Help! Should I swop a MIM 72 Thinline for a MIJ TL62b-Bigsby

Lfan

AlanRatcliffe

If you like the guitar, then sure. IIRC, those had vintage radius fingerboards and vintage (narrow) frets, so add the Bigsby and probably not to everyone's tastes. Both pretty unique and (IMO) desirable guitars, both well-made.

The MIJ is double-bound and if it was made for the Japanese market it will have Texas Special pickups (imported to US models apparently had regular vintage-style pups).

Keira-WitherKay

oddly enough i was at my guitar tech yesterday and they had a MIJ tele in for setup and i played it ....the double bound with rosewood fingerboard .........so basically a 'deluxe" build was really fabulous and 7.25 frtboard did not bother me but i like em...no bigsby on this one BUT it sounded great when plugged in ... compared to any MIM tele guitars i have played and thats a lot ....this was a cut above without doubt ..

.but like alan said if you a bender then that 7.25 radius might irritate you but other than that it's a class instrument .....

if it was me (which it isn't) i'd swop ...

AND like alan said you must like it tho ....

Lfan

Thanks guys for your experts opinions.
I actually didnt know anything about the guitar besides what I can google.
Still contemplating it though. I really like the HB's on the thinline not really keen on single coils, I think that will be the defining factor in my decision.
Thanks allot!!

AlanRatcliffe

These days I don't think one needs to get caught up in what type of pickups a guitar has. The replacement market is awash with quality single-coil sized 'buckers and humbucker sized singles. Even if you have a relatively rare pickup format (like Wide Range or mini humbuckers), there's somebody somewhere making a range of replacements.

Jayhell

I have a solution, give the Thinline to me and forget about it... ? problem solved.

No but seriously, I love thinlines, definitely on my list of must haves. I wouldn't, who cares where it is from or what pickups it has. If you are in a situation where you can sit with both for a while and compare, it would be nice. If the person you are trading with lives near you, get together, have a jam, chat, make up your mind. Even better, make friends and trade for a while with the option to trade back. I'm just glad it's not me that has to make this decision.

Lfan

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: These days I don't think one needs to get caught up in what type of pickups a guitar has. The replacement market is awash with quality single-coil sized 'buckers and humbucker sized singles. Even if you have a relatively rare pickup format (like Wide Range or mini humbuckers), there's somebody somewhere making a range of replacements.

You see! This is exactly why I asked for help on this forum. Total noob like me.
I never knew that.
Thanks allot Alan, will definitely look into that.

singemonkey

For what it's worth, I've played an MIJ T62B and I thought it was a great instrument, easily on par with the MIA Teles were were trying in the same room. The one we played was quite bright, which may have been the result of the Bigsby (but obviously pickups and wiring can make a difference there).

It had a classic Tele bridge sound because it retains the bridge plate around the bridge pickup - which is considered the key to that sound. I'd choose one over a thinline myself, if only for the looks and because I like Bigsby tailpieces. As Alan said, you can get almost any type of pickup to fit it now to get the type of Tele sound you want. A single-coil sized humbucker in the neck would probably be a great combo with the tele bridge single-coil.

Lfan

Any idea where I can find these single coil sized HB's locally?

AlanRatcliffe

Marshall Music should have the DiMarzio range and Bothner's import the Seymour Duncans - quite a lot to choose from in just those two ranges between the rails and the stacked buckers. There's a few in the Fender Range too.

If you want something more boutique like Lollar, Fralin, Bareknuckle, Kinman, etc., you'll have to import or stay glued to the second hand sources locally and hope. There are also hundreds of small builders around the world - although few of them make noiseless/humbucking single-coils (but most make humbucker sized singles).