Johnson JT-800 Tele Copy

Tobacco Sunburst
Tele(obviously)
Tele-style
Tuners are reletively cheap(They have their namesake on the back of the keys and are non-locking), But the do hold the tuning very well.
I would say it has a fat neck. Rosewood fingerboard.
I bought it without any accesories other than the strings that were on it. I bought it used Person-to-Person.
It does not say where it was made, but I would assume China or Japan. It appears to be a '95.
There are 21 frets.
It is a solid-body guitar, so the question of whether it is solid top or laminated does not apply.
It uses the basic Tele-style 3-way selector switch.
The configuration would be L/S.
The single coil is a Johnson EMG. The lipstick pickup I would assume is the same make.
Passive electronics. Like the Tele.
Body is solid alder. The neck is single-piece maple. The fret board is rosewood.
I give this category an eight because it is the closest any company has come to making an affordable and great sounding Tele copy.

I play mostly classic and southern rock, so it is as though it were custom built for me. I do occasionaly play blues.
I have used a couple amps such as a Berhinger 2x12 and a Squire SP-10. It sounds great in both.
It is noiseless.
It has a combination between Bright and Full sounds.
It can make some twangy pops like a Tele, and can closely resemble a Strat on the middle setting.
I like the fact that it sounds like a Tele, but dislike the fact that I had to adjust the intonation.

N/A(Already stated in previous section)

It has withstood some live playing. It has a wonderful Tone in the open air.

I have been playing for 4 years and have played some of the worlds best guitars, so I have no real comment for this section. I would be Disheartened if it were stolen.

Telecaster clone. Solid alder body. chrome, closed tuners. Maple necks, rosewood fretboard. Pickups are Johnson EMG.

This guitar, even with the terrible OEM strings, sounded astonishingly good right out of the box. Playing on the bridge pickup, I noticed a slight weakness on the high E string as mentioned by other reviewers. The bridge pickup needed a slight adjustment to correct this. The neck pickup is quite decent sounding. I didn't notice any loss on the high end that other reviewers noted. The bridge pickup is sweet! It has all of the 'Tele' bright twang and jangle without the shrill "ice pick in the ears" sound that Squire teles have. In any switch position, this little stinker sounds remarkably good. If you didn't already know better, you would think that it had alnico pickups on it.

It is remarkably touch sensitive too. I suspect these pickups may be hotter than 'vintage' wound, because if you lean into the pick a bit, they growel almost like a set of P-90's.

I rate this guitar suitable for blues, rock and country and even a little jazz. I tested on three practice amps (peavey, marshall and vox)and it sounds good. It even sounds pretty good on my old Peavey Deuce II.

Action was a bit high as shipped. Other than that everything else is good.

I think it is built like a tank. The volume and tone pots and jack are the only thing I would replace if I were gigging all the time.

Best bang for the buck I have ever bought.

Features are as listed by every other rater: Telecaster clone. Date of manufacture is probably between 2000 and 2005. Solid alder body. chrome, closed tuners. Both of the JT-800's I own have maple necks/fretboards. Pickups are manufactured for Johnson by EMG. I have one in honey-blonde, natural finish, and another (older model) in a mint/cream finish. No included accessories.

Surprising sound at this price. I play mostly contemporary Christian music. Excellent combination of bridge and neck pickups. Bright, biting, "quacky", Tele sound, as well as silky smooth bluesy sound. Used through a Fender Ultimate Reverb Amp. An array of Behringer effects and a Morley Wah-Volume pedal.

Factory fit and finish were excellent. Because I've had some custom work done on both of my JT-800's, action and intonation have been adjusted by my local music store tech.

This guitar does a great job during live play. I always play with a back-up guitar. Many times I have played with just the 2 JT-800's and find they are well-made and dependable. The hardware is of high quality and, although I was initially tempted to change out the tuners, I have not been able to justify spending the money. All hardware is heavily chromed and seems well-made. If I had to play without a back-up, I would trust this instrument.

I have no experience in dealing with the Johnson Company. My local music store stands behind my purchases in terms of warranty type work.

I've been playing forever and I still don't know what I'm doing! If either of my JT-800's were lost or stolen, I would definitely replace it. Prior to purchase I compared this guitar to Fender USA Telecasters and, in my very humble opinion, find that the differences between the two guitars are small and unimportant. On the natural model (Paid $149.), I added a Bigsby B-5 Vibrato and a Jaguar floating bridge. On the (older) mint/cream model (paid $50. on ebay), I added a bridgeplate and chrome string ferules, and drilled through the body for string-through-body stringing, with individual adjustments (like the 70's Fender Tele's had). I also added the chrome (ashtray) bridge plate cover. With these small mods, the sustain on this guitar is remarkable. The look of this guitar is vintage and soooo sweet. Both guitars are a pleasure to play. I use a 9-set of Ernie Ball Slinky strings. My favorite feature on both guitars is the silky-smooth maple fretboard (only available on the natural and cream colored units). I would not have been as attracted to a JT-800 with the rosewood fretboard. You can purchase a JT-800 almost anytime on ebay for about $118. Because Johnson has truly cloned the original Fender design, all vintage and after-market add-ons/options fit as though they were made by Leo himself. Anyone can own this guitar, customize the heck out of it, and still not get anywhere near the cost of a "name-brand" headstock (that was probably made on the same assembly line as the Johnson guitars). I call the JT-800 a truly, fantastic buy. I'll put mine up against any similar model. I own several, very expensive guitars. I don't love any of them any more than my two JT-800's.

Paid $119.00

2005 Made of course in China
22 nickel /silver frets
Solid Maple Neck and Alder body
Well you know the setup regarding tele's standard setup and not string thru the body
Solid Maple neck / rosewood fretboard
Beautiful sunburst finish.. not a blemish at all..
meduim jumbo fast neck (love this neck, feels like butter)
Came with cheap cable and some allen keys.
It's a tele for God Sakes

This think ROCKS!. I play SRV, Funk, Classic Rock, Red hot chili peppers, U2, Led zep, some jazz etc..

Playing this puppy thru Line 6 - 75 watt amp (you know which one)
This thing is pretty versatile.. anything from rock, to country, to twangy, to metal (think Led Zep) blues, jazz..

