1997 Fender Japan TL-62 Telecaster Custom Electric Guitar
I remember having a pretty hard crush on these late-'90s Japanese Telecaster Customs back in the day. There's something so classy about double binding and the necks are perfectly-cut repros of late-'60s profiles. My normal neck to play on these days is a late '60s Fender and this one feels essentially the same profile as that but maybe even a little more comfortable and less-choked overall.
This arrived for consignment in excellent shape and only needed a minor setup. A previous owner had already replaced the original pickups (which are stowed safely in the gigbag) with a set of Boostrap Pretzel pickups -- sweet and clean at the neck and with a little extra bite at the bridge. The wiring harness was also swapped-out for a fancy piece of kit with an Emerson cap and treble-bleed circuit and quality pots. Last but not least, the original saddles were swapped for compensated brass ones (with the curvy notch compensation) which work great and keep it in tune up the neck.
Repairs included: a setup.
Weight: 7 lbs 13 oz
Scale length: 25 1/2"
Nut width: 1 5/8"
Neck shape: slim C
Board radius: 7 1/4"
Body width: 12 3/4"
Body depth: 1 3/4"
Body wood: probably basswood but maybe alder
Bridge: original 3-saddle with replacement, compensated brass saddles
Fretboard: rosewood
Neck wood: maple
Pickups: originals in gigbag, Bootstrap (US) installed, w/Emerson-cap harness
Action height at 12th fret: 1/16” overall (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 46w-10
Truss rod: adjustable
Neck relief: straight
Fret style: medium
Condition notes: it's very, very clean for its age with only minor light scratching here and there. It looks more like a 2 or 3-year-old instrument than something from '97.
It comes with: a gigbag.
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