Fender '72 Telecaster Thinline Reissue

This is a MIM tele. It's a three piece ash body with solid maple neck; 21 frets; 3-color burst; single volume & single tone control; 2 Fender humbuckers; three way switch; Fender vintage fretboard radius of 7.25 inches; three bolt micro-tilt neck. It was made in December of 1999. Included a Fender gig bag. Pretty standard features. Oh, yeah, it also has a strat style bridge with six individual saddles... a nice feature.

I play a variety of styles: a bit of classic rock, jazz, blues, and when my son plays with us, a bit of heavy metal. The tele is not really suited to the heavy metal but does well with the others. I'm currently using it through a Tech 21 Trademark 60 for the rock and blues, and a mid '70s silverface Fender Princeton for the Jazz... no effects with either amp. It has the typical humbucker bit and warmth, but with a fairly wide range. The bridge pickup is remarkably clean and punchy. The bridge pickup is warm, but tends to be a bit heavy in the middle. Overall, I like the sounds it produces.

This is my second '72 reissue. The first is a MIJ model. Unfortunately, this MIM was not as well setup or finished as the Japaneese one. First, the neck was misaligned. The 6th string is much closer to the edge of the fretboard than the 1st string. A relatively easy fix, but perhaps not for a beginner. Next, the intonation wasn't even close. Once, again an easy fix. The neck pickup also failed the first day I had it home. All it needed was resoldering of the cold joints and it was working fine. When I pulled the pickguard off, however, I was in for a real surprise. The routed out cavities were filled with about 1/2 inch of sawdust! I thought the thing had termites at first. It was clear that who ever put it together wasn't being real careful on this one. As I said, all of this was fixable stuff. I would rather have not had to fix it though. The finish on the guitar was excellent. In fact it was the primary reason I picked up this as a second 72 reissue. The 3-color burst was perfect and the three chunks of wood used in the body had very nice grain and were matched up to be very attractive. I understand the bodies are made in USA, and it was clear that someone paid attention to how this guitar would look in it's very early stages of life. Same is true for the finish at the Mexican plant. Who ever did the finish, paid attention to what they were doing. Now if only the person doing the wiring....

This particular instrument is lighter than my first. I'm not sure how it will hold up... I'm a big guy and sometimes my stuff gets knocked around with a bit more force than most folks migh give their instruments. The hardware is not the best, but seems sturdy. If it's anything like my first one, it should be fine. Oh, I put strap locks on it before a strap ever touched it... I do this with all my instruments.

Haven't dealt with them directly. Figured the stuff that needed straightening out would help me get to know the guitar a bit better.

I've been playing for a while. I tend to buy and sell guitars on a farily regular basis. In the last two years I owned: LP Standard, Peavy T-60, Taylor 412, Gibson ES135, Gibson SG, Ibanez Ghostrider, Ibanez AS180, Fender American Delux Fat Strat, Guild Manhattan X-170, Martin D35, MIJ 72 reissue thinline, and an Ibanez Pro series. I don't know if I'd buy it again. I like it alot, but then again there are so many guitar to like... What I really like about it is that it's a good humbucker sound in something not quite as heavy as a Les Paul... it's also a different humbucker sound... a bonus in my book.

Semi-hollow body Telecaster style guitar with a swamp ash body and two passive Fender humbucking pickups, maple neck, Kluson-style tuners, '70s style headstock, clear finish, three way switch, volume and tone controls. Uses a hardtail strat-style bridge, not the usual Telecaster ashtray. 25 3/4" scale neck. Mine came with a gig bag and a strap.