Almost dead on setup from factory.. But again we are talking about a tele.. The final journey of a guitarist leads to a telecaster...what can I say

Nothing flawed about this guitar..

This tele would withstand an earthquake.. It's built solid. Strap buttons are solid but would invest in locking ones so you don't drop your guitar in mid jump flight

OK.. I think we need to get our heads out of the sand regarding this. We are in the new technology revolution with china coming onboard and hungry to take a piece of the pie for themselves.

Foreign firms are building plants in china, harvesting the cheap labor, educating a nation and building exception manufactoring products from guitars to cars....(there are currently over 100 manufactoring car plants making cars under pseudo names and selling it to the world)

My point here, is technolgy has changed the way musical instruments are manufactored. No longer needed to rely on a brand "you know who" manufactures.. Johnson guitars are built to last and sound great.

Never dealt with them.. Bought it off online music store.. but Johnson offers lifetime warranties.. That only says' Buckets on the value and long lasting of the product.

I own too much gear to list.. and yes including some LP's and fender strats..

I just wish they (Johnson) would of made a tele deluxe type with string thru the body (but again, SG's and LP's aren't thru the body either)
If stolen, yes for the price 119.00 I would get another one.. I would even so mod it (but those EMG's are very very good stock pickups) and surprisingly those machine cast tuners really keep this puppy in tune

Standard tele features from a Standard Tele copy.. with Johnson EMG pickups, Solid Alder Body, One-Piece Maple Neck, Rosewood Neck Stripe, Die-Cast Machine Heads, Nice Maple Fretboard, One Lipstick Pickup, One Slanted Pickup, 3-Position Pickup Selector. White pick guard, natural color. Not a lot of features as tele's tend to be basic..there is only one format for a tele design.

This guitar actually blew me away when I took it out of the box. I was very surprised at the quality of this booger. I have aquired over the past 40 years nearly 30 keeper guitars and about a dozen various combo amps and heads and even twin full stacks that will redo your DNA genetic structure if you don't wear ear plugs. Yet when I pulled this 100 + dollar tele copy out of the box..tuned it up..and test drove it on my little 50 watt Marshall 1x12 combo amp..I was blown away to be honest. Nice chunky maple neck..fast action...surprisingly heavy solid alder body...and I knew after five or so minutes of playihng that I will not have to replace the pickups...this thing will howl like a hit dog anytime you need it to. The lipstick neck pickup produces beautiful rich bluesy tones with the Marshall....just goosebump beauty on blues solos..and the bridge pickup??...Well..I test drove this guitar by putting on one of my Stones tour DVD's and played right along with the band on 3/4 of the show..I was swapping riffs with Keith and Ronnie like I was a member of the gang. I would definately gig with this guitar. The only dislike/concern I have with this guitar is the nut.

Guitar was nearly spot on right out of the box..just minor intonatiohn needed and already came out of the box with a low action. Superior craftsmanship for this price range..really surprising to tell the truth. I bought the natural as I don't like a painted tele. And even though there is not heavy grain to the wood, there is a bit and it does look pretty good..and I know that it is a solid chunk of alder there and that makes me feel good. Fretwire posed no problems..properly set and machine sanded I assume..but no sharp edges and no buzzing. The maple fretboard is absolutely beautiful and looks like it will take some heavy playing..which I intend to do to this axe. I don't like the giagantic plastic knob on the pickup selector..so I removed it and will get me a small little rubber thingamajig to put over the bare metal. Nicely machined knurled volume and tone knobs...nice ans shiny chromed tele parts..really a sharp looking and solid guitar for this kind of money. Again...I am concerned about the placement of the nut on the neck...may be nothing but it's something that distracts me.

This guitar will withstand a Who tribute band concert :) Really, I am amazed at the quality of craftsmanship in this guitar. I never play live without taking three or four guitars..I need an acoustic and a semi hollow and slabs and several various guitars to achieve certain sounds so I take what I need...so I never go to a gig without three to five guitars. But if I went to a garage band gig at a friends house..I would have no 2nd thoughts about taking this guitar by itself...and I would get as trashy as a two dollar %$@& with it in a garage band scenario. :)

I bought a Johnson Las Vegas four years ago from a sorry piece of white trash and he sent me a boat anchor..would not refrnd and Johnson would not respond to my emails at the time. However, the guy I bought these two teles from is top notch and told me Johnson has undergone some serious internal changes since I bought that Las Vegas and they offer top notch warranty service. I will write again when I try to use them.

I have been playing nearly 45 years. I started playing with a Sears shorty strat with ampified carrying case. Drove my Dad crazy..so I had to switch to a cat gut acoustic while playing at home. I have played with some people who went on to fame and glory..still stay in touch with some of them..raised in Houston, Texas and know most everyone in the "original" scene there in the 60's and 70's. Played everything from 13th Floor Evlevators...to Fever Tree...to Johnnie Taylor..Chuck Berry...and then a swap to Country and Western..back to blues and then back to Rock and now anything I feel like. Seriously..you will not find a better 100 dollar guitar ANYWHERE on the planet that is this close to a real tele and made so well. I have a Silvertone 335 style that I paid around 100 bucks new for that I rave over too...but that's a 335 style and we are talking tele's here. Do yourself a favor..try one of these before they disappear...you may even be able to put a real tele neck and parts on this heavy solid alder body and build your own real tele if that is your thing.

Standard Tele copy with Johnson EMG pickups, Solid Alder Body, One-Piece Maple Neck, Rosewood Neck Stripe, Die-Cast Machine Heads, Rosewood Fretboard, One Lipstick Pickup, One Slanted Pickup, 3-Position Pickup Selector. White pick guard, sunburst colour. Not a lot of features as tele's tend to be basic.

I have no real musical style. I tend to play everything, 60's, blues, pink floyd, metallica etc etc. Am using a really bad cheap nasty little amp at the moment so it's hard to tell on the sound but I love the sound I can get out of it for the price & compared to other guitars I've had plugged into this amp. Clean is beautiful, rich & warm tone especially from neck pickup. Can't test any other settings as the amp can't take it. Would love to hear it thru a nice amp. But so far I can't believe the sound out of this for the price.

