❌SOLD❌ Fender Telecaster Custom Made In Japan Sunburst, 1985

From 1982 to 1986, guitars like this Fender Telecaster Custom Made in Japan appeared. Fender was being sold by CBS – but not the Fullerton plant – and the new management ceased US production while the new facility in Corona came on line. In 1985, every guitar in Fender’s catalog was Made in Japan, including the Fender models that were not branded ‘Squier’. At this point, nearly 80 percent of Fender’s world wide sales came from Japanese produced instruments.

Built by Fuji-Gen Gakki in Matsumoto, these Fender guitars are very well built, though there are some slight differences from the original US production.

Here we’re looking at a Fender Telecaster Custom Made in Japan, built during 1985 and based on an early 1960’s double-bound, Rosewood fingerboard model. In 1972, a quite different Telecaster Custom version appeared, with a Wide-Range Humbucker at the neck, individual volume and tone controls, and a large pickguard reaching up to the upper bass bout.

While it’s based on probably a 1962 specification, there are some differences. In particular, the original US bodies were Alder or Ash. Here, the body is solid Maple, in three pieces.

This guitar is in basically all original condition, with honest play wear to the finish and frets. This guitar has been modified in a reversible and very practical manner – the control plate has been swapped end for end, and the volume and tone pots swapped. This puts the volume control in a more accessible position, very handy if you want to do volume swells. This modification was very popular with Tele players from the 1980s and 1990s.

This Telecaster Custom design is one of my favourites. The body is sunburst and has binding on the top and back (double bound), and the Rosewood fingerboard is a good complement to the brightness of the Telecaster.

A Gig Bag is included.