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Post subject: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 3:05 pm
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While I have some experience with Strats I admit to being a novice in respect of Telecasters.

I picked up an eBay purchase this evening purporting to be 1992 MiM - The serial No is MN2113816 which doesn't come up on the Fender Reg Site but otherwise looks legit.

Unfortunately I don't have a 92 MiM with which to compare. I have an N3 Strat and the machine heads look almost identical but perhaps the capstans are a bit slimmer and perhaps the Fender isn't as crisp but I might be being over cautious.

I have had the neck off and there are no dates but a fender like label on the neck and it looks about right for the age. I guess.

The body seems strange. It has no markings aside Ancho in the neck pocket.

The Pickguard screws are sorter and thicker than my Strats.

The control plate is thicker than my MIA Tele, the pots are small and the switch is nothing like I have seen on my Strats. It has quite a square body but seems quite well made.

The control cavity is only 22mm wide and seems to have two deeper routs.

The bridge has no markings on it with 6 saddles and strings through the rear not through the body.

I will try to sort out some pictures but are these characteristics to expect to save me digging deeper?

Many thanks in anticipation of your learned comments.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 6:20 pm
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I've not been inside any MIMs of any kind as I buy MIA guitars almost every time (and on occasion a Korean) but I can tell you that Squiers have smaller pots and odd looking screws along with some minor hardware differences. I'll be following this to see what others have to say.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 7:34 pm
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It is almost sounding like a Squier/Partscaster.
What years were OTC necks available from Fender? I recall someone saying that they were available, then pulled back and only available to repair shops with verification of serial number... and now they are again available, with the "MX" and "US" series serial numbers, but plugging those numbers into the database provides a null result.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 8:33 pm
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The top loader style bridge is non typical, what style saddles does it have?
brass intonated
nickel barrel
strat style
block
L-shaped

Doesn't sound good overall but how does it play and sound?


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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 10:53 pm
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Early MIM Teles did have toploader bridges, minipots, and the rectangle switch.

Not sure about the other discrepancies, but they all sound about right for that era. They weren't bad guitars, but they were very much "budget guitars".


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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 12:36 am
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strayedstrater wrote:
Early MIM Teles did have toploader bridges, minipots, and the rectangle switch.

Not sure about the other discrepancies, but they all sound about right for that era. They weren't bad guitars, but they were very much "budget guitars".


This is pretty much the conclusion I was coming to. Certainly the top loader seems to be a thing and all the dirt in the cavities on the pots etc looks correct for a 92 guitar.

The small pots are a disappointment and may or may not respond to switch cleaner but are again consistent for a guitar not played for ages.

While not exactly classic enough to be deemed a Closet Classic apparently the previous owner bought it new but after a bit changed to mandolin and hasn't played it since. There is some fret wear (cowboy chord stuff) but the body seems unmarked.

After stoning down the small amount of fret sprout the neck feels nice although the frets are a bit thin and small.

It is obviously a budget guitar based on the fine wiring used. The neck seems identical in every dimension to my MIA but the shoulders of the neck pocket are bulkier and the body sits proud of the neck on the underside.

The Lake Placid Blue is quite green in colour, almost Jade, and millimetres thick.

So am I happy? Happier that it's strange characteristics are consistent with its age and type. It was a sub £300 guitar and in that respect quite cool.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 5:38 am
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I found this:-

https://youtu.be/9Ss-UcuwDpg?t=289

Pretty much identical, colour aside.

Interesting that he made no comment in respect of opening up the control cavity. Certainly, on mine, a conventional pot wont fit, not that it would be too much of an issue to increase the cavity.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 6:30 am
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I was always prejudiced against mini-pots. Dismissed them as cheap junk.

Then a few years ago I picked up a couple of cheap '80s Korean guitars. I was shocked at how nice the mini-pots were. Smooth turning, great tapers. And at 30+ years old, apparently durable enough. I felt zero urge to replace them.