Played ok out of the box, replaced the strings which made a difference. other than that setup was fine. The guitar is beautiful to look at with no major flaw except minor chipping on top edge of the fretboard, on the bottom it would've been an issue. Tuners seem cheap but it staying in tune so no problem there. Minor design issue is the pickup selector can get in the way a little bit, it's quite high. Just looking at this guitar you'd swear it cost 3 or 4 times as much as it did.

I don't play live, I don't take it anywhere & I'm very careful with it so there's no issue there. The only thing is the tuners may need replacing at some stage but at this price who cares? It looks rock solid to me.

no idea..

I've only been playing 2 years, self taught & not very well. But it's all about how much you enjoy it isn't it? I wanted a nice looking & sounding guitar without paying a fortune & I couldn't recommend this guitar more highly.
I would buy another one in a minute.
I chose this one compared to other similar priced guitars & this had the best overall reviews. I can't say enough how much I love this guitar & how impressed I am with the sound & build quality for the price.

I suppose it was made 2005, 22 frets, solid top, one vol & one tone, 3way select, 2 single coils, (lipstick & slanted) made by EMG. Don't know wood, standard painted body. Maple neck, with a maple fretboard, (the fredboard is a separate piece) std tele bridge (cheap) tuners (cheap) electronics (cheap) the 3way switch has a lot of play. It feels like it will break if you don't treat it with care. It came with a chord and wrenches.

Here is the amazing part of this guitar. It has a wonderful sound. It is not at all like a Fender tele. The lipstick does not have that smooth, jazzy sound with the tone knob in its No 1 position. (treble down). the bridge pup does not have that quacky thin (Johnny Cash) country kind of sound of a real tele. These are not complaints, unles you buy this guitar expecting it to sound like a Fender. It does not sound like a Fender tele, but it sounds great. They call this guitar Del-Sol. In Spanish this translates literaly, "Of the Sun". or "From the Sun" Which is a good name for this guitar cuz it is "HOT" It has a fatter sound than my fender. Kinda a cross between a humbucker and a single coil. It is fatter than a single, but not as fat as a h/b. which is nice, cuz I already have a tele and several hb guitars.

OK setup. Had to straighten neck, raise pickup (the lipstick is not adjustable from the top. you might be able to adjust it by taking off the pick guard but I don't really know) The saddles on the bridge are not very adjustable, they only go back so far & I can't get some of the strings intonated. Some of the little screws in the saddle are very hard to turn and get the allen wrench into. If you buy this guitar, be prepared to replace this part, it is useless. Tuners feel cheap, but stay in tune. Fret board is very nice, smooth with frets all nicely done. It is easy to play. Also, the neck wrench given in this package is difficult to get into the neck adjusting rod. It is almost too big to fit in the hole. I had to struggle, wiggle it, push it to get it in. The looks of this guitar get a 10 but because of the bridge and tuners and non adjustable pup, the wrenches, I have to give it an overall 5

My only concern here is the 3 way selecter switch. Dont know if it will last.

?????

Been playing long long long long long time. Probably longer than most of you have been alive. (I still suck) Too much gear to list. If it were lost or stolen I would not buy another one. The only thing to love about this guitar is the sound. Remember, this is a cheap guitar and you get what you pay for. It is not as good as some other "cheap" guitars but what it lacks in quality components, it makes up for in sound. So replacing these components would put this in the catagory of these other "cheap" guitars, now you have spent more money than is necessary.

2005 Model, Made in China, Tele style, 22 frets all smooth and playable, 3-piece solid Alder body (Nicely fitted together), excellent Natural high gloss finish, top loading bridge, maple neck (straight), maple fretboard, 1 volume, 1 tone, 3-way selector, open single bridge pickup and lipstick neck pickup, adjustable closed chrome tuners, 2 string trees, neck stripe, white 3-py pickgard, chrome parts.

Sounds like a Tele.

Good sustain.

Excellent! No blemishes, frets fine, neck good, action perfect.

Natural finish is beautiful.

Intonation dead on. Replaced strings as they were corroded.

Seems solid. Can't see why it wouldn't perform.

Lifetime warranty. Bought from a dealer. No problems. No repairs needed.

Also own a Johnson JS-800 which has been excellent too. Satisfaction with that encouraged me to buy this guitar.

Also have a SX GG1 LP clone.

Made in China, 2004. 22 frets features the same as all the other reviews

I play straight blues rock and the guitar's great for this sort of stuff. I play through a hiwatt custom 100 and a 4x12" home made cab with Fane crescendos. The guitar is not noisy at all, although the amp is! Guitar sound is good and crunchy on the bridge pick up although the top E string lacks sound quality. Must do something about that. With pedals the guitar can make a decent range of sounds for the sort of thing I play.

Set up was OK, but the strings were crap. Pick ups probably still need adjustment.

Who knows? I've already gigged with it and so far so good. Best thing is I paid for the guitar with 1 gig!

Don't know

I have a Westbury standard that I play in open G, and this Johnson for the standard tuning. Sure if it was stolen I'd buy another one. Value for money is unbeatable.

The Johnson is a Telecaster style guitar, with two single coil pickups, 3 way pickup switch and a volume and tone control. I'm not sure about the year of this model but it is probably within last 2 or 3 years. It has the older arrowhead style peghead so I am using this to give a rough estimate or it's age. It has 21 frets which is the standard on all of my Fender type guitars. The body is solid, I believe it is alder, and has the translucent red finish with a beautiful woodgrain showing through. It has a nice, fat, 1 piece maple neck with a rosewood fretboard with 6 in line unnamed tuners. This neck is what really won me over with its bulky feel, which fits my long fingers to a tee! A 9 for the great feeling neck.