This is a lovely sounding guitar with a bright, open voiced quality that lends itself well to many styles. Although the pickups are humbuckers, they are nicely voiced and not too hot. They have a rounded, open tone which is probably due to the semi-hollow body which adds resonance and air. The bridge humbucker does a fair-to-middlin' Telecaster bridge single coil imitation. It doesn't have as much breath or chime, but the twang is there. The neck humbucker sounds great in clean mode (something very few humbuckers can boast) and is great for producing faux ES-335 tones and smoky jazz sounds. If you want a good combnation of Fender Telecaster twang and ES-335 sweetness and warmth, this guitar could be the axe for you. I play in my church band and this guitar covers jsut about the whole spectrum of tones I need: from gospel funk, to clean, to gritty rock. The pickups sound great in overdrive mode, churning out lots of Stonesey grind in the bridge and sweet woman tone at the neck. They aren't tight enough for heavy metal and extreem gain playing, but those who dig classic rock humbucer tones (i.e. Santana, Dickey Betts, Cream-era Clapton) will enjoy the vibe.

The action was set up very well. I use .10s so I had to lower the bridge saddles a tad. The neck fits snugly into the neck pocket with no gaps, and the allignment seemed right on. Finish was excellent overall (those Japanese paint guys know their stuff) but I didn't dig the clear wood look, so I had a freind of mine spray a transparent red topcoat over the body and now I love it! Pickup height was right on when I bought it, but I lowered them a bit when I put the heavier strings on so I wouldn't get wolf tones. The hardware is ho-hum as is the case with most Asian-built axes. The tuners feel okay, but I can see myself replacing them with higher quality ones in the future. The bridge and control plate seem to have good nickel plating. I ended up replacing the switch, pots and jack with higher quality parts from Torrez engineering, and I would recommend to anyone who buys an Asian axe to do this. It is not hard and can be kind of fun. The ash used for the body is quite nice, although it would be cool if they could find a way to make the top a two piece instead of a three piece.

This is a great gig axe because it is sooooo lightweight. After you replace the pots, switch and jack it should be a dependable stage guitar. Mine has never missed a beat, and I use it for just about all my playing now. The humbuckers sound great: you should not need to replace them. Some players may think they have to be real carefull with it because of its hollowbody construction, but I wouldn't be too worried. The top is a good 1/4" thick and plenty solid. The only worry I have is over the three bolt neck joint. I have never had any experience with these and am not sure how it will hold up over the long haul.

Ive used strats for the last ten years and bought this axe because I wanted a guitar with humbuckers. (I'm not a Les Paul or shred-axe fan). A friend of mine told me about the '72 Thinline and so I checked it out and loved it immediately. It has replaced my old beat to heck Strat. If this thing were stolen I would cry and then probably buy another one. The '72 Thinline's ability to offer both Fender tones and ES-335 cream is what I love most about it. It sounds great clean and dirty, which is not something I can say about most of the guitars I've owned. I just wish Fender offered it in more colors. (Clear and sunburst are the only choices.) If I could wish for anything more it would be a phase switch. Putting one of those in it would allow you to get more quack with the humbuckers combined.

collectible series'72 thinline tele reissue,made in Japan. Natural ash semi-hollow body w/F-hole,2 fender 'wide range'humbuckers,7.25'radius maple neck,nicely lacquered. 3 way switch,master tone and vol knobs. Vintage 'open top'tuners,6-saddle string-tru-body bridge,'bullet'truss rod..blah blah...didn't come with a case i give it a 9 because it's got the features its supposed to have,including the cool '70s fender telecaster logo on the headstock...the triangular 3 bolt neckplate with 'F' engraved on it..and the white pearl pickgaurd.

i play blues (SRV..well i try,at least..=P)...some alternative (matchbox20,wallflowers,collective soul)and i like Bryan Adams songs. This guitar is good for playing Bryan Adams-style rhythms,especially those on his more recent albums where he uses mostly Gretschs...you can almost get that mellow Gretsch sound on a tube crunch witht he neck or neck/middle position.The neck pickup is very thick and FAT,great for meaty licks.The bridge pickup is twangy and thick at the same time,but not as twangy as a solid tele though. This guitar has its own character though,and it costs way less than a Gretsch,hehe.It's good for most alternative/blues rhythm work,too. Oh yeah,i lent it to my friend who plays jazz,and he loves this guitar on clean.
I'm using a Marshall JTM series 2x10 tube combo as well as a Valvestate 30R.This guitar sounds good through both amps...but the guitar has a somewhat muffled bottom end,you would like to back off on the bass and turn up the treble sometimes.
This is not particularly an SRV guitar,i use my strats for that.

