'roll, rockabilly, country. Twaaaang. I have had a lot of fun with the bridge pickup though it is not my style really. Middle position sounds like what everyone thinks of as the typical stratocaster sound. Funky, funky. Really excellent. Noise can be a problem with single coils of course. That's why noiseless replacement tele pickups sell like crazy... One thing I noticed is that the high e and b string seems to be a little lower in volume than the rest, so you might want to experiment with mixed string sets. When you strike full chords with the pick you get that nice effect that I can only describe as the chord "locking in" where the full sound takes some milliseconds to build up. Since this guitar sounds great both through a Marshall tube combo and a Fender Twin Reverb(though totally different) I assume that it will work fine with whatever good amp you have.

Bindings, fretboard, lacquer, nut, pots and switch are all flawless. The whole thing is drop-dead gorgeous to touch and look at (if you like telecasters that is, many people don't). I'm not an expert in judging wood quality, I can only say that it looks like very fine wood. I'm not overly happy with the vintage tuners. The tiniest twist of the tuner makes a huge difference and the high b and e strings tend to go out of tune if you bend the strings heavily (which I hardly ever do). Intonation is very good considering that it only has a saddle with three barrels. The low e string is a bit off on the higher frets but that is no surprise.

I trust this guitar. Be careful with the lacquer, it is not very thick.

I have no idea.

I have been playing for 25 years now and it is a shame that I have never cared to pick up a tele before. About two years ago I heard Canadian jazz guitarist Ed Bickert (he plays a humbucker tele) and there was something to the sound that I have never been able to find in an archtop jazz guitar. With some modifications and gear I could probably get that same type of sound from a strat too, a telecaster clone, or a less expensive Squier guitar, whatever. But to be honest, I wanted something that had an old-fashioned dignified touch to it, something you can fall in love and stay friends with. The 62" Tele is just that, at a fairly moderate price compared to an US Custom Shop model.

I was fortunate to find this Japanese made 62 re-issue ( it is one that was made for the Japanese market - not US ) I think it pulled 40 bids on ebay - these are popular because of the Japanese workmanship being so superior - they go for more than US custom shop models which makes sense.

- double bound, sky blue, green guard, factory bigsby ( no holes ) - with the Texas special PUS, alder, medium beefy C neck, 7.25" radius, rosewood board, with high action ( vintage style teles are always best this way ), 9.6 lbs ( nice - considering bigsby wgt ) - usual 3-wqay switch, Gotoh non locking - made in 2003.

action - springy - almost perfect intonation - you can floor the bigsby with no tuning loss. ( bends nut sauce helps with this )

tele >>> carl martin compressor >>> keeley mod blues driver >>> 4 10" tweed bassman. I've played 40 yrs - now in pop/R+B - goofy dance stuff ( that's why we get gigs )

NO NOISE - this amazes me - it's the good shielding coming out of Japan no doubt..

The texas specials are a big part of why the tone is special ( Kudos for at least one American made part ) - warm - midrangy - all the twang - bridge - great blues/sleepwalky tone. bridge - rock stuff - with the BD - // mid setting - use this most of the time - jangly- ringing sound

( ALERT - LITTLE KNOWN SECRET: A TELE WITH A BIGSBY IS THE BEST TELE TONE THERE IS - IT RINGS - DON'T TRY ONE IF YOUR TELE DOES NOT HAVE A BIGSBY BECAUSE YOU WILL EITHER SELL YOURS OR PUT ONE ON - MAYBE BEST IF YOU NEVER HEAR ONE)

I truly like everything about the tone.

wonderful - high action great staggered bridge PU - set up right by the time I got it ?factory

overall - nice workmanship because the workers there care about what they produce.

?? maybe 20 gigs on it.

not important

I do love this one - not puppy love either - I have owned 5 other teles - including a 64 and a 67 with bigsby.

I struggle with the strat vs tele syndrome - I either play this tele or a nice strat I have owmed a while

favorite feature - HOW THE BIGSBY MAKES THE TONE MAGICAL
SECOND FAVORITE - THE TEXAS SPECIALS

ok, I'll take off one point - I wish it weighed 8.5 lbs ( no lighter than this - teles lighter than this are not in the tone zone - if you know teles you know what I mean.

Fender 1962 Reissue Custom Telecaster
Sunburst Finish
White Binding
White Pick/Scratch plate
Rosewood Fretboard
Maple Neck
P90 Single coil handwound pick up "Bridge"
GFS Fatboy pick up "Neck"
CTS Electronics "Pots,Wires"

Good, often tele pick ups lack hottness and metal kinds of sounds,but thats not what they are for!
Suits my function bands style,pop/rock/blues!
Perticulry great clean sound!

Great!
Plays great acoustically which is always a good sign!
Pretty fast neck not as fast as a strat or ESP guitar!

Very reliable! its a fender!

Dont know,but from experience Fender are helpfull

Looks great/sounds ok all in all a good guitar! not as great as my PRS but still amazing!

Bought over the Internet as a loaded body and its a Tele so not may features, however those it has are excellent

Candy Apple Red with cream binding and Texas special pickups.

Apart from the details above the same as everyone else's :-)

I already had a 2005 MIM Standard Tele Neck that I had bought for another project.

Fitted the with a bit of shimming and it plays superbly.

I don't really have a style but the little bit of noodling around that I do sounds great, real nice Tele "twang"

I use it with a Fender Champ and sometimes a Line6 Guitar Port and it has no problems.

