Squier Tele Custom, made in Japan 1984, black. Here's a rare one! These SQ serial guitars were made at the renowned Fujigen Gakki plant in 1983-4 alongside the famed JV serial guitars, which have rightly called some of the best Fender instruments made since the sixties. This model has an equivalent Fender branded sister, the TC72-65, which is almost identical save for some slightly fancier pickups and tuners and a different logo on headstock. The magic on these super early Fender Japan Teles is in the neck: oh golly, what a neck! It's a gorgeous golden brown hue, light and resonant, cut from a perfect quartersawn piece of maple with some very tight subtle grain and played to perfection. There's a thing you can't really explain about how this neck feels, you just instantly bond with it and don't want to put it down. The body is light and resonant too, it really feels alive in the hands. The bridge pickup was replaced with something a but mysterious, but it sounds great regardless. There's heaps of snap and twang on offer played clean, but it does it's best work with a dollop of creamy gain... warm, sizzling and fat. The neck pickup is extremely satisfying too: thick, gooey, juicy and percussive. My favourite setting (there's plenty of great options!) is in the middle position with the bridge tone dialed down to seven: that's a perfect balance of heft and delicacy, articulation and grunt. The lightly worn black finish and yellowed maple headstock and board lend this a tasty vintage aesthetic, it'll be equally at home at a black-tie ball as a sweaty garage hardcore show. This guitar will turn forty in a couple of years, and I'd be tipping it to increase pretty substantially in value once it does. I love it, basically!

Model: Squier Telecaster Custom (CTC-55)
Made: Japan, neck date 10 Aug 1984, Fujigen plant, (serial SQ58490)
Finish: gloss black, 3-ply black guard
Body: basswood
Neck: maple, one piece inc. board, 7.25" radius, 25.5" scale, slim C shape
Weight: 3.635kg
Mods: bridge pickup replaced 
Pickups: Fender Japan SHB-1-humbucker (neck), unknown single coil (bridge)
Case: none

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. Headstock has some scuffs on the end, back and bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples only. The back has some widespread light scuffs and surface scratches, no major marks. The sides have minor dimples around the whole body, no major marks though. The front has some minor dimples around the edge and elbow area as well as some standard play wear on the guard and top horn. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

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 reasonable shape with plenty of height and fairly even, but there's some minor pitting; 6/10 for life left. Wearing fresh 10/46s Moonshiners strings.