I play a variety of music, 50's-90's rock, Blues, Country...etc. This guitar will work out well for about any of this stuff. I play through either a Marshall AVT 50 combo or a Fender Deluxe 85 amp, both with Celestion speakers. Sometimes I use a Music Man 65 with 2 12" Celestions when I want to lug something that heavy around. For effects I use a Boss Harmonist, DD-6 Digital delay, Tremolo pedal, and an old Digitech Delay for slapback for rockabilly & country stuff. The Harmonist is excellent for 12 string simulations and has an awesome chorus sound when both controls are set to 12 o'clock. Of course it will do harmonies and octaves as well, it's a very versatile pedal....but back to the guitar now! I took it to a benefit jam a week after I got it and every other guitarist had a Fender Telecaster so I was able to judge it against some stiff competition. This Johnson doesn't have the thin, clucky lead guitar sound that the Fenders had, to my ears anyway, it was thicker and outright bluesy. The other lead player had a B-bender telecaster that just didn't have the bite my Johnson did at all.

This Tele copy was a new instrument that had hung in the store for several years and the neck shows absolutely no fretboard wear at all. Well this guitar was not setup in the least when I grabbed it off the display rack, but the neck and the balance of it felt superb to me as soon as I felt it. The strings were totally dead, the bridge saddles were all the way down, and the truss rod was totally loose! Pickups were far from the strings and some of the frets needed filing on the edges. The pickup selector has some play in it but I can deal with it fine. I just spent the afternoon with my tuner setting the neck up, the saddles & intonation, the pickup adjustment, and also a new set of guitar strings the store threw in on the deal, which I couldn't believe as the price was so low anyway!

I play them pretty hard and I can tell this one will take it. I thought about replacing the saddles and maybe the tuners, but with the intonation being so good and the thing stays in tune despite my playing it hard, I can't see the point. I'm leaving it stock, as is, it's a brute. I always carry a back-up guitar in case of strings breaking or tuning problems, its just common sense to me. Also I like to have a Gibson style guitar for variety.

Seems rock solid to me so I doubt I'll need any customer support. Its a Tele copy so parts are very accessible and I think I can repair any problem that would arise. It was bought from a Music store that is going out of business, so I got what I got at a great price and I'm greatly satisfied.

Hmmm, I've been playing for like 33 years now and enjoy variety in my music. Guitars include, 1974 Fender Stratocaster, Fernandez Strat with slanted Humbucker in bridge, Gibson les Paul, Epiphone Sheraton 2-In beautiful ebony black, A bolt-on neck Firebird copy, an Explorer body style guitar I built from a piece of 70 year old walnut-very well seasoned, a Martin 16-GT, Regal resonator guitar, Washburn mandolin...and a Johnson tele now. I compared the Johnson to an Alverez tele copy, but the Alverez neck did not compare at all-too thin and wimpy for me.
I would like to thank the other players who reviewed this guitar because it really influenced me to take a hard look at this great little guitar and realize what a solid instrument it really is!

Mine was made in china wich i am happy about .The amount of frets is nothing for me to FRET about ie it is sufficiant.Mine is a maple fret board with a white/cream body;nice silky feeling neck and the frets feel good I believe this guitar is all solid wood.The tuners work. I dont need to change anything . I think it came with a guitar cord.It doesnt have the string through body setup.
Its a tele it has tele features

I think its a nice rock+ or roll guitar
with a nice sound and feel i wanna be clear here JOHNSON GUITARS RULE
bang for the buck champs of the world i just hope there arent people barley scraping buy on 2cents a day cuza them
the sound is like a tele in my experiance ,i think. Kinda a bare bones down to earth sound (hows that?.........) anyway

well the guitar was set up very well it plays beutifully my fave
part of getting this guitar was that i could pick it out and it was brand new i picked the color and the fretboard (maple and cream)
there was one minor "flaw'
the picup had a wire hanging out wich was a easy fix for me
plus the seller sent me 10$ when i told them about the "flaw"
they were great

well i am not REAL ruff with guitars ...YET so
mabey someone else should talk about this part
But i think this is better than fender squire espesh when you think of the $

they were fab

well i been "playing" for 13?
years I love this guitar its awsom and the best deal on ebay for a NEW guitar THAT I COULD PICK THE COLOR AND FRET BOARD OF
I new johnson guitars were very well amde thats why i got it
lessee if someone stole it.......I would try to get it back i spose
i play it through .....well i have four little amps rite now i been playi ng it through my MULTIVOX

Made in 2004. 22 frets, 3-piece solid Alder body, 1 volume, 1 tone, 3-way selctor switch, single coil lipstick pu at the neck, slanted single coil pu at the bridge. Comes with Johnson PUs. Passive electronics. Alder body, solid Maple neck and maple fretboard with Rosewood strip up the back. Glossy natural finish. Telecaster copy. String-thru bridge. Die-cast tuners. Beefy body and neck modeled after 1960's Telecaster. Came with a free gigbag.

To be honetst, I don't play well enough yet to appreciate the sound quality, but that's OK. I'm making some changes that will make a big difference later.

Don't know or care about the factory set-up. I'll be taking care of that on my own. I'm replacing the PUs with MIM Fender Telecaster PUs I got pretty cheap. I'm also replacing the strings with Ernie Ball Slinky's. The tuners were the first to go. Seemed OK, but I wanted better. Replaced them with 6-on-a-side Grover Mini's. I love the look of this guitar's finish! Beautiful gloss over natural wood finish. The wood grain shows through beautifully. The 3-piece alder body is striking. This is the main reason I bought this particular guitar, other than price. I felt I could make it be what I wanted, if I could get the basic guitar to build on. The one downside I found was a poorly finished 3-layer pickguard. Jagged edge around the neck. Easily cleaned up. I expected the pots and switch to be bad, but was surprised at how OK they are. I won't replace them for awhile yet.

I know nothing about live playing, but I upgraded the tuners and strings. I'll upgrade the pickups shortly. If I could play live I'd probably use it. I love the finish. Seems good quality. Strap buttons are tight and well placed. I was pleasantly surprised overall.

Don't know anything about Johnson or AXL (the parent company). 5 year warranty I've already ruined. The seller on Ebay was martinsguitar, a man named Marty Schiff. Nice guy, but very slow to respond the emails and no response to phone calls. Took 16 days after the auction to receive the guitar. Left neutral feedback.

I have been struggling on and off for more than 20 years to learn. I have no talent and no prayer of gaining any. I just love trying. Pick it up when I can. I'm a 40 year old SAH-dad with 5 kids, 3 in diapers. Very little time to practice. Hours on end to dream about it.If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy a new one right away. It's a beautiful guitar for the money and I can dress it any way I want and still be saving money off the real Mccoy. This is a guitar I'm proud of and happy to show off.

