Finish comparison: Fender '52ri and Mudwog Weap Telecasters

[-CB-]

I've gotten a few requests, asking how the amber finish on the Mudwog Weap Tele compares to the butterscotch blonde on the Fender USA '52ri Tele.

Just so happens, I own a Fender USA '52ri Telecaster, so... out it came for some photos.

Excuse the mess... it never really gets cleaned up before new messes start themselves.  The Deluxe Reverb is the real deal.  Its a 68, but strangely, has a factory blackface panel on it, marked Fender Electric Instruments, not Fender Musical Instruments.  Knowing Fender was pretty cheap, it could be they "found" some blackface panels and used them.  A better scenario is something happened to the original silverface panel, or, the owner just ordered a replacement panel for cosmetic reasons, back when they were available (maybe at the time of purshase of the amp).  It still has the removable baffle, and no chrome drip edge.  Mystery amp, but its made like the blackface ones on the inside, so I don't let the transformer date codes get in the way of tone.

For that matter, the '52ri is a bit of a mystery as well.  The body is stamped and dated November 1986 while the neck is stamped and dated April 1996 and the Certificate of Authenticity is dated Novemnber 1996! No, I didn't mis read the dates - they are clear and stamped fully and legibly.  I got the guitar in 96 from a GC store - and it came sealed in the box (ordered in for me).  So, it is a bit of a mystery guitar to go with the mystery amp.

 

[Soloshchenko]

I prefer the darker grain on yours. What product did you use to bring out the grain?

 

[-CB-]

Well they're both mine.....

The finishes are totally different.  The factory finish is butterscotch blond.  My finish is just some brown grain filler, then Mohawk "Amber" toner, and some clear nitro lacquer.  The Mohawk toner is the exact toner used by ReRanch, but cheapskate me... available locally for less.  Support your local Mohawk distributor <ggg>.

 

[vic108]

Whew!

Three of a perfect pair!

Nice pix of the finish colors!

SWEET!

<and that amp! WOOT (as CB would say)!>

 

[nathan a]

How many teles you own?

 

[-CB-]

Currently... lets see... three.  I've had... a nice 72 in blond with maple neck and HB at the neck.  Also had a Tele Deluxe with Kiwi Brown shoe polish for a finish.  Then an all hard maple Tele with Strat hardtail bridge and two HBs.  Then Vic's two Tele's.

I'm seriously thinking of recreating my first Tele, in W parts.  Seriously.  If I can get them to do Mary Kay as it was.  That'll be after the holidays tho.

 

[jackthehack]

I've seen vintage 50s Butterscotch Teles (in alder, I guess) in which the grain showed through the finish more than on most RIs, did they use a more transparent toner, thinner coats or both? Like yours mo' better....

 

[-CB-]

Well, as we know, the originals were not butterscotch yellow but more of a Mary Kaye white blonde.  I think they were all ash tho Jack, just about for certain on that.  TDPRI.com might be more help there though.

My old 72 was "blonde" but it had finish buildup on the edges, making it just about opaque there, and the top and back had some grain showing, but not a whole lot.  This 52ri is one of the more opaque ones I've seen, but I had no choice in the matter.  The price was right... even in 96 dollars (too low to tell~~). 

Maybe there'll be a blonde in my future.  And a tele too <gg>

 

[jackthehack]

Well, all those vintage ones yellowed over the years as well; you're right, ALL blond Teles and Strats were ash, most everything else alder; same place said that they "opaqued" the finish at the edges/ends as most were 2 or 3 pieces bodies and they did that to hide the end grain which couldn't be matched as well as the front/back...

 

[-CB-]

Same place said that they "opaqued" the finish at the edges/ends as most were 2 or 3 pieces bodies and they did that to hide the end grain which couldn't be matched as well as the front/back...

Nah, I disagree.  Fender didn't care.  There's no evidence that they did.  More likely it was just the way they did it in production, and it sort of worked out that way.  When they were doing it, nobody had the insight the fanaticism that we have today.  To them, at that time, just a guitar.  To Leo, a way to sell more amps.... at least at first.

 

[Shmoopie]

where's the ammo? 
how are you going to keep that tele safe with no ammo at amp side.
thats how dime went.

 

[-CB-]

Here ya go Schmoo

Those are suitable for th M60, but they wont fit the .30Browning, unless its a converted model.

 

[rahimiiii]

I wish I am allowed to own guns in Taiwan, but all we can have is those stupid airsoft BB guns that couldnt do any damage (some people seems to manage to overpower those and could shoot through gas cans and stuff like that... but I heard somewhere its illegal to overpower airguns and stick steel pellets in it rather than plastic)

I also wished I had money to build as many guitars as you guys, I might be able to build about one guitar a year, provided that I stretch my budget real thin...

Store bought stuff just won't do anymore, the low end model cost too much to bring to spec (replace everything but body, most low cost stuff are absolute junk) and higher end model just isn't worth it for the money.

 

[-CB-]

Not to get off the subect, but with Communist China breathing down your neck, you'd think it would be MANDATED to own at least one military type weapon and ammunition per able bodied adult.

Yah, I can't see buying even USA made Fender items - because I have my own ideas, and well... to do it would be Fender Custom Shop, and those guys are EXPENSIVE beyond belief.

 

[rahimiiii]

They reasoned that a lot of the average Taiwanese are somewhat uneducated and not too bright, and hot headed too, that if everyone were allowed to own guns chaos would soon take over. They said people would just shoot anyone they dont like. If China gets here anyways all the guns in the world wouldn't make a difference. However the advantage we do get is that we're an island and it's kinda hard to get troops over here... I don't think Switzerland has the luxury.

 

[guitlouie]

I'm not going to get into the guns portion of this,  but i can say with absolute certainty that after building exactly one Warmoth guitar, the off the rack stuff will be nothing to me anymore but a source for "what not to do".  I still want an older Lester, but other than that, I can do it better.  I am in the same boat, though as far as quantity...it will be a while before I can shell out for another.  

 

[-CB-]

Amen brother.  The boat's here too.  Gonna be after the holidays at best.  Thats ok, other projects to keep me busy.

 

[Shmoopie]

hmmmmmm, china breathing down your neck, seems like a thousand years ago Mongolia was breathing down their neck, what am i getting at, i know,

BUILD THE GREAT WALL OF TAIWAN, with anti-tank defenses.

 

[-CB-]

Maybe we can borrow that for Tejas !~