Bit difficult this one as I fitted the neck myself and its not really the correct item for the guitar.

However the body fit and finish is excellent great quality, I would venture to say that it is better than some USA Tele's that I have seen ?

Tank !!

I bought the loaded body from Reliable Fender on the Internet, they are very very helpful. I bought the neck from Aalox Fender also on the net and also very helpful.

Had no need to contact Fender.

Been playing about a year and a half (mid life crisis)

I have tried a few other guitars and always wanted a proper Tele, this was a good way of getting one at a reasonable price. I know buying via the Internet is frowned upon and is not for everyone, but it worked for me.

Not sure about the year but I purchased it around 1995. It is a beautiful guitar, sunburst with cream binding and otherwise the feature are typical of a Telecaster ( two single coil, three way selector switch...etc).

Playing the guitar in the store it had that Tele twang in abundance but for live gigs the stock pickup just were not cutting it. First of all the stock pickups hummed like crazy, even with no overdrive, second- the neck pick up was very weak in output and could not be heard in the mix without sounding muddy, and thirdly- because the neck pick up was so weak and the bridge pick up was overly loud, bright, brittle and twangy, the sound with the selector switch in the middle postion was absoluteley worthless because the bridge pick up totally overpowered the neck pick up when both were activated allowing for very little variety in sound.

Solution: Replaced the stock pick-ups with a set of Bill Lawrence L-290s, installed the Bill Lawrence Q-filter so that the tone knob doubles as the Q-filter control by way of a push-pull pot and added a five way selector switch and custom 5-way switching. Now this guitar vesatile, quiet and well balanced.

Set was okay but I am used to having to take a new guitar in to my tech before it really becomes a players piece.

A virtual tank.

Never had to deal with Fender regarding this guitar.

I have been playing over thirty years and I own many guitars. My musical styles go from blues to funk to fusion to jazz to R&B and pop as well as original music. I gig out between 8-16 times a month so my gear is important to me. Since the modifications this guitar can cover all the above mentioned styles beautifully with a character and snarl all it own. Right now this guitar is a one of a kind creation and since you can no longer buy Bill Lawrence L-290's, I would be very pissed if it was stolen. Overall rating before the mods: 7
After the mods: 10

I suppose mine is made about 1993 - I bought it new about that time. It's Japanese made with a basswood body, rosewood next, cream binding - and originally came with vintage style bridge, and the usual single coil pickups for thus type of guitar.

I'd always like the simplicity and feel of telecasters - and this model, with this combined with the sunburst finish and binding somewhat reminiscent of Gibson jazz guitars was irrestable.

I play mainly blues - and jazz, and (unsurprisingly) found the sound of the original pickups a bit thin and lightweight for me. So I routed out the neck body cavity and fitted a Kent Armstrong Alnico humbucker with chrome cover. In the next position I fitted a Semour Duncan Hot tele lead. This combination sounded much louder and fatter and has kept me happy for the past 10 years.

More recently I've had a problem with the Semour Duncan pickup and have changed it for a hand-made p90 type - which gives a similar fat tone. I'm thinking of changing the neck pickup to a P90 type too to give better level matching and to give a slightly brighter tone - as I'm now thinking I'd like this guitar to have a different function to my my jazz guitars.

My rating related to the sound after my upgrades.

The guitar was nicely set up as it came - but the action was very high. I found that dropping the action then caused choking when the treble strings were bent around the 10-14th fret. It's because of the tight vintage type radius of the neck on this guitar which is more rounded, less flat, than on modern guitars. A little work on some of the frets provided a reasonable solution.

With a low action this guitar is a dream to play, but I'm now feeling that a higher action is more the way to go and would suit the guitar better.

The other change I made concerned the vintage style bridge-plate provided. All very original and lovely I'm sure but a modern 6 string adjustable type simply does a better job and is more comfortable to rest the palm of the hand on, so I upgraded and haven't regretted it for a moment. Tuners are on a noname type and look a little cheap but have always worked really well and have never slipped.

It's proved a reliable guitar and hasn't let me down. If I was gigging with it regularly I'd replace the jack socket that seems a bit flimsy. Other than that I'm happy with it.

I've never needed any help.
It's a Tele - so it's not rocket science to fix any problem that might develop.

crafted in japan and from the serial A+6digits, made in the end of the 90s. 3 tone sunburst, binding, thin maple neck i'd say soft V shape with kinda regular frets on it. vintage tuners and 3 saddle vintage bridge, bought second hand.

i play mostly alternative, brit pop or blues style music, so the guitar suits perfectly. through a fender deluxe 85 (jonny greenwood syndroma)i just love it. the pickups, compare to an american standard are warmer, which is a plus to me, i don't know what pickups are inside, i'm not the mac gyver type. so the sound is less twangy and richer but still bright, i must say sexy. funny thing is the volume pot which cuts the bass before cutting the treble when turning down.i don't mind this kind of feature.

it's second hand guitar so it was well set up, action is low, neck is very comfortable, probably the best i've ever played on, finish is flawless like all japanese crafted guitars i believe. the main problem of this reissue is that, it's a reissue! so you have the vintage tuners that are not the easiest ones to replace strings and the 3 saddle vintage bridge which cuts my D string everytime i want to play very hard on the guitar. of course, if you play normally on it, the guitar is absolutely perfect

it fell down on the ground, i punched it to get weird sounds and still, even with vintage hardware, it stayed in tuned with just a few dings on the body!!! i thought about replacing the hardware but i didn't because i tought the guitar might lose its charm. and the guitar is so beautiful you don't want to touch a thing.

been playing for 13 years i think, played a gibson les paul standard custom shop before this one so it's quite a change but this 62 tele custom reissue is now my main guitar as i'm now playing more pop and i'm loving it. if it were stolen or lost? i must say i would maybe change it, but looking for the exact same neck so i would probably end with the same one.