Made in China 2004 - solid alder body with wonderful high gloss natural finish and shows excellent grain on front and back ? chrome hardware - maple neck with rosewood fingerboard ? 22 frets - covered and sealed Johnson-tuners ? 3-saddle top-load bridge , no string through body ? 2 EMG designed single-coils - guitar cable and allen wrenches included

I mainly play blues and bluesrock and I had 9 guitars ( Gibson LP, 6 Fender Strats, 2 Fender Teles) bevor the Johnson came to me, so I can compare the Jonson with my MIM Tele and my US Tele ? and I was more than astonished about the cheap Johnson. The clean sound is unbeatable, bluesy on the neck and twangy or acoustic-like on the bridge position. Much better than my MIM Tele and as good as my US Tele. At high gain the EMGs are a little bit weaker than the US-Standards but the sound is ok. Sustain isn?t as good as my other Teles, so on the second day after purchasing I put my drill and brought the six holes into the body and the original bridge, fixed the string-ferrules (from Rockinger) and installed Goldo brass harmony-saddles together with Fender strings. The result of the strings-through-body is a dramatic increase of sustain ? sustain until the doctor has to come ? and a much better sound overall. The singl-coil hum is very silently in neck/ rear position and of course there?s no hum in middle position. Bevor my modification I give the sound a 8, now it?s a 10+.

The body and its finish is excellent without any flaws, much better than I?ve seen on my 1000 Euro US-Tele. The neck feels fine, only the frets are not very good polished, so spent about an half an hour with 0000 grade steel wool smoothing down the neck and fretboard, and polishing the frets. Perfect now and playing it just makes me happy!
The set-up out of the box was fine, but not the optimum. The strings were cheap ones and so I put a set of Fender?s 10/46 on it. The controls are ok and run very smooth. Tuners are ok and they look absolutly like the ones on my MIM-Tele, only stamped with Johnson instead of Fender.

The body is built like a tank and seems like it will last forever (as the most solid Tele-bodies). All of the hardware seems fine to me. I only changed the strap buttons to Schaller strap-locks as I allways do. So what can break a Tele ? a 38to truck ?

The guitar came with a 2 year warranty, the dealer is very reliable and obliging, but I have not dealt with the company. I think the support can't be much worser than the Fender-support here in Germany (3-4 months delievery for spare parts - horrible)

Now I have ten guitars ? 9 expensive guitars and this very cheap Johnson (90 Euros + 40 Euros for my modification). I have bought it just of the look of this wonderful body, but what I didn? have expected ? this guitar makes really fun to play, the sound is good and if you look on the price it is unbeatable. The Johnson my cheapest guitar but really not my worst one, so I love to play it. I would definitely replace it if it got stolen/lost. This is a terrific value for the money!
Put a little work on it and this guitar sounds, plays and feels like or better than much more expensive brand-names.
I love this Johnson Tele !!!!!!

Year made: 2003/2004?--Made in China (what isn't?)--22 frets--solid alder body--1 volume, 1 tone knob, 3-way switch--generic pickups which sound very good to me in any position--the bridge pickup is clean and tele-twangy; the neck pickup can produce acoustic-like sounds; and the middle position can rock out for lead or rhythm playing--maple neck with maple fingerboard--fast, smooth, easy to play, not a thin neck, but easy to play--frets finished smoothly--alder body is natural, and the color is correct, a beautiful golden color (not yellow, or tan, or mustard), which shows excellent grain on the front and the back of the body, all covered in a high gloss (varnish? polyurethane?) finish--3 ply pickguard (W/B/W)--tuners are no-name, but hold tuning--however, I strongly urge you replace the factory strings (I think they are 9s) with a slightly heavier gauge--I used Ernie Ball 10/46--the difference in sound and playability increased dramatically (and it was very good right out of the box)--ash tray, tele bridge--but not a string through body--nevertheless the sustain is amazing--10 foot guitar cable was included--am rating the features on this guitar at "7," because a tele, obviously, has limited features (that simplicity is its main charm for me)

I play everything, badly, but, hey, it's only rock and roll--I have played classic rock and blues on this guitar--it handles both well--I play through a Crate GT212, with no effects but a touch of echo sometimes--also, the neck pickup can produce acoustic-like tones, and I now use this guitar for finger-picking instead of my wonderful, old Guild acoustics, because I LOVE the neck on this Johnson and the fact that I can go from an acoustic sound using the neck pickup (it's close enough for me) to a rock sound (middle position on the 3 way switch) to a country sound (bridge pickup)--I get no pickup noise of any kind at any volume through my Crate GT212 (I've had it up to 9 on the Crate, and the neighbors' ears wewre bleeding)--how these Chinese no-name pickups play with no hum/noise, so silently, is a mystery to me, but it's true--I really think a playr can get virtually any sound he wants out of this guitar--I am amazed at the range of sounds a $100 guitar can produce (or, maybe it's my incredible technique...)--clear, clean sounds in every pickup position and combination, which can be distorted using pedals and other techniques if those styles is your taste

Because I had read eharmony and other reviews of this guitar, I asked the store to check the intonation for me (I never learned how to do that properly)--I took the guitar out of the box, tuned it, and it played perfectly--everything on the guitar was screwed down and tightened correctly--the bolt-on neck fit very tightly--the natural finish was beautiful--I was shocked at the look of the guitar, because it is truly stunning--I had looked at Fender American Standards, Fender MIM, Squiers, and several tele copies sold on the internet--the finish and look of this Johnson natural finish tele is truly the most beautiful of any tele model, at any price, that I have seen, right off the shelf--when I took the guitar out of the box, I was stunned at the look of it--I could not believe the guitar cost only $100--the only flaw I found was a tiny, shallow dent (maybe 1/8 of an inch in diameter) on the front of the body--you can only see it if the guitar is held against the light at a certain angle, so who cares?