Ah, the guitar came set up with 9's but i put 10's on it without adjusting the action and had no problems with it. The ash on the body had a beautiful grain...and the neck was lacquered...nice and glossy and smooth. I could find no flaws on the guitar, the only problem was with the pickup selector switch,it's kinda noisy when you flip it(the other guys in this review have the same problem too) but i can live with it for now...maybe i'll change it later. 8 because of the switch.

I've had it for about 2 months,played 3-4 gigs with it and it's ok...have to get used to the squarish tele shape though,i usually play strats...=P The hardware is nicely chrome plated and the strap buttons solid. You have to take care not to bang it around though, it hollow,not as tough as the solid teles(no Pete Townshed stuff,heh) i guess i could gig with it with no backup,but i'd bring my strat as i have to get other sounds too.

hmm,i've heard stories but i guess they're ok havven't dealt with them though. Lifetime warranty? hmm....really?

i've been playing for about 5 years. I play contemporary/funk music for church,as well as jamming with friends. i also have a '57 reissue strat and a duncan-equipped mexican strat. i love this guitar becasue it's so beautiful...the finish, the wood...everything. It has that nice hollobody mellow-ness not found on other fenders. oh yeah, mine is the only one in Singapore for now...heh. i got it in june 99. if someone stole this guitar, i'd cry 'cos i wouldn't be able to get another one easily( the store only brought in one). *sob* well guys...gimme a mail sometime...by the way, i'm 17 years old and my name's ben.

Crafted in Japan, semi-hollow two piece ash body, routed from the back, with a two piece ash cap on the back. One f-hole. Natural glossy finish shows the very attractive grain, and reveals how it was put together! Number of pieces of wood used in the construction of the body and the back varies from guitar to guitar. Two Fender humbuckers with master volume, master tone and 3-way selector switch, all mounted on large pearloid scratchplate. Strat-style string-through-body non-trem bridge. One piece maple neck, 21 frets, 7 1/4" radius, bullet truss rod, vintage slotted tuners, three-bolt neck plate with micro-tilt adjustment, gloss finish. This is a sturdy, functional guitar which also happens to be rather cute.

Excellent! I play mostly covers: pop, rock, and funk. After growing up with Gibsons (an LP Standard way back and more recently a 335) I've been a committed single coil lover for a few years. I found Gibsons too middly and one level, but (not surprisingly) his guitar doesn't bear much resemblance to a Gibson at all. I really like the sound of these twin humbuckers, and the whole guitar is very responsive. I guess the ash/maple semi-hollow construction has a lot to do with that, and the slightly lower output of the pickups c.f. Gibsons. Played through a Trace Elliot Speed Twin C30 class A 30W combo (check out the Harmony-Central reviews valve freaks!) the neck pickup is warm and full, while the bridge is bright and edgy, with that distinctive Fender twang, but never sounding thin. As I said, the output isn't particularly high, but those Keef moments never sounded better. Clean or dirty, this guitar has an excellent range of sounds for all but the highest gain applications.

My current 72 Thinline is actually my second. On the first one the action wasn't great, and, after failing to remedy the rattles and buzzes, I eventually I worked out that this was largely due to the fact that the neck wasn't set quite straight. Also I discovered a small crack in the lacquer at the heal. In fact, looking back I can't imagine why I bought it! Blinded and seduced by the looks and sounds, I guess. The store took it back after failing to resolve the action or the way the neck was set, or managing to convince me that the crack was superficial. Tating: 2. Second time around, and with a pro setup, the guitar plays fine. The chunky neck, the curvy fretboard and the heavily lacquered finish took a bit of getting used to when compared to my satin finished USA Standard Strat and most other modern Fender-style instruments. After all, it's a vintage re-issue, so what do you expect? It's certainly not for speed freaks, but hey, why hurry? Just relax and enjoy the tone! Rating: 8.

