Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

[BS123]

I had been jonesing for another guitar for a few months. I was thinking about another Nashville B-Bender Telecaster. Something kept telling me "No"... You see, when I had my original Nash B-Bender, I had a really tough time getting the bridge pickup do sound the way I wanted. I tried every pickup I could get my hands on. The Duncan JD was the best and it still didn't sound that great. I decided that the Nash B-Bender was out. I started looking at the NOS 51 Nocaster RI's. Very very nice, but I was also looking at the 52 RI's. I like the light honey blonde and thinner nitro finish of the Nocaster, but I like the pickups and overall feel of the 52 RI better. I have a bud that does a lot of nice things for me down at the Cincy GUitar Center. He had five 52 RI's in stock. He had one on the floor and four boxed up in the whse. My wife and I went there and I had him pull all of them. I must have been there about two hours. I eneded up leaving with the floor model. I was really suprized by that. He cleaned it up and put a set of Ernie Ball Reg Slinkies on it and I made sure all the case candy was there.

I got it home and immediately rewired it to have the modern wiring. The vintage wiring has 3 positions too but you have:

Pos 1 - bridge
Pos 2 - neck
Pos 3 - neck with no highs going to a .1µF cap.

That wiring doesn't work for me. I have also ordered a Fender 4-way switch with will give my the standard modern Tele switching options plus, in the fourth position, I'll have both pickups on in series instead of parallel. This will sound a little more like a Les Paul's middle position. It'll be cool for slide work.

I have a MIM 50's Tele and while the MIM is a very nice Tele, there is no comparison to the 52 RI. I would not have thought it at all. I just might have gotten a really realy great one too. You never know. I'll post some pics of it in action after we get back from playing the Warren County Fair tonight.

Cheers,

P.S. I really appreciate everyone accepting me back here. There are a lot of boards out there. This one truly is the best... :arms:

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

Great stuff - sometimes when you see them you just got to go for them and from what you say it looks as thougn you have got a good one. What did you do with the wife for 2 hours!! If you can post some pics when you are ready, so we can all drool with you!!. Out of curiosity how much did you pay for it?

 

[BS123]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

What did you do with the wife for 2 hours!! If you can post some pics when you are ready, so we can all drool with you!!. Out of curiosity how much did you pay for it?

She sat there with me and critiqued the tone and the appearance of each guitar. She knows tone; at least how she likes it...

Out of curiosity how much did you pay for it?

$1000.00

 

[Artie]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

What did you do with the wife for 2 hours!! If you can post some pics when you are ready, so we can all drool with you.

Sounds like you're asking him to post pics of his wife. :laugh2:

Anyway, sounds like a nice score, Butch.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

NEW STUFF ROCKS!!! :headbang:

i would have done, and have done the same thing when buying stuff...just play em'!!!! and not just for a couple of minutes either...LOL!!!

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

She sat there with me and critiqued the tone and the appearance of each guitar. She knows tone; at least how she likes it...
$1000.00

It's always good to have someone else with you - at least you can't blame it was all your fault!! That price is absolutely amazing - just to give you some idea, in the UK you would expect to pay something in the region of $2000!! Now you know why some of us want to come and buy guitars from the US!

If you can post some pics of the wife and the guitar that would be really good - but understand if the guitar only gets posted :32:

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

nice guitars those ri. can't wait for some pics.

 

[BS123]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

I'll post some pics tomorrow. They won't be guitar porn because they'll be of me playing it. As far as pics of my wife go? Well, look at Tatooed Carrot's avatar. My wife looks a lot like her but with a little less of a tan.....

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

Real nice guitar, my 62 RI was very cool. The look of the 52 is stunning.

 

[Curly]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

cool
good price

certainly one of Fender's more notable RIs.

 

[BS123]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

If you can post some pics of the wife and the guitar that would be really good - but understand if the guitar only gets posted :32:

Is this what you wanted?

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

Butch.....that's just awsome. Really nice piece with all the options you'd ever need.



And the guitar ain't bad either! :32:


***Edit - all comments submitted with the utmost respect for Mrs. S. No disrespect intended at all.

 

[BS123]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

***Edit - all comments submitted with the utmost respect for Mrs. S. No disrespect intended at all.

ROTFLMFAO!!! :laugh2:

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

Is this what you wanted?

Not that is really a looker, nice I would like to get my hands on that - the guitar that is :saeek:

Thanks Butch you now have got me drooling - and I'll better say no more in case I get in trouble!!!! :22: :32:

 

[BS123]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

Y'alls compliments are too much..... :banana:

 

[Lee_M.]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

Y'alls compliments are too much..... :banana:

Butch,

Two things - smokin' lady, smokin' guitar. What a combo!

Lastly, as far as I'm concerned, you were never "not" accepted at this board. The original crew knows that you are a good guy and that is all that matters. I'm happy that you have come back to post and are imparting your infinite Tele wisdom upon us. Lord knows you can pick the guitar really well.

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

Lastly, as far as I'm concerned, you were never "not" accepted at this board. The original crew knows that you are a good guy and that is all that matters. I'm happy that you have come back to post and are imparting your infinite Tele wisdom upon us. Lord knows you can pick the guitar really well.

I second that.

I will be interested to hear how you end up liking that guitar. A few people have had bonding problems with those; some love them and some end up falling out of love. I hope you do well with yours!

 

[BS123]

Re: Picked Up a 52 RI Saturday

I will be interested to hear how you end up liking that guitar. A few people have had bonding problems with those; some love them and some end up falling out of love. I hope you do well with yours!

Well, I know Scott F had a really nice 52 RI with a really flamed-out neck. I wish I'd have gotten that one when he sold it. I have had no trouble bonding with this guitar. The only bonding problem I had was when I first got my MIM 50'd Tele and was really into my Music Man Albert Lee guitar. The MM Albert Lee had a 10" radius fretboard where as the 50's has a 7.25"r fretboard. After those pains went away, it was okay. I believe the vintage radius and fretsize are what deters people. I have gotten used to them and now find them to be no problem.