How could anyone predict how well the hardware will last?--all of the hardware seems fine to me--although I have not used this guitar live on a live job, I have no doubt that it would work fine--I have played the guitar 5 hours straight at a sitting, and I feel confident it would handle live playing (how can you "break" a tele?)--frankly, I find the guitar hard to put down--I love the look of the damn thing, and playing it just makes me happy--I have a 1969 Gibson SG that I have been playing for 27 years, but the Gibson has been retired--the strap buttons seem fine to me, but I would have to use the guitar on a job to really test the strap buttons--I would gig without a backup, because the guitar feels dependable to me (and I have been playing the hell out of it for the past 3 weeks since it arrived), but, if it broke, I would just pick up another one (I was so pleased with this guitar that I bought a second JT800 in natural, plus another in sunburst, with a rosewood neck)

The guitar came with a 2 year warranty, but I have not dealt with the company--if anything broke, I would not bother with the warranty--I would just replace the broken part (it's a tele, so how hard are they to repair?)--besides, I now have 3 Johnsons, so I am certain that at least 1 of my Johnsons will always be playable

I've been playing (badly) since 1963--my other electric is a 1969 Gibson SG on which I have been playing for 27 years--that Gibson SG is a wonderful guitar, but I honestly prefer this Johnson JT 800 (call me a fool, but remember that music and playing and sound and rock and roll is awfully subjective)--I also have a 1978 Guild D-25M, which I dearly love, but, again, I have put it aside for this Johnson tele (love the neck on that Johnson!)--if this Johnson tele were lost or stolen, I would be upset, but I still have 2 more JT 800s left in the closet.

CLOSING THOUGHT: have your seller check/adjust the set-up and intonation if you (like me) don't know how to do it--replace the factory strings with, at minimum, 10s--if you really want to bring this guitar up to its best, replace the tuners with Grover Mini-Rotomatics for $30 (and these Roto-Minis perfectly replace the Chinese factory tuners, not, as I noted above, that I had any problems with the factory tuners)--as you can tell, I am truly smitten by this guitar--maybe I just got lucky, but this guitar's look and playability are amazing at any price (and I played teles right up to the $1200-1500 range while looking for a tele to buy)--I hope you get a Johnson as good as mine! Good luck!

2003, China, 22 med. jumbo smooth frets, solid alder body cream color, white pkgd., 2 crome knobs, vol. & tone, 3-way top hat switch, lipstick neck pickup and slant flat ple pieces bridge pu. Natural maple neck with seperate maple fretboard. Tele style body with nicer Johnson headstock. Old style 3-saddle ashtray bridge, decent tuners, plastic nut, 2- string Ts all chrome. 25" scale. Free shpg., w/ nice gigbag, allen wrench, stand, and cheap strap.

I play rock/metal/blues. Sounds best through either my G40V (6L6) w/1x12, Crate MX120, or Laney AOR Protube (EL34) half stack. Use a fuzz/wah and flanger (and occassionally more). Neck sounds smooth and bluesy, bridge jangly and bright. The bridge had to be adjusted, but still gives a lower response to the high E. Noise is the slight static of most single coils. With both pu's on, it rocks good.

The set-up was fine except the bridge pu. Low action, just right. Fast neck. Finish was good, no flaws. Everything tight. The frets were smooth edged, but at a dealer they were rough.

I think it would make it just fine.

N/A

30 yrs. tons of gear. It was such a deal and is good enough that I would probably replace it if destroyed or stolen. I never liked the Fender tele because of the "weak chin" headstock, and no whammy. I grew out of having to have a whammy on every guitar, and always wanted the cream/maple combo. I'll either adjust the bridge pu for better high E, or replace it. Feels great to play, and puts out a nicer blues tone than the strat, and a brighter bridge tone. Together they give an almost humbucker rockin' crunch. Nice buttery neck on mine.

I bought this guitar cause i need a really cheap back up... im starting a band i'd like like my roomate's johnson base... the tele sound lends it self to my unorthodox style of playin... also cause the late great joe strummer played one, so dose keith richards, im crap but i like the style. i'd paid 140 + case for 70...eh case smells like pot but who cares...

Well its your standard tele setup, it apears to be solid alder its pretty nice.. not string thru body but makes a nice raquet, beauitful infact... not as much sustian a peavey generation but adequet...sold saddles great neck solid as brick... a tribute to chinnese forced labor... its far beter then any squire and who can beat the price. 2 knobs And switch who can ask for more. Cheapy tuners but they'll work... 22 nice frets

This thing kicks it like rock death... its seems built for speeds with alot metalic twang... i love it.. it kills on by crush 10 amp by Orange

Well there's a slight rattling by the head nuthing serious really ill get it look at though... dosen't realy need a intoannation- nuthin major proably dosen't even need it, but ill do it any ways... great finish beter then my peavey. strings could be lowered a bit just slight bit.

Seems like a big black hard as rock johnson... its the best thing to come outa china since gun powder and general tso's chicken

dunno

Ill deffennitly pay for the up keep... just needs tunners eventually other then that aces

Typical tele set up
alder body maple neck rosewood fretboard

it was ok but always seemed weak...found some fender tele pickups online swapped em out. Turns out the poles on the magnets only had a single copper band around them..not wound like a pick up should be.

This was all great...fast neck, beautiful finish. Transparent blue finish and here is what really nice...no extra routing like fender et. al. So i was able to take off the white pcik gaurd and made a clear one so you can really see the the color and finish

never had to deal with them

been playing 18 years. Have a Strat, Epi, Ovation, Arbor, Telestar (funky japense from the 60's) and the Johnson. have a few pedals two fender amps, a vintage randall...not the new junk and a generic amp that i wanted cause it was cool looking

Bought in August 2003. Made in China. 22 frets. Solid alder. Cream paint with white pickguard. Maple neck/maple fretboard. Hardware features are standard Tele...two single-coil pickups, 3 position switch, single volume, single tone control.

The bridge is the vintage style - 3 saddles, each holding a pair of strings. The strings feed in through the end of the bridge, NOT string-through-body.

The tuners are non-name, non-locking, die-cast tuners. They're...adequate, not exceptionally smooth tuning action, but they'll do.

I bought this through MusicBrokers.com for $119. Free shipping. Came with a gig back, strap, signal cable, and allen wrenches to adjust the neck and bridge.