I bought it at a guitar show in 1994. The last day last hour, so I paid about 350 dollars. Beautiful little guitar. I was quite surprised to find out that it was Japnese made, from the fit and finish. I felt like I had gotten quite the deal. Nice sunburst finish. Bound body. Dark fingerboard, which seems to give it a little warmth. Three saddle bridge, which really doesnt seem to bother the intonation like I thought it might. It doesnt intonate perfectly, but then none of my guitars do. And I own Gibsons, Fenders, Martins, etc. And have owned Guilds, Epi's, well you get the picture. I dont expect perfection, I expect playability and tone. I bought it as is with no case or anything, it rode home lying on the backseat.

I play classic blues rock, Have played light fusion in the 80's, Have played in rock and country cover bands. And this thing rocks for modern country. Played with pick and fingers it is alive. It resonates well, when played hard the notes jump out of it, can be quite twangy in the middle position. But is a bit brittle in the treble position. Can warm up for good rythm in the front position. As far as playability, it is the most fun guitar to play that I own. Because it seems to come alive in your hands. Draw-backs, oh yes it has drawbacks. The pickups should be upgraded, because the string balance is not that great. Bend a note on the high E string, and unless you are playing on the ragged edge the volume will just fall away. That is frustrating. When doing banjo rolls the different volumes of the strings are prevalent at lower volumes. Perhaps one day when I'm feeling real energetic I will replace all of the electronics in it. I wont let anyone else do it because I have been burned letting someone mess with my guitars. It sets out all the time so it is easy to grab and noodle around on, while my higher priced babies stay in their cases. So it is aging beautifully. I will give it a nine because it influences me to want to pick it up. The crummy electronics are replaceable, no problem.

The dealer that I bought it from at the show had set it up and it played and does play still extremely well. The frets are dressed very nicely, and the action is right. No buzzing, no sharp fret. Which I have played many Fenders (American made) and much more expensive that the frets are actually dangerous they were so sharp on the ends. Shameful for the price, if you ask me. The wood is plain, which is fine, it is solid and light, which contributes to the liveliness of the sound. The finish is handsome and gives it the look of a much more expensive guitar. I give the Japanese manufacturer credit, it is as well done as any American made Tele or Strat I have seen or played.

It is a little tank, I am not afraid to leave it out in the household so that it can be grabbed quickly and played. Wether finger-picking airy chordals, clawing the crap out of it, or strangling it with some Moorish-type bends, it doesnt care. It has taken its share of abuse with no problems. A solid ten here.

Never needed any, cant comment.

I've been playin a long time. Most of my gear is starting to border on vintage. I wish I had all the gear I traded away in the early years. Les Pauls, Strats, Martins. Fender amps. My main amp is a 70 Super reverb. I just changed out the original tubes in it. They have been microphonic for some years now. I also use a little Super 60 for when I'm playing Country. It suits the style. The Tele into the Super gives it a little more versatility. But if I need true versatility for an array of covers I will pull out my Strat. They are good for that. If I find another Tele like this one I will buy it, no doubt.

Mine is a 2005 crafted in Japan model (TL62B-75TX). All the features of a regular tele, Alder body, rosewood fretboard, 21 fret neck with a gloss finish and double binding on the body. I got a 3 tone sunburst model. It is a very nice looking guitar, the sort of guitar you see and you say "man, that's a nice looking guitar..."

The first thing i noticed when i picked this tele up and strummed an open E chord was how much the body resonated. It is a very 'alive' feeling guitar. plugged in it sounds amazing. Quite full sounding for a tele. the pickups are slightly higher output compared to other teles i've tried. It's still bring and twangy though. The Alder/rosewood combination is more commonly associated with the stratocaster, with the typical classic combination for the tele being ash/maple. I'd say this wood combination has a lot to do with it, and it's definately a good thing.
I'm using it with a Fender 78 vibro champ and a pro junior. Many reviewers below have commented on the pickups, saying they should be replaced. Personally i have absolutely no problems with them and would reccomend getting a better amp before changing pickups.

Before i bought my vibro champ i was using a solid state peavey with a modified yamaha guitar. I'd changed the pickups and everything and it generally sounded pretty good. since buying the vibrochamp and later the pro junior and generally becoming a tube amp convert i guess i'm more inclined to suggest a good tube amp for anyone looking for good tone. pickups and effects will only improve what is already fundamentally good. start with a good guitar and a good amp before you think about anything else.

so to summarise, in my opinion these pickups are very good. but feel free to disagree, i'm just offering my opinion here.

setup from the factory was ok, action was a bit too low and intonation was a little out. not perfect but it didn't take long to fix. bookmatching is ok you can see the joins pretty clearly. there is something else which is annoying but doesn't affect the guitar as far as i can tell. the plate which secures the neck to the body is VERY slightly off center. it's not crooked or anything just a tiny bit off. i didn't notice it for about a week after i got the guitar and like i said it doesn't seem to affect the sound or playability but it's just a bit annoying really!
while i'm at it with the annoyances i wish the decal said 'custom telecaster' like it should instead of just 'telecaster'. i'm sure that one extra word would improve the sound immensely!

i've already used it live and will continue to do so. it feels very solid and is quite heavy. i could depend on the guitar, but you can't always depend on strings. i'd use a backup just for security, although i'd be annoyed as i like this guitar so much better than my others.

ok i've never dealt with fender, so i'll base this on the service i got from Ishibashi music. i got this from the ishibashi web shop in japan, as it's not an export model. They were very helpful, Noriko answered all of my questions within a day and the guitar arrived 4 days after i made the payment. i was a little uncertain about buying over the internet and sending money to this place oversees so i had heaps of questions for them and they answered everything. I would definately buy off them again, maybe a '52 next time...!