Then when I was disassembling one of them to do a detail cleaning, one of the mounting nuts split. Didn't feel like enlarging the cavity so I ordered a new Alpha and it's just as good.

On a new build I'd still use full size pots. Just because.

But now on a guitar that has mini's, I figure "if they ain't broke don't fix 'em".


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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 7:58 am
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strayedstrater wrote:
I was always prejudiced against mini-pots. Dismissed them as cheap junk.

Then a few years ago I picked up a couple of cheap '80s Korean guitars. I was shocked at how nice the mini-pots were. Smooth turning, great tapers. And at 30+ years old, apparently durable enough. I felt zero urge to replace them.

Then when I was disassembling one of them to do a detail cleaning, one of the mounting nuts split. Didn't feel like enlarging the cavity so I ordered a new Alpha and it's just as good.

On a new build I'd still use full size pots. Just because.

But now on a guitar that has mini's, I figure "if they ain't broke don't fix 'em".


You are nor wrong.


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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:30 am
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strayedstrater wrote:
....

But now on a guitar that has mini's, I figure "if they ain't broke don't fix 'em".


I think that is a fair point. And while there is nothing especially special about the guitar (aside it's decided un specialness) I do feel something of a responsibility in keeping it as original as possible, in the same way people restore Morris Minors and Austin Allegros.

And we are starting to bond a little.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 2:51 pm
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Just my opinion but I always felt that the best reason to buy a MIM was so that you could modify it and Hot-Rod it without having to worry about devaluing an expensive MIA.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 8:28 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Just my opinion but I always felt that the best reason to buy a MIM was so that you could modify it and Hot-Rod it without having to worry about devaluing an expensive MIA.


While I basically agree with that, I feel a little bit differently about a 26 year old MIM that hasn't already been hacked up. I'd hesitate to do any irreversible mods like routing the control cavity or converting it to string-through. Or even drilling new screwholes for tuners or pickguard.

It is a piece of Fender history, and they don't make them like that anymore. And even though they make the new ones better, there are far worse guitars than early MIMs.

Maybe new pickups if you'd like. Any functional, necessary repairs (although it sounds like it's a closet queen that doesn't need any).

Other than that, a good cleaning and a good setup then I'd appreciate it for what it is.


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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 1:49 am
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strayedstrater wrote:
BMW-KTM wrote:
Just my opinion but I always felt that the best reason to buy a MIM was so that you could modify it and Hot-Rod it without having to worry about devaluing an expensive MIA.


While I basically agree with that, I feel a little bit differently about a 26 year old MIM that hasn't already been hacked up. I'd hesitate to do any irreversible mods like routing the control cavity or converting it to string-through. Or even drilling new screwholes for tuners or pickguard.

It is a piece of Fender history, and they don't make them like that anymore. And even though they make the new ones better, there are far worse guitars than early MIMs.
.


That is the conclusion I have come to.

The scratchy pots are cleaning up through use alone and are incredibly smooth so no issues there.

It has always been intended as 2nd guitar for my second home (for those local jams where people find a Strat too intimidating) so I shouldn't be wearing it out any time soon.

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:54 am
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John Sims wrote:
where people find a Strat too intimidating
:shock: A Strat too intimidating, but a Tele isn't? I can see that with a H-S-H with a Floyd and Wylde paint design, but a Strat?

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Post subject: Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:17 am
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CB91710 wrote:
John Sims wrote:
where people find a Strat too intimidating
:shock: A Strat too intimidating, but a Tele isn't? I can see that with a H-S-H with a Floyd and Wylde paint design, but a Strat?

Show up with one of these...
Image


Oooo I sooo want one. :-)

Funny how folky types (in the UK at least) see a Tele as being more traditional and old style than a Strat. A Strat is all a bit Rock God and posey when a Tele is more conservative. When you consider they were only a handful of years apart in their original distribution it seem strange that a Tele is seen as being much older.

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