Both pickups are a little weak; nothing disastrous.
The bridge pickup is classic Tele - razor sharp, twangy, jangly.
Both pickups together (middle switch position) gives a really nice sound for rhythm work - still nice and jangly, but not as sharp and sparkly as the bridge pickup alone. Run it through a distortion box to get JUST A LITTLE crunch (this aint a heavy metal axe!) and you've got instant bar room rock and roll!
The neck pickup isn't quite as appealing - my biggest complaint is it lacks high end defninition.

This is a tough category to answer.

Right out of the box the setup was unplayable. That's not a big complaint - the instrument was shipped from the factory in China to the store in Arizone to me in Connecticut, in the middle of a humid August. I expected the neck and intonation to be out to lunch! A little bit of time adjusting these items and it sounds/plays wonderfully. I'd give it an 8 for action.

The fit/finish on the body (cream paint, white pickguard, chrome hardware) are absolutely gorgeous!!! 9 or 10 for fit/finish on the body.

The neck (maple neck/maple fretboard) needed some work. The finish was a little rough. There were some spots of finish (polyurethane?) on the frets. I took the neck off and spent about an hour with 0000 grade steel wool smoothing down the neck and fretboard, and polishing the frets. Now it feels like silk!!! As-shipped, I'd give it a 4 for fit/finish on the neck.

Having owned this guitar for less than a week, I can't speak to its durability. It certainly feels solid...the construction of ANY Tele is pretty simple and nearly indestructible.

I have a policy that I NEVER gig without a backup, but I haven't seen where this guitar would be likely to fail mid-performance.

MusicBrokers.com, where I ordered this were VERY helpful. Their website didn't really go into a lot of detail about the various color options available. So I called them. They were very accomodating and easy to work with. The order shipped when they said it would; and it arrived when they said it would.

I really haven't worked with the Johnson folks at all.

I've been playing for 35 years. I own a few other guitars (Les Paul, MIM Strat, Epiphone hollow-body). I've never had a burning desire to own a Tele (or a copy). But I saw this for $119, and decided it was at least worth a try.

I'm an inveterate tinker-er. For me, 50% of the fun of a guitar like this is tweaking it into shape.

I think for $119, the guitar I got was a fantastic value!!! With these caveats:

- Right out of the box it was unplayable. Aside from the neck adjustment, action, and intonation, which I EXPECTED to need work, the neck finish was not all that great. So I probably wouldn't recommend this as a first guitar for someone unless they had a resource who could help them get it into playable shape.
- With the proper amount of tweaking, this was easily turned into a very very nice guitar! Now, if I wanted to go a little further, I'd replace the pickups and the tuners and it would be a truly sweet guitar...for a lot less than a brand-name Fender Tele.

I would definitely replace it if it got stolen/lost.

Bottom line - if you don't mind putting in a little work, this guitar can easily be made to sound / play / feel like it cost more like $500 than the $119 I paid. This is a terrific value for the money!

This is a Telecaster copy, with everything a Tele has, in various degrees of imitation.

I bought two Johnson nearly identical Tele's by accident on Ebay from two different sellers (bidding on two different auctions, figured I'd lose at least one ... Doh!). But that gave me a chance for an at-home taste test.

They're new, made in China, both natural wood finish and maple necks. Appears to be a couple pieces of alder, pretty much seamlessly put together, with a heavy gloss finish. And it weighs the same as a Tele -- not some lightweight thing, whether you like that or not. One guitar had some kind of knothole partially visible halfway under the control plate. Whatever. I like the barnyard look.

Strings are toploading. Tuners are good. Maple neck is fine -- I read they are "fat," but I thought it was normal and easy with pretty good frets.

So what you get is something that looks and weighs exactly the same as a Telecaster at the music shop. If you know how to do a little soldering and wood finishing, you're on your way to a primo guitar (not that it isn't pretty good to begin with). So here's what I did:

My friend is a big Stones fan, so I took one guitar and changed the pickguard and wired in a humbucker. Warning! The standard Tele pickguard is just a little bit different, so I had to shave it off 1/8 here and there around the neck and control plate. The screw holes weren't quite in right place, but I made it work. The pickguard that came with it was a standard boring white. So now it has a black one with humbucker and sounds very cool.

The jack on these things is some kind of brittle crap, so for good measure I changed it. Why not. I gave the guitar to him and he loves it. Looks like Keith Richard's "Mikawber" and for us hobbyists, does the trick.

With the other guitar, I set about stripping the gloss finish and making a sort of retro beater Tele. With a little sanding, I discovered that there may be very thin laminates on top and bottom, but probably just for appearance. I don't know. I changed out both pickups for alnico Mighty Mites off Ebay. The neck pickup now works great, but I actually almost miss the twang of the original bridge pickup!

I bought a replacement bridge that allowed for strings-though-body, got out the electric drill, and voila! Pretty much a Tele now. Oh, and replaced the pickguard with a funky Bakersfield tortoise-shell one. Same story. Pickguard needed a little shaving to make it fit.

After stripping the varnish and giving it a Danish oil finish and wax, it looks very cool. The electronics are fine, but they use those teeny-tiny pots, which means if you want to upgrade to regular pots, you need to get a control plate with big enough holes for the larger shafts.

Well, by the end of it, looks like I've got as close as you can get to a real Telecaster without spending the money. And for good measure, I sanded the name off the headstock, replaced it with a big Fender-style "F" followed by a squiggly line. Then I laid in its new name with scratch off letters: "Dogcaster." A couple coats of polyurethane later and it looks like some kind of designer thing.

This guitar sounds great to me. The original neck pickup is an anemic stand-in until you get something better, but the bridge PU is full of classic twang.

I use a couple tiny tube amps, a 60's Harmony tube amp, a little Marshall and so on. I never owned an actual Tele, but I've had enough other guitars to know this one sounds good or better. No buzz or hum.

What kind of sounds? Twangy, barroom, Folsom Prison sounds, man. Except for that neck pickup. Before I switched to better ones, I pretty much just kept the selecter locked down to the bridge pickup.

Setup? Well, crappy strings, as usual, but no matter -- those are just for show anyway. Everything else seemed nailed down firmly on both my Johnsons. Tuners were tight, wood was good, finish was good (if you like a lot of gloss on a natural finish), just that one knothole and some bargain-cut woodgrain, but good enough for the price. Everything else was straight and true. I had a setup done and no problems at all.

