Fender Telecaster – ’52 Reissue – Butterscotch Blonde – 1980s MIJ – Used
This 1980s Telecaster has a fantastic vintage look, a comfortable soft V neck, and a great setup. Its construction and specifications are consistent with a Fender Japan ’52-style Telecaster, though unclear neck stamps, a missing original neck plate, and a replacement headstock decal prevent us from confirming the exact production year or model designation.
The neck carve, finish, materials, electronics, and overall specifications give this guitar a convincing representation of a vintage Telecaster’s look and feel. These details are also consistent with the dozens of Japanese-made Fender instruments we’ve sold at BCR Music & Sound, supporting our identification of this guitar as a 1980s Japanese model.
The blonde finish, visible wood grain, black pickguard, and three-saddle bridge give it classic early Telecaster appeal. At 7.8 lbs., it has a comfortable weight, while the medium-slim soft V neck and 7.25” fingerboard radius provide a distinctly vintage feel.
Condition & Playability
Very good overall condition, with cosmetic wear consistent with its age. Please review the photographs for a detailed look at the finish and hardware.
The frets rate approximately 8/10, with some minor pitting on the first few frets. Despite this wear, the guitar plays beautifully with low action, no buzzing, and no intonation issues. All electronics and hardware function perfectly, and the guitar has been inspected and set up by BCR Music & Sound.
Identification & Replacement Parts
The current headstock decal is a replacement and is not correct for this instrument. When we received the guitar, it also had an American Vintage Reissue neck plate installed. That plate has since been removed and replaced.
These changes may have been intended to give the guitar the appearance of an American-made model, although the previous owner’s intent is unknown. We are offering it as an apparent 1980s Fender Japan Telecaster based on its construction and specifications. Its exact year, factory model code, and complete originality cannot be verified.
Specifications & Features
• Estimated era: 1980s
• Identification: Apparent Fender Japan ’52-style Telecaster
• Finish: Blonde
• Neck and fingerboard: Maple
• Neck profile: Soft V, medium-slim thickness
• Fingerboard radius: 7.25”
• Frets: 21
• Pickups: Two Telecaster-style single coils; exact models unverified
• Controls: Master volume, master tone, and three-way pickup selector
• Bridge: Vintage-style three-saddle Telecaster bridge
• Pickguard: Black
• Weight: 7.8 lbs.
• Headstock decal: Replacement, incorrect for the instrument
• Neck plate: Replacement; original plate unavailable
• Body wood: Unconfirmed
A great-looking vintage Tele with comfortable playability and straightforward disclosure of its identification and replacement parts.
Available from BCR Music & Sound in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania. Professionally inspected and set up before sale, and carefully packed for fully insured shipping.