Been playing for 9 years now. i really like this guitar, it's awesome. love the look (the binding baby!) and the sound of it. I compared it to an American Highway 1 tele (well not really i played a HW1 and didn't like it so i gambled with this based on the positive comments i'd heard) they aren't available outside of Japan so you kinda have to take a gamble. I did and it payed off big time! the reviewer below said that the American teles are just a little too modern and not 'tele' enough. i couldn't agree more. this guitar definately has more of a vintage vibe. the neck is gloss finished and a bit chunkier compared to the modern, slick satin finish on the americans. i prefer the chunky gloss but i know many guitarists prefer the feel of a slimmer satin neck so take that into account if you're considering this guitar.
For me this guitar is really quite perfect.

All the features as previously stated. Alder, three tone sunburst, double binding, crafted in Japan 2004 model, Kluson tuners and ashtray three saddle bridge, 21 thin frets, one volume and one tone control. Mine came with a Fender deluxe gigbag. It's a tele...not big on features but it does the job.

This tele suits the type of stuff I play. I play a lot of rhythm in a rock/pop covers band and also some lead and I find the tele ideal. I use it with a valve (tube) Laney LC2 30 watt amp and it sounds fantastic. I use a Boss OS2 overdrive distortion and a Boss CS2 chorus.

The guitar was set up perfectly for me as it came. I put a set of my favourite 10-46 strings on and it felt like home...
The finish on this guitar is beautiful....there must be joins in the wood but it is bookmatched well and I can't see them.
There were no flaws that I could see...all in all a beauty!!

I think this guitar will last forever....well built and it's a tele...what else can you say?

Never had to deal with them....

My overall rating is 10. It will tell you how much I rate this crafted in Japan tele when I tell you that I traded an American series Ash two tone sunburst for it!! IMHO the Japan 62 is exactly the tele I was looking for. The American series was just too modern and not "tele" enough for me. As soon as I played this one I knew I had to swap....and I love this one to bits....which I never got to with the American series. I would say check out the Japan made Fenders and you won't be dissapointed..

I bought this guitar new in 02-2005. The features where mentioned before, so it does not make sense to repeat all that again.

The only feature, that's not so positive about the 1962 Telecaster Reissue Japan is, that the neck has to be removed from the body to reach the truss rod.

The guitar was offered without a case.

Beeing used to Gibson Les Paul und Patrick Eggle Guitars, I first thought, that the Telecaster sounds "thin", but after a while I started to love the sound of this guitar.
It's a pleasure to play distorted chords, because the chords still sound clear and it's great to play solo too.
The longer I play this guitar, the more I feel, how it makes me play better, somehow.

Actually I bought this guitar for the looks in the first place - fortunatly it plays and sounds great too.

Setup was done fine in the store - Musik Schmidt in Frankfurt, Germany - the neck plays fine, always stay in tune and looks great.

The guitar is black with white bindings - looks great.

Everything is fine so fasr

No need so far

It's a beautiful guitar, that's a lot a fun to play with, it sounds great and you get a lot of value for the money.

I would buy it again in no time - so it's highly recommended.

MIJ '62 reissue, beautiful guitar. You all know what it looks like

Original pick ups are not very good. I have modified the neck pick up cavity to accommodate a humbucker (SD '59)and changed the pickguard for nice parchment 3 ply from a dealer on ebay. It sounds rich and fat, just like me! I find it has lost a little twang in the neck and dual positions, but the sound is a little creamier and I think i really like it. Sure is purdee, too. It is a little less noisy now too. I can still get some twang out of it with my playing style.

Well put together, this one is. The aging toner on the neck is real nice now. This guitar was made in '86, so its pushing 20 years old. The binding has turned a nice creamy color, to go with the sound of the neck pick up!!

Solid as a rockabilly. You can depend on it as much as you can depend on anything, and then some. Kinds goes outta tune, but i will change the tuners soon. Saw some nice mini schallers on ebay!

huh?

