2016 Fender Japan Exclusive Classic 50s Telecaster w/ Custom Shop Nocaster Pickups & Case, MIJ

Up for sale, a 2016 Fender Japan Exclusive Classic ‘50s Telecaster in near-mint condition and in perfect working order, boasting a bevy of premium upgrades and complete with a Fender USA SKB hardshell case. Upgrades include Fender Custom Shop ‘51 Nocaster pickups, compensated brass saddles, and a wiring harness with premium components throughout.This Tele was part of the short lived "Japan Exclusive" line, which was produced from 2015-2017. As the name purports, it was built exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, rarely seen outside of its country of origin. With an ash body and lightly figured one-piece maple neck, this guitar delivers a classic Tele tonal palette. The upgraded Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocaster pickups are extremely faithful to the earliest Tele single coils, with Alnico III magnets, a tin-plated copper baseplate and flush-mounted pole pieces on the bridge pickup, cloth-covered leads and black fiber bobbins. There’s ample twang and shimmer on tap; fat and throaty in the neck position, with a clear, balanced midrange and plenty of treble snap. This Tele weighs 8lbs 1oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.The one-piece maple neck has a chunky U-shaped profile carve with well-rounded shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .905” deep at the 1st fret and .965” at the 12th. The fretboard has a vintage-spec 7 1/4“ radius and flawless stock slender fretwire, playing cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The synthetic bone nut measures 1.650” (42mm) in width. On the headstock, the Kluson-style tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch. The “Made in Japan” text and JD16-prefix serial number are present above the four-bolt neck plate.All of the electronics function as intended, with the Fender Custom Shop pickup pair wired to the fully upgraded harness with premium ESP-branded 250k pots and a Sprague Orange Drop tone cap. The chrome-plated hardware shines like new, including the upgraded flat-topped knurled knobs, control plate, “Pat. Pend” bridge base, and upgraded compensated brass saddles which ensure both ideal note attack and optimal intonation. The body is accented by a one-ply matte black pickguard just like a genuine example from the early '50s, with some light scuffing along the strum path.The gloss Butterscotch finish, labeled “Vintage Natural” by Fender, highlights the dynamic grain in the ash body. This is an exceedingly well-kept example, with barely a scratch on the body and a similarly pristine gloss finish on the neck, highlighting subtle flame figuring along the profile length.A circa 1990s SKB-made and Fender-branded molded hardshell case is included.