Up for sale, a 1996 Fender Telecaster Thinline ‘72 vintage reissue model TN72-85 in exceptional, 100% original condition and in perfect working order. The “Made in Japan” Tele was produced exclusively for the Japanese domestic market and is uncommon outside of its country of origin.

Boasting a Wide Range humbucker design more tonally faithful to the originals than many other Fender reissues of the era, this guitar is fat and full-sounding while still retaining a distinctive, sweet top end character and percussive cut. The ash body provides a certain midrange punch, and the semi-hollow construction adds an inherent warmth and openness to the sound. This Tele weighs 7lbs 2oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.

The one-piece maple neck has a modestly chunky C-shaped profile carve with generous shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .860” deep at the 1st fret and .950” at the 12th. The fretboard has a vintage spec 7 1/4“ radius, and the slender fretwire exhibits light wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-15, growing progressively lighter as you move up the neck. This guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the bone nut measures 1.650” (42mm) in width. The headstock has an era-accurate ‘70s-style block logo and bullet truss rod nut, and the nickel-plated Kluson-style tuning machines turn smoothly and hold pitch as they should. The “Made in Japan” text and N-prefix serial are present above the three-bolt F neck plate with micro-tilt adjustment.

All of the electronics function as intended, with untouched solder joints on the stock harness, and the pickups are governed by a three-way selector switch and Master Volume and Tone controls. There’s a light speckling of patina on the Fender-embossed pickup covers, bridge, and flat-topped knurled knobs. Plastics comprise the switch tip and the three-ply white pearloid pickguard.

The gloss Natural finish highlights the particularly dynamic grain in the ash body, and there's subtle figuring in the ash on the bass side of the top too. This is a well-kept example, with cosmetic wear limited to a scant few minor dings along the back and body perimeter, and some localized scuffing in the gloss on the bass-side upper bout. The smooth ambered gloss on the neck profile is nigh flawless.

The original Fender-branded gigbag is included.