I am looking to purchase a new guitar about Dec or so. I can't decide so far to go with the JV tex mex or a MIJ 62 ri. I could get either one with the tex mex pickups. They are about the same price new (I live in Japan.). I was wondering what the general concensus would be from the Forum population.


Which one would you pick?

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the vacuum store is a lot like the guitar store. but they do not attract the same clientele as the guitar store, cause if they did, the vacuum store would be loaded with a bunch of broke guys who just wanted to run the new vacuums.

I would take the JV the 62 ri shouldn,t have tex mex P/U,s

The japanese 62RI is availible with them. There is one at the local shop.

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the vacuum store is a lot like the guitar store. but they do not attract the same clientele as the guitar store, cause if they did, the vacuum store would be loaded with a bunch of broke guys who just wanted to run the new vacuums.

I myself would go for the 62RI.

Hi cfl2005: well I happen to know that the CIJ'57 RI is also available with Tex-Mex pickups (wrong though some would feel that to be) and that is what I'd go for. Mind you, the Jimmie Vaughan is virtually the same thing, but of course it is not available in Fiesta Red, and that's what I'd have to have.

...Oh, bless my socks. I've got it already!

(Actually, I opted not to take the Tex-Mex pups. I like the lower output ones the ST-57RI comes with as standard.)

But then if I lived in Japan there's so many other interesting CIJ Fenders I'd be chasing. The tart in me would love to have that Richie Kotzen Strat in trans white burst over flamed maple - OTT or what!

Cheers - C

EDIT: like cfl2005, where I've written Tex-Mex in this post I meant to say Texas Specials. D'OH!!! [Sound of palm slapping forehead]

I wish I was in Japan and had a chance to look at some of the locally made strats and teles. I would get a Van Zandt strat, If I could afford it.

I haven't seen a lot of cool ones, most are the standard looking new guitars. The shop I go to is small and they carry alot of knock-off brands to sell cheap (can't blame them).

Most of the fender guitars here have the 7.25 radius necks and I'm not sure if that would be a problem or not. I don't have really small hands but they aren't huge either.

Guess I just need to hit the shop and run a couple of fretboards.

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the vacuum store is a lot like the guitar store. but they do not attract the same clientele as the guitar store, cause if they did, the vacuum store would be loaded with a bunch of broke guys who just wanted to run the new vacuums.

Right! How is that MIJ treating you?

Is it breaking in nicely?

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I have a Jimmie Vaughn and I love the way it plays and the Tex-Mex pups are simply fabulous for classic rock and blues,the only issue you may have -if you're not aware of it already-is that the rear tone control is for the bridge pup not the middle but that's a realitively easy fix.I did't know that the '62 RI was available with Tex-Mex pups,I figure that they would take away from the 62 vibe.After having said that the Jimmie Vaughn is the closest thing I have heard that sounds like my original '65 Strat. If I were in your shoes I would truly have a dilemma I'd have to try both and see which one stole my heart away but I think that I'd prefer the RI with the '62 type pups.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I was mistaken, the MIJ 62 Ri has the Texas specials in it, not the TEX-Mex pu.

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the vacuum store is a lot like the guitar store. but they do not attract the same clientele as the guitar store, cause if they did, the vacuum store would be loaded with a bunch of broke guys who just wanted to run the new vacuums.

Oh..that makes a difference in that case I'd be drawn to the JV.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hi cfl2005,

From a playability standpoint, the JV has bigger frets, flatter neck radius, reverse-wound middle pickup, and quite frankly the Tex-Mex pickups have more "flavor" than the RI pickups. The Texas Special pickups are probably some of the best pickups made, but on a JV the Tex-Mex pickups sound awesome (maybe better than the Texas Specials ). I think that the Tex-Mex are very underrated. I have played the JV, I own and play the 62 RI (62 RI pickups), and the RW 60s (with Tex-Mex PUs). The 62 RI is very nice, clean, with chiming bell-like vintage sounds. But with the 7.25 inch radius and small frets it isn't great for string bending or getting a good distorted rock sound. It's more comfortable to make chords for great clean rhythms. The RW 60s and JV are both great for a lot more styles of playing, partly due to the bigger frets and hotter pickups. Tough choice you have between those two. I would definitely go with the JV if you want playability, versatility and great sound.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

I think I'll go with the JV, the bigger frets and pickups are what drew me to it from the start.

that and Jimmie is an great (underappriecated) guitarist. I have loved his sound before I knew who he was, listening to Fab T-birds songs on the radio. I think it is cool too that Srv always said Jimmie was better than him, even when everyone was saying Stevie was the greatest.

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the vacuum store is a lot like the guitar store. but they do not attract the same clientele as the guitar store, cause if they did, the vacuum store would be loaded with a bunch of broke guys who just wanted to run the new vacuums.