Once I got my hands on a decent model I've been very happy with this guitar. There is a little crackling with the rotary controls, but nothing a bit of switch cleaner couldn't handle. I changed the strap buttons for a larger size. I would happily gig without a backup.

Haven't had any contact with Fender. The store didn't quibble when I returned the first one.

I like this instrument a lot. Most importantly it sounds great. It also looks great, hangs nicely, doesn't weigh a ton, and didn't cost so much that I worry about it all the time. I get tense having an expensive glossy guitar slung around my neck, especially on a cramped stage, with lots of cymbals close by! I've been playing around twenty years now (not that you would know it) and this is probably the most pleasing guitar I've owned in that time. It's replaced a battered 10 year old USA Standard Strat as my no. 1. This instrument gives great tones and cool looks for a very reasonable price. It's a Fender.

A semi-hollow ash body Telecaster with two Fender humbuckers, a master volume and master tone control, 21 frets, strat string through body style non-trem bridge, maple neck with micro-adjust and bullet truss rod. Also has a 3-position pickup switch and vintage style machine heads with a slot and hole for the string end. Finish is natural with a white shell mother-of-toliet-seat pick guard... I actually like the look of this guitar. The f-hole, natural finish, humbuckers and pickguard create a very balanced, yet work oriented appearance. Mine did not come with a case. My rating is based on it being a working instrument not eye candy.

This thing has great tone. I have to confess that I was very unsure of trying this instrument. I currently have an Ibanez AS180, Gibson SG Standard, and was playing a Fender American Delux Fat Strat (which I unloaded for the poor tones this monster produced). Right now, I seem to pick up the tele more often than any of the others... just for the great tone. It's capable of Crooper style twang and Gibson warmth and depth... without a whole lot of electronics involved. I use it with a Tech21 TM60 and a Boss ME30. Frankly, there aren't many sounds I can't get from this thing. It can move from a chord melody arrangement of Somewhere Over the Rainbow to vintage Ventures, on to classic rock and into EVH stuff without missing a beat. I don't play any heavy metal... so, I'm not sure about this.

Action and fit were ok from the factory... At least I think so. This was a floor model at Sam Ash, and a great number of hands had played it before I found it and gave it a home. The only real problem was that the intonation was out just a bit, but this was easily brought back into line. I love the rounder 7.25 inch radius fretboard. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but my hands are wide, but I have short fingers, don't play with speed that would set anything on fire, but love to bend my notes. The feel of this thing is perfect. The real danger is that you can noodle around on it for hours. The attention to matching grain on was unbelievable. I couldn't find where the different pieces of would actually started without some serious, close examination. I also love the lighter weight of the semi-hollow compared with a standard tele or a strat. It's right in there with the Gibson SG in terms of comfort. Only real complaint is that the pickup selector is a bit noisy when moving to the center position from either of the end positions.

I have not had the instrument long enough to make a fair assessment on this. Maybe in another 12 to 18 months.

Haven't had any contact with them.

I would be really, really unhappy if I lost this instrument. I'd definitely look to get another. It's one of those rare instruments that just seem to fit me. I know all the talk about tele's requiring that you give in to them and that they are unforgiving, but this instrument just feels right to me. It's not the fastest, most comfortable, or prettiest instrument I've ever played, but it's the one that keep calling out, "Come pick me up. Listen to the sounds we can make. Ignore those others. I'm the one you want to hold." It's a pretty addictive guitar.

This one is a few years old, but they're still available now (1998). I LOVE this guitar, it is pure rock and roll. It is a semi-hollow made in Japan Telecaster with two huge humbuckers, 3-way switch, one volume, one tone, non-tremolo strat bridge (not the regular Telecaster plate bridge, but still sting through body). The neck is maple with a maple fingerboard. The finish is natural, and the wood is well selected and beautiful (I'm not sure if it's ash or basswood.) It is a regular Tele shape with an f-hole on the left side, and a pearloid pickguard which covers the other side. Tuners are vintage style with split open tops (they could be a little better, but Fender was going for the re-issue thing here.)
I have played an original 1972 Thinline Telecaster, and this reissue looks exactly the same. There are a few differences overall, though. The re-issue's neck is a little thinner, and feels like it might have a flatter radius, which makes it feel much more comfortable to me. Also, the electronics are a lot quieter (extremely quiet, actually).
Nothing fancy like coil splitting, but it's a Telecaster, what do you want? Since a rating of 10 means "TONS OF FEATURES", I'll give it a 9.