Great guitar. I think it would look really cool with gold hardware! If lost or stolen, i would as Bruise for another one!

jap made, 21 fret,you know all this from the other reviews...beautiful 3 tone sunburst, gorgeous cream binding setting this apart from any other tele i've ever sen.maple neck, old style bridgewiththe barrels (ie each string doesn't sit in it's own thingy-m-bob.through body trings,kluson tuners, came with gig bacg, no strap/ashtrey/strap locks etc unforunately...it was bought over the interet (blasfeme i know!!SORRY!!) rated it at 8 coz i knew wht i was getting, but it didn't come witha fender gig bag, it came with brandoni, and to my understanding fdenders came with their own branded fender cases etc

i am inspired heavily by john frusciante, hence 62 re-issue, but i also play foo fighters,muse, clpton and anythign i like the sound of basicaly.i upgraded the saddle son the bridge with bras ones which improved the sound slightly...well...not so much improved...made itmore what i was looking for.thisone camewith american custom teleick up's in it, and they do the job just great!!i playt an ibanez artist with setmor duncans 59's and wantedthis for vcariation, whichi have certainlyfound.they go hough a gibson GA15rv valve amp (clean) and a fender jnr 12w vlalve amp (driven) with a miriadofpedals fordistortiondriven wah wah sounds.

the came amazingly well set up. i told the shop iwanted a medium low action as i like like to get rightinto playingand can get a bit carrid away, and they set it upacordingly.thefinish was perfect, a few marks in the lacour that giveit character, not so much dings or imperfections, just anomoys, little marks you can see but not feel...if tha tmakes sense....

n/a apart i re-stringregularly and never had onesnap at a gig yet.

never needed it as such...they are very good at answering any questions i may hae though

the uimate question is, "if someone stole it wouldi buy anotherone?" damn right, it wa hard to track one down,it is jap made withamerican pickup's and i got an amingprice on it, but i love this tele, i may get one in candy apple red withthe cream binding as they look nice to, but i'd change the pick up's for variation in soundto justify havin gtoo '62 re-issues. this was a 21st b-day present so it is special tome anyway, but it is a lovly guitar and i am so proud to own it, and it is suchan eye catcher, everyone wants to see it and ask about it.

Mines is a 2004 Japanese model, with 21 frets, its the same as everyone elses here... Cost me #500 new. The binding really sets this guitar apart from any i've seen, as a result, looks wise, it kicks any other fenders ass. I believe John Frusciante uses something similar. Its 3 tone Sunburst (nice grain) with a rosewood neck and of course DOUBLE BINDING!

It seems quite 'twangy', but still its a nice guitar. The pick ups aren't as good as the ones on my other guitar (a les paul studio lite), but there a step up from my mex strat. They feel as if they lack power, but not to the extent that their crap by any means! I used it with my Marshall DSL 40 and the feedback of this thing when its distorted on the neck pickup is not very nice, so best stand WELL back!

The action was fine and there was no flaws in the building of the guitar, it feels solid!

I think this guitar will stand up to a lot of punnishment everything seems solid and trustworthy. I probabily would use a backup as its to much hassle taking two guitars plus an amp to gigs since I dont drive, anyway you can always ask politely to use someone elses.

N/A

I've been playing about five years and also own a Gibson Les Paul Studio Lite, a Fender Mexican made Strat and Jazz Bass, a Washburn acoustic and a wee Spannish one (it was my first). Amps wise i've got a Marshall DSL 40, a Fender 112 Deluxe Plus, and an old H/H 100 Watt Bass amp, as well as a 25 Watt practice Bass amp.
This Tele's best feature is the binding its beautiful!

This is a 1986, MIJ, 21 fret custele, beautiful 3 tone burst. I dont know if it is a solid top or laminate. Japs were pretty good with wood during this time frame, using very good wood since they had cornered the market and hoarded the wood in the seventies. Regular controls. Great feeling neck, nicely aged finish, rosewood board and frets are very tasty and comfortable. The pick ups suck big time. I think the make and model of the pick ups are Nippon Crappee. Passive, for sure! The binding is really nicely done and has aged to a nice creamy color. The guitar is not too heavy, and it is lively sounding unplugged. Bridge is the crappy vintage tele bridge that cannot stay intonated to save its life. Tuners are ok. The neck is kinda on the thin side, but very cool. It came with a cheesy gig bag.

Like i said, the pick ups are pure crap, I even doubt they were the originals, i think the dealer swapped them for a set of crap pups, because i have heard a similar tele with originals, and it sounded much better than these. i have since changed them for a set of Tom Anderson tele pups with monster poles! Anyone for some power chunk funk? I have changed the bridge for a six saddle up market unit, and have changed the pickguard for a pearloid. Everyone who looks at this guitar drools. I changed the tuners for a set of old vintage Kluson Deluxes i had lying around, just for fun, they look cool and work fine. This guitar sounds fantastic, now. I give it a 10 now, 7 when i got it.

Set up sucked from the dealer. They said they looked it over. The jack did not even work when i got it!!! nice job looking it over guys...The finish on this guitar is first rate. No FLaws. I like my frets a little bit bigger, but these are ok too.

Feels pretty durable. It is almost 20 years old and looks fine except for a few dings.

Customer what?

Been playing 25 years, own lots of gear. About 26 guitars and 5 amps. If this one were lost or stolen, i would find another. They (Tele's) are fine guitars, and the custom is a pretty finish. I like the way it feels on a strap, nice balance, weight.

2003 Crafted in Japan. Fender "Telecaster" logo not "Custom Telecaster," but that's what it is, with the 3 tone burst, double binding, 3ply mint guard, Kluson Tuners, rosewood board, vintage saddles, etc. Modern controls (with flat top knobs,) the logo, and the poly (not nitro) finish are the only differences between this and an original as far as I can tell. The volume knob has a kinman-esque treble bleed cap, which I was thrilled to see on a production guitar. The finish looks and feels beautiful. The body is a nice looking alder 3piece. The neck is perfect. Like butter. The nicest neck I've ever played on.

The only complaint I have about the guitar out of the box are the Texas Special pickups. They are fine, but I will be swapping them out for Kinmans when they arrive. Once I put those in, I am sure this will be the nicest guitar I've ever owned. Unplugged the guitar is very loud(for a solidbody), resonant and musical.

