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1989 fender esquire (MIJ), 600USD, yeah or nah?

pics

I don't view $600 as being high for a guitar in a general sense. It looks pretty but I'm not sure I'd buy that particular one for that price.. The neck looks a bit worry some. But i'm not tele expert.... so

yeah, that neck...i have no idea whether the wood itself is harmed or just fine.

blane wrote:I don't view $600 as being high for a guitar in a general sense. It looks pretty but I'm not sure I'd buy that particular one for that price.. The neck looks a bit worry some. But i'm not tele expert.... so

Can you play it in person? I wouldn't buy that thing blindly, like Blane said, the neck scares me; if it's still structurally sound, then it might still be very uncomfortable to play without sanding the whole thing or refinishing it.

It does look cool, and $600 isn't much for a nice guitar if it's something you're gonna love and hold onto for a while. I'll follow that up with saying that after a long time of trading guitars around, I am at the point where I am satisfied with my current lineup...oddly enough nothing I currently own that I bought used or vintage was purchased online. At this point I would not spend more than maybe $300 on a guitar I haven't played or seen in person, just because guitars are so unique, that it's a lot of money to gamble with.

Looks like it had wood worm? I wouldn't personally.

It looks fine to me. The neck has either been worn down or someone's taken some sandpaper to it.

Like Nick said though, try before you buy.

One to avoid.

MIJ Teles aren't that difficult to come across and Fender Japan guitars have pretty consistent necks. Unless this is a particularly rare model you've been looking for for a while and you're willing to put some work into the neck if it does play awfully, there isn't any reason to take a gamble on this one.

this guitar experienced a lot of work for sure. Added neck humbucker (likely routed - how was it done?), aftermarket saddles. I've never seen such a butchered neck finish, though. This thing has neither been played nor sanded down. It managed to chipp off that way somehow, with very rough edges. They have also darkened, which may have happened due to extreme heat. It doesn't look like dirt as it does on the now unfinished neck parts. I'd definitely would like to see that in person before, like the others said - you don't know what has happened to this neck, and if it's only the finish it may still affect playing.

the neck doesnt look so good. damaged!

If you could guarantee that neck was not damaged, I'd snake the shit out of that. Looks fucking gorgeous. What about the Graham Coxon teleif you're after a S/H tele layout? I played one a couple months back that blew me away.

Neck looks like some Bill Nash work. Lol.

you'd be surprised how dark unfinished wood can get from sweat.


I played this dudes strat that played in an amusement park band in the middle of summer. gigs every hour in 90 (f) degree heat in long sleeve shirts and overalls. The edges of the fretboard were almost black.

the coloring doesn't worry me in the bit and an unfinished neck can stay structurally sound but why the finish would have chipped away like that is beyond me. That said, I've seen some actually worn guitar wear in ways that you would never, ever guess, so it wouldn't surprise me if there was some legit reason for it. It looks like a really lovely guitar. I bet it plays awesome, too.

I thought mij strat and teles went for sub 500 in perfect condition all day? Shit, my guitar center has an 80s mij strat in way better condition for 299 with upgraded fender noiseless pickups, looked sweet but the neck was super thin.

thanks for all the replies guys

i was attracted to that neck at the first sight to be honest. it looks gross and awesome at the same time.
the guy selling it says the neck finish was worn out by playing. pretty hard to believe IMO.
it's pretty humid here, so i'm not surprised it got this black.

i'm going to try it out first in a few days to see if it's in good working condition.
is there any possible drawback on neck like this other than the look?

foll wrote:the guy selling it says the neck finish was worn out by playing. pretty hard to believe IMO.
it's pretty humid here, so i'm not surprised it got this black.

i'm going to try it out first in a few days to see if it's in good working condition.
is there any possible drawback on neck like this other than the look?

If the guy's telling the truth, I don't think so.

Man, that is a sweet guitar. I really hope that works out for you.

singlepickup24 wrote:

foll wrote:the guy selling it says the neck finish was worn out by playing. pretty hard to believe IMO.
it's pretty humid here, so i'm not surprised it got this black.

i'm going to try it out first in a few days to see if it's in good working condition.
is there any possible drawback on neck like this other than the look?

If the guy's telling the truth, I don't think so.

Man, that is a sweet guitar. I really hope that works out for you.

Yeah, if that's all it is, no worries... but, there is the possibility that the wood is degrading/rotting a bit. It seems like a bit of an odd wear pattern, especially since it a poly finish, tough as nails, ya know? Was he playing with brill-o pads taped to his thumb?? The only drawback (if the wood is fine) would be the uneven texture of the neck when playing. The difference in bare wood and finish could trip you up when quickly shifting positions.

Pay close attention to the integrity of the wood when you check it out (not that I needed to tell you that). It may be just fine, it may not.

Neck looks like a blighty potato: avoid.

foll wrote:the guy selling it says the neck finish was worn out by playing.

Not a chance.

Maybe if it was sanded back to having near no finish and then worn the rest of the way by playing, but that neck has seen some sandpaper abuse in its time. I've looked at a hell of a lot of MIJ Fenders and Squiers (which typically have the same neck finish) and not one has had natural play wear that's even a slight bit of that, anything close to it is a home relic job.

Don't believe a word of it and keep well away.

The price would be a lot more reasonable for one in better shape.

^
I thought that price was too high for one in perfect shape? mij strats and teles are cheaper than their offset bros, that's always been my experience.