I play good old rock and roll, and this guitar is perfect for that. The semi hollow body and nice humbuckers give it tons of sustain and a very full sound. I use mine with a Fender Hot Rod Deville 212 and a Korg 411fx multi-pedal. WHOA!!! I am so happy with the sound. The bridge is actually kind of twangy, but not too trebly, and the neck pickup is FAT! If you put six strings on a big juicy steak, it would sound like this guitar on the neck pickup. It's amazing that such a tone comes from a guitar this light. The tone knob actually provides very useful tone variations, and the volume knob retains trebles when rolled down (I think it may have a capacitor on the volume knob for that).

I bought this used, and the action was a little high, but I'm going to leave it that way to do slide. Fender did a really god job on this one, and I am really impressed with a lot of the stuff that comes out of their Japanese factories. One weird thing it's actually heavier toward the neck end since the body is so light. This doesn't present a problem, but I'm used to a very heavy-bodied Strat. The natural finish is excellent, and the wood is very attractive.

Will definitely withstand live playing, although I'm sure it's more fragile than a regular Telecaster, being hollow and all. Everything is solid and of great quality, with the possible exception of the tuning machines.

Fender is a little hard to reach sometimes, and slow to repond, but still very helpful. I don't think this is of much concern to people buying Fenders.

Honestly, I was first attracted to this guitar because of the look (beautiful guitar), and the 2 humbucker configuration. After playing one, I had to have it. This is a great value for a guitar. They're only between $500-600 new. Get one of these!

Made in Japan 21 Frets Volume and tone controles with 3 way tophat selector swich 2 Fender reissue humbuckers 6 individualy adgustable pole pieces each body is made of swamp ash and neck of rock maple body has a natural finish and nech has a clear normal glue tipe finish Tele body shape semi holow with one F hole 70s strat non trem bridge string thrugh body fender cast tuners maple neck/scale normal fender frets bulet truss rod and micro tilt neck plate with 3 bolts and hex adgustable tilt for neck bidy tilt adgustment

I like bleus and this is a good guitar for it has nice strong output well you can see yohny lang playing one usualy( not that Im a bing fan) I use a fender 63 reverb unit and boss blues driver it has humbuckers so itsnot that noisy The neck pickup has a particularly dark and full soud the combinatioin of both is rather a normal seting and requiers no special coments the bridge pick up is not as dark and full but also not as twangy as a normal tele I guess its the tipical bridge humbucker sound I wounder what new sound could come out of it if it had coil taping wired in?

the guitar come set up ok not wonder ful but ok this is a very personal thing so I dont think any one can expect a guitar to come perfectly set up from the factory The pickups were not allthat well adgusted but its a five min job so that doesnt bother me I chose from several of the same model so the wood on mine is very beytiful the workmanship on this one was very good for this proce guitar I like the curvature of the neck that is a 7something( doesnt come to mind right now) inch radious. my opinion on rating hereis after personal adgustments made by me at home.

This is a very beutiful instument but is not as ruged as the usual slab of wood teles it requires a little more care not to ruin the finish but hey its not like I wana bang it around any way its toughf enoughf for me. the Hardwae is not the top of the top but it wil last and is good I replace d the strap butons for straplock and the sadle and nut for graphtecks but hte original sadles were good and didnt break the strings

never delt with them

I am very satisfied with this instument but I do recongnise that it is not for everone it has its particularities like the look the pickup configuration and the neck curvature but for me it is great so check it out for yourself ( go to the fender home page and look it up then go to the nmusic shop and try it out foryourself first if you are still interested ) I dont give 10 and since thee could be brter tings on this guitar like coil taping I give it an 8