I have had this guitar 2 days and I am in love. This is a keeper. Workmanship everywhere is of the highest quality. Considering the deal I got from ishibashi and their fantastic service, I will most likely never buy an american made fender ever again. Fender Japan is the way to go! The setup was very well done, and the intonation was excellent, amazing considering the straight three saddle bridge. I like low action, so I will change that, but I was expecting to. They have it set up stock for blues/rock players who bend a lot, with the action medium-high.

Rock solid.

Ishibashi is absolutely the best. They were quick to answer every email right away, and I received the guitar from Japan in less than a week!

I've been playing for 5 years, and I am a music major in college. I've owned about 5 or 6 before this , but I feel like I've found one here that I will play for the rest of my life! I'm thrilled!

Judging by the serial number and the "Made in Japan" decal as opposed to "Crafted in Japan" this would have been made in '85-'86.
Basswood body with a gorgeous 3 color sunburst finish. Not sure if Nitrocellulose lacquer as the original or the current US made reissue model has but it's nicely done (not too thick)

Neck maple has a superb grain and the rosewood 'board is nice and dark-has a great feel to it. This particular guitar seems to have a slighly thicker neck-not a "club" but not as thin as the US made '62 Reissue I tried at a local shop. I like the extra thickness-better for (my idea of) good tone. Tuners are Kluson look alikes-work ok, but a couple are a little slippery. Will be replacing them with real Klusons.

I play a variety of styles (whatever I can handle-would rather work that not) but mainly alt.country and power-pop. I use a Vox AC30 for clean to slighly dirty sounds and Tech 21 Trademark 60 with a variety of pedals for more processed sounds.
This Tele is comparable in noise level to my '52 Reissue model and I.M.H.O. it's reasonable in noise level for a Tele.
Like any stock Tele they're not as big for tonal variety as a Strat, etc. but that's no problem for me. Use those volume and tone controls!
The lead pickup is actually a little hotter than my '52 reissue.

I bought the guitar used (private sale) and the previous owner set things up very well. I did switch from .009's to .010's and raised the action just a bit. As a guitar that's almost 20 years old it has a few expected dings and scratches, but nothing serious. All electronics, frets, etc. are in fine shape.

I would use this just as much as any guitar without a backup...that is I would not, but that has nothing to do with any fault of this instrument. Hey, strings break and I'd rather just get through the tune and be able to switch off to a backup.
As most all Tele users would agree, they're built as solid as can be. I'll give it 9 only because of the tuners that I'll replace.

N/A

I love the looks, the feel and really everything about this guitar. If I'm going to split hairs I suppose cloth wiring would have been nice and if this isn't a lacquer finish then that would have been nice as well. But all in all this is a finely made guitar at a very good price.

Features: 9

This is the Fender Custom Telecaster that where built in Japan between 1984-96. Purchase included the vintage tan tweed case.

Rosewood fretboad, kluson tuners, three-way pickup switch. Vintage chrome tone and volume controls, 'top hat' pickup switch. Three sadle bridge, 'ash-tray' bridge plate. 21 frets. Candi-Apple red finish, with white bonding on sides.

Body is made from Basswood, and is pleasingly light-weight.

The only accessories is the 'ash tray' bridge cover. I replaced the original white pickguard with a 3 ply black pickguard, which really makes the contrast between the red finish and chrome parts (including the bridge cover) look even more spectacular.

I gave 'Features' a 9 because this is a Telecaster, what more does it need?

Sounds: 10

Rating the 'sound' of this guitar is totally subject. I currently own a new VOX Pathfinder 15R. On clean settings this Telecaster and VOX amp perfectly compliment each other, sounding both bright and twangy. The bridge pickup, with the volume control set to max, provides more than enough bark to produce a crunchy distortion with this or any amp.

The neck pickup is suitably warm, nice for 'Travis style' finger-picking tones. The bridge pickup absolutely SCREAMS. I've A/B'd this Telecaster with a friend who owns a Nashville Deluxe, and this one that I own clearly is brighter with a more 'raw' twang to it.

I gave 'Sounds' a 10 because for me it has that legendary 'raw' Telecaster 'bark and twang' which is the tone I was looking for. This guitar is not capable of producing a 'mellow' tone, even the neck pickup has a 'raw' edge to it. I love the sound of this guitar.

Action, Fit & Finish: 9

I bought this guitar in a small guitar shop in 1990. I've never had to mess around with the setup or intonation at all. I raised the action slightly, that's the only adjustments I've ever made.

The neck is very slim, and very easy to play. No fret-buzz or choked notes anywhere on the neck (except when I screw-up...can't blame the guitar for that:).

The only flaw at all is occassionally the pickup switch shorts out...rememdied by gently toggling it. I consider it a minor nuisance.

Reliability: 9

This guitar looks and feels rock-solid. I polish it regularly to maintain the finish. As I said above, there's a minor problem with the pickup switch. If it gets more persistent I'm sure it's a simple fix to replace.

Customer Support: N/A

I've never dealt with Fender Customer Support. I did mail in the original warranty card when I bought this guitar, but I doubt there's any warranty coverage for a guitar almost 20 years old.

Overall Rating: 10

I bought this guitar new in July 1990 (McKenzie River Music, Eugene,OR), but it sat unused in a closet until about a year ago, when I finally found the time to learning how to play it. Seeing what the new Fender Custom Telecaster Reissue's go for this days, I got a bargain for $500 which included the vintage tan tweed case.

