Fender '72 Tele Custom, made in Japan 1989/90, black on black. First up, this looks very, very sleek. It's in pretty shiny condition for it's almost-30 years, the gloss black finish has just a touch of wear here and there to keep it honest. The black contrasts perfectly against the golden-syrup maple board and shiny chrome; combined with the bold 70s decals, this has a whole lot of no-nonsense charm. The Fujigen made Telecasters are renowned to exceptional build quality and brilliant wood selection, and this is a perfect example: the neck is a gorgeous piece of maple with some amazing, tight grain. The light body and slim neck mean the guitar feels balanced and effortless to play, it's really quite excellent in the hands. The humbukcer in the neck position brings a thick, juicy plump tone simply not possible from a lipstick pickup, which blends amazingly well with the sharp Tele-twang of the bridge single coil; the middle position is pure magic. This is one of those guitars that'll happily smash out a sweaty punk set on Friday night, delight the guests at a classy wedding on Saturday, then bring the smoothness to church on Sunday; all without breaking a sweat. Black is the new black!

Model: Fender '72 Reissue Telecaster Custom (TC72-60)
Made: Japan, 1989/90, Fujigen plant (serial I036479)
Finish: gloss black, 3-ply black guard
Body: basswood
Neck: maple, one piece inc. board, slim oval profile
Mods: original saddles replaced with six-piece saddles
Pickups: Fender Japan TN-humbucker (neck), Fender Japan TL-single (bridge)
Case: basic gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. There's a couple of minor dings on the body; a chip on the top edge in the shoulder area, a couple of dings above and behind the bridge and some play scratches on and around the guard. The back has some minor buckle rash scratches, neck and headstock have yellowed nicely but are fairly clean with only minor marks. Overall: very good condition (8.5/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets are in good shape with plenty of height, 7/10 for life left. Wearing fresh 10/46s, tidy!