Up for sale, a 1996 Fender Telecaster ‘72 vintage reissue model TL72-65 in near-mint, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with a molded hardshell case. This Tele was crafted at the tail end of the original "Made in Japan" run, designed for the Japanese domestic market and uncommon outside of its country of origin.
Tonewoods include an ash body and one-piece maple neck, and this guitar has a bold natural acoustic sound with great treble response, qualities faithfully captured by the stock pickup complement. The TL-Current pickups are quintessential Tele through and through; the bridge pickup delivers a sparkling cut, while the neck has a smooth, open tone with airy highs. This Tele weighs 8lbs 4oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 9-42 strings, low action and accurate intonation.
The one-piece maple neck has a medium C-shaped profile carve with good shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .850” deep at the 1st fret and .950” at the 12th. The fretboard has a vintage-spec 7 1/4” radius, and the slender fretwire shows virtually no wear, playing cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The nut measures 1.650” (42mm) in width. The headstock has a ‘70s-style Telecaster block logo, and the Gotoh tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch. The rare script “Made in Japan” text and N-prefix serial are present above the “F”-embossed four-bolt neck plate.
All of the electronics function as intended, with untouched solder joints and full-size Japanese pots. The hardware is all quite clean, including the flat-topped knurled knobs and “Pat. Pend.” bridge base with steel saddles. The gloss Natural finish has only a scant few tiny dings on the body as a whole, and the smooth ambered gloss on the neck profile is immaculate.
A Fender molded hardshell case is included.