I?ve tried out several different models of Telecaster's, and in terms of vintage tone, feel, weight, and looks, this one is just perfect. Perhaps it was the 'luck of the draw'. The bottom line is I love every feature of this guitar, and to me it is irreplaceable.

Of all the different makes and models of the Fender Telecaster, the 62 Custom (reissue), in my humble opinion, is the coolest looking, and best sounding if you're looking for that raucous Tele bark and twang. This guitar is definitely a rare gem I'll keep forever.

lr**
Michael Behuniak
Seattle, WA
Jan 30,2003

i was lucky enough to be given my '62 tele as my first guitar by my dads friend.after realising to buy new it would cost 15 hundred pounds, i realised just how nice this guitar was. it is japan made,however im not usr exactly when. before the 90's but after 75 is the closest i know. its got 21 frets, which is enough for me, and a solid top. theres are tone and volume knobs, with a 3 way selector for the original pick ups. a single coil in the ash tray bridge, and the original 'soap bar' style at the neck. i havent got the lid for the bridge tray, as the previous owner said he didn't like it , and took it off. its got a rosewood c shape neck with thin frets, and a solid ash body. it is finished in a 3 tone sunburst, with the standard tele body shape. the original tuning machines are still in place. i got an amp with the guitar that the previous owner says is an amp he got with the guitar, but i dont know. its a celestion 30 watt, with a brown tweed covering.

my tele suits almost anything i play, but anything that really needs the fullness of humbuckers is where this guitar has to stop. this is the best amd most comfortable guitar to play rhythm on i have ever used. played through the original amp i mentioned, it sounds great, and through my korg pedal, it can cope with any effect well. the bridge pickup provides a very bright sound, while the neck one a general sort of sound. the playing action is wonderful, however the bridge isn't very comfortable to rest your wrist on when muting.

the previous owner put the guitar in his loft about a year after getting it, and it styaed there until i got it two years ago. it is in mint condition. it has top quality everywhere, and oozes class. it may not be the most attractive or flamboyant guitar available, but it has its own style of beauty.

again i cant fault the reliability or durability. ive played live with it, and it certainly holds it own, but its not the best. i think it will last forever. its a very workman like guitar, built to last. i wouldn't use it at a gig as an only guitar, but this is only becasue of the sound limitations, not the quality.

i haven't used any.

ive ben playing for two years now, and i recently brought a vintage les paul copy, as i neede something a bit more beefy than the tele sometimes. if it were stolen i would be devastated, because it is a luxury i cant afford to replace. i was lucky to get it for free in the first place. the playability and relaibilty is amazing, the looks classy, but its not the most comfortab;e guitar to play, and the pickups limit the sound a bit.

Mine is the sunburst, rosewood model. I give it a 5 out the box. I am the second owner. My buddy bought it new and took it back to the store, I grabbed it as fast as I could.

I've had it since '91. The bridge was changed to 6 saddles for several years until I found MannMadeUSA compensated 3 saddles (Stew Mac has Wilkerson's version) which allowed me to put the original (serial number) ashtray bridge plate back on and still play in tune! I changed the bridge pickup to a Seymour Duncan Jerry Donahue and the neck pickup to a VanZandt Vintage Blues. I put on a peal white pickguard, had a luthier refinish the neck in tunge oil and the final mod was a 4 way switch wich adds both picups in series (very cool - big bang for the buck)! I plan on getting the locking Klusons one of these days, but the split posts have been fine.

Spanky tone! Great for country but the 4 way switch mod made it very usable for all gigs. Through my Flextone it sounds OK. Where this guitar SHINES is straight through a tube amp with a tube driver and nothing else! I plug this in to a Pro Jr. straight with no effects and it keeps me entertained for hours.

This is one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen. Very classy. I like the bound body. I adore the sunburst. One day I would like to get the fret markers replaced with abalone...cool

It's been dropped, abused and played. It's never let me down. The only dings are on the bottom from my stupidity of gig bag placement on the way to a gig. Opened the van door and there went my Tele and a Strat. Both got some dings, but both were gigged that night!

Never needed it.

20+ years playing all styles. 10 guitars currently. These guitars were bargains in the late 90's but it seems the price has been creeping up slowly.

I think if it were stolen it would be replacable, but I would miss it.

I acquired this 62 custom tele in 1995. I'm pretty sure it was made in 1984, Japan of course. It has 21 frets, which are enough for me. Basswood bound body, rosewood fretboard, master tone, master volume control, 3-way selector switch. This guitar came with vintage telecaster pickups, although awhile back I replaced both pickups with a set of Joe Barden pickups. I played the original pickups for years but my ears found a better sound with the joe barden pickups. The vintage tele tuners were a headache for me so I replaced those also. The original 3 saddle bridge also had to go. Im sorry but my intonation is important to me. I replaced the bridge with I believe an ALLPARTS brand six saddle bridge. The nut had to be replaced because of an accident that chipped the original. It now sports a new graphite nut. Although I have made more than a few modifications on this telecaster I still consider it a 62 custom tele. Oh yeah, did I mention it is sunburst (not A mod but original color, hahaha)

Im satisfied with the sound I produce with this guitar. I play country, blues, and jazzy western swing stuff. I play it thru a fender deluxe reverb. I do use effects, I go into a boss comp/sustainer then to a proco rat (I only use that rat occasionaly)then into an ibanez tube screamer, which compliments the tele quite nice wheb used sparingly, finally i use a boss dd-5 digital delay which i use for some slight delay. The tele sounds really nice when played with just a little compression (the attack up a little, the sustain at about 10 o'clock). I do find myself struggling at times with the treble and bass controls on the deluxe reverb. Some nights its either too pearcing or too bassy. But I've discovered that when I do have all my knobs just right my 62 custom tele can sound very emotional. I will say that over the years of playing this guitar I have never found a situation where i wished I had some other guitar to acquire a certain sound. If im playing a chickin pickin song where i need alot of bite I can get that song, then the next tune needs a smoky sound for those jazzy western swing licks all i have to do is roll back the tone control. So, yes im satisfied with the sound of this guitar. When set right it can be very inspiring!