I don't know anything about live playing, because I balk at the notion of anyone else hearing my sounds. BUT ... yeah, this is a big slab of wood with a couple things screwed onto it, so I can't see how I could damage it, even with a plan to do so. Solid.

They included a tag with the guitar, but I've mutilated these guitars beyond the point of anything like a warranty. Actually, unless there were an unfixable structural flaw, like a big crack running lengthwise down the neck, I can't see the point in support on this guitar. Even then, I'd have it fixed for less before they could respond.

I've been playing maybe 15 years as a hobby and annoyance to my wife and neighbors. I own a whole slew of Teisco guitars, Jay Turser, Danelectro, no-name and other "vintage" guitars, including a bunch I've bought and sold.

Nothing I wished I had asked before I bought this.

If stolen or lost, I'd buy another and treat it to the same modifications. A very good deal.

I love the way this guitar sounds, and how easy it is to work on. I'm not so keen on the shape of the headstock, but oh well.

This is a great Tele copy for the money -- at least the ones I got. And it's so easy to make it better. No plywood, no warped neck, crappy tuners -- it's all pretty much there. I have to give it a "9" because I just might find something better that's worth a "10", and then I'd have to turn everything up to "11".

Definitely worth the money! You won't regret this purchase.

This is a 2003 Copy of the Standard Fender telecaster. It has a solid body and maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. It has the single bridge pickup and the lipstick pickup near the neck. The one I got is black with a white pickguard. It has a volume and tone contol and a three way switch. It has the fender type head with crome tuners. It has the tele style crome bridge only with two string per holder and not thru the neck.

I'll tell you what, for the cost of this little jewel I was extremely suprised. The sound is very nice. I have a Les Paul and I think I really like the sound of this better. Maybe it's more the sound that I like or maybe it's just really better. I hate to say that about a hundred dollar guitar, but it's true.

Everything seemed to be about right as far as fit and adjustment. Everything fits well. It was set up with a nice low action and works fine. The strings suck! But for a hundred bucks what do you expect. I wasn'r expecting it to be quite so nice for the price. It exceeds my hopes.. I was figuring I would have to nearly rebuild it after reaing some other reviews but the adjustments were minimal.

This seems like a heavy duty performer. We'll see I guess, but for what you pay if it last anytime it will pay for itself.

I can't find anything on the warranty or any customer support but if it goes south, just get another one I guess.

I own a Les Paul, and a Martin D-18. This plays as well as the Les Paul, when you get it set up with some good strings. I like the sound and the price. Of course nothing matches the Martin.. But for a kick around toy or something to learn on it fits the bill.

This is a copy of a Telecaster made in China.The body is said to be solid alder with a one piece maple neck with a choice of maple or rosewood fretboard. It comes with diecast machine heads,1 bridge & 1 neck pickup with a 3 position pickup selector. Tone & volume controls,rosewood neck stripe. Colors include:black,white,sunburst,natural,cream,translucent blue,red,green.

I play mostly Southern Gospel music so I need a tele type guitar and this one seems to fit the bill. I don't have a regular guitar amp right now but I plugged it into my bass amp and it sounds pretty darn good! I've owned two Fender tele's and this guitar gives it a run for the money.The bridge pickup sounds pretty bright, I'm sure it will sound much better through a regular guitar amp but the neck pickup seemed to lack tone & volume.The only dislikes are the strings they put on and the volume & tone controls are scratchy but that's minor.

The guitar I got seemed to be set up fine,I know alot of the other reviewers complained of loose screws,high action,etc... but I was well pleased when I brought it home. The finish is a beautiful sunburst, the only flaw I could see was it looked like on the back of the headstock that they didn't do a good jop putting on the varnish coat or whatever it is but once again it's no problem.

I haven't had the chance to use it live but I don't see any problems when I do. The guitar seems to be solid but I would change the strap buttons cause they seem to be too small.If your someone that plays alot of live gigs then I'm not sure if this would be your main guitar, it would be a good backup. I haven't found a guitar at this price that looks,sounds,and plays like this one does.

I'm giving it a 8 because it comes with a 5 year warranty.

I've been playing for 27yrs. I've had about every kind of electric guitar made seems like and I'm never satisfied. I didn't want to spend alot of money for a guitar cause I don't play live as often as I used to so a friend told me about Johnson guitars so I checked them out.If your looking for a first time guitar or a backup I would give them a try.

This is a 2003 Tele copy. It has 22 frets with a large maple fretboard and natural body. The bridge is an "old style" top loading version. The body is alder. Tuners are generic sealed type.

The guitar does have a very good vintage Telecaster vibe. The pickups are decent for a guitar this inexpensive. I run it through a Champ 30 and Digitech GNX1. The guitar has a distinct bright Telecaster sound that can be tamed by effects and pickup toggle. It doesn't strike me as noisy at all.

The guitar was not set up before shipment. It was virtually unplayable and I had doubts that I could make it playable. Since the guitar seemed very good otherwise, I took it to the local guitar tech who fixed it up nicely. He re-set the neck and intonated the guitar almost to perfection. With his help, the guitar now plays and sounds very good. I would say it is comparable or better than the BIG Name Brand Tele. I have never seen such a transformation in a guitar. I like it very much, but because it was a hassle and cost more to fix, I would rate it low in this category

I plan to use this for practice as well as live playing. It has good enough tone and it plays well enough to use. I wanted something I could kind of abuse, but now I don't want to scratch or lose this one.
It seems very dependable, but I would not take it to gig without backup. By the way, the finish on this guitar was darn near perfect. The only thing I noticed after very careful inspection was minor imperfections in the fret inlays. Nothing to be concerned about.

5 year warranty. When I first got the guitar, I considered returning it and Mandalay was cooperative about whatever I wanted to do.

I have been playing for 35 years. Over that time, I have owned many guitars and made a lot of mistakes. I wanted this one because of the woods used and the comments I saw on Harmony Central. I would rate this guitar very well against any in the 300-500 price range. I own an Am Std Tele and this one honestly sounds better, but doesn't play quite as smooth. All in all, this is one good bargain.