I got this guitar used. I found out months after I acquired it that it belonged to a friend's teenage son who actually pointed out his initials scratched lightly into the finish. The initials are only noticeable if the light hits them just right. The action on this guitar was a bit high when I got it. I brought it down A little bit but not much. I actually had to get used to its higher action. But I am now a believer that higher action means stronger tone. plus it made a man out of me! All of the hardware seemed to be set pretty good . It came with 9 guage strings which a changed out for tens, that when the bridge plate had to go. I have no problem with the wood. I really like the rosewood fretboard.

This guitar has withstood alot of gigs. Only recently have i had a problem with a soldering connection onstage. It was easily fixed. otherwise the tele has been very reliable. The finish has lasted for 17 years and has shown no signs of wearing thin. The 1/4" cord jack has become quite loose, but if im not mistaken that is a common problem with telecasters. The strap buttons are sturdy and solid. I do beleive that if something were to happen and i couldnt take a backup guitar to a gig, I wouldnt be nervous I believe my tele and I would be just fine!

N/A

Bottom line is that I got this guitar used. I had to get used to the action. I switched out the pickups which is something that ive done on every guitar that ive gigged with. The tuning keys were the notch kind, I prefer the kind that come on strats, the kind with the hole in the side. I also prefer bridge plates with six string trees and not three, which is what this tele came equipped with. If you are looking for a "vintage" guitar that doesnt have a "vintage" price this guitar is as good as any. But if you are picky like me you will want to modify this tele.

This is a '62 Custom Reissue. It was made in Japan. It was made in 1992. What can I say it's a Tele... solid Ash body, 3 color sunburst,maple neck (which is very rare since most have a rosewood fretboard), binding, kluson tuners, ash tray bridge... as I said it's a Tele...

I play blues/rock and for this the Tele rocks!!
It has a nice warm sound. I like the sound of the middle position, the bridge pickup has a real nice bite. Not very much difference in sound between the neck pickup and the middle positions.
I have a two other teles and this one keeps surprising me by its warm sound.

Action is top notch... I prefer .009 strings and this guitar allows .009 strings with an extreme low action without sounding thin...
Finish is still the same as it was 8 years ago... flawless.
I can leave this guitar unplayed for months, pick it up and it's still in tune.

I allways gig with an American Standard Tele as backup... but could do without. This guitar will last forever.
Finish appears to be a little weaker than Am std, but I really take good care of all my guitars .

Have never dealt with Fender. And think I never will...

I'm what you call a real Telecaster freak, I own a '97 American Standard, a 1999 '52 Reissue and this '62 Custom Reissue...
For the looks I like this on the best. As for sound maybe the '52 Reissue sounds a little better (more variety in sounds) but it really sound better than the Am. Std (which is about $250 higher in price)
I play through a Boss GT-3 and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (40W 1*12)tube amp. I think this amp was made for Telecasters only... they rock!!
If I'd loose this Tele I would probably cry for days and then went looking for another '62 Reissue Telecaster.

I bought this Japanese made Tele new about 9 years ago and have been playing in bars about once a week throughout. It came with no particularly unusual features, though it's called a "custom". I feel the parts are of a high quality, though so I can nudge up my rating to a six. But wait! I HATE the string-through design and the notched tuners at the top, so back down it goes.

Our band plays mostly oldies, and the Tele suits that style for the most part, but I personally prefer a gutsier sound. This Tele seems a bit thin on sound, and could use a good tube amp, rather than the Peavy Trans-tube I play out with. However, each room and effect has a dramatic impact on its sound. I see it used in country a lot. (A style of music which I loath. Come to think of it, I don't really care for oldies much, either!)

I had to tweek it a little to get the right action for me, plus I replaced the signature stock pick-ups with some Seymor Duncan Hot rails. I'm not sure that was a good thing, but hey, I had to do something, right? The finish and all was outstanding, I must say and it appears to stay in tune right up the neck.

Well, I was changing the strings at a gig the other night and it was taking me close to 7 minutes to do so. I was getting more and more pissed-off until finally I just hauled off and kick the damn thing. Secretly, I hoped I would break it so I'd have to get a new one. It hopped up into my lap and licked my face. It played as well as it ever did, however, about 10 people left the bar immediatly after that. Unfortunately, it stays in tune and plays well even after a beating. I can't believe Pete Townsend broke all those Teles. He must be one hell of a strong guy!

This guitar seems to be the dream guitar...for someone else. Go for it, you country guys. I think I'll be something a little warmer next time, like something with a couple of humbuckers in it. I love the intonation, I hate the tuning posts, I hate the string through body, and the triple nuts at the bridge; I also seem to break more than my share of strings, but that could be my cheap strings, too.