Review quickie: Fender (Japan) Telecaster Jr

The Junior models are supposed to be Japan exclusive but these are available here. 'Junior' here is not a travel version of the Telecaster where everything shrinks. In this case, the instrument itself is only about 94% of its standard incarnation in terms of dimensions. The scale length is also reduced to 24" which is nothing new to Fender as the Jaguar is also sporting the exact scale length & it's a standard-sized guitar. Pickups are in-house Junior Collection Modified Single Coil Pickups.

Likes

• well built, no skimpy fixture
• responsive tuners
• impressive clarity from both pickups
• light
• bone nut (well-cut, no choking)

Dislikes

• light
• pickups lack low end punch
• price

The reduced overall dimensions of this Tele means it's not for everyone, especially those of us who are used to the standard sized version. Note that the instrument's weight & pickup performance contribute to both the hits & misses of this guitar's performance. It's a fantastic extended gigging guitar if weight considerations is your thing. You can virtually strap this on for the entire day without taxing your spine. However, the lack of substantiality in this department turns the guitar into an overtly bright sounding instrument. Even unplugged, you can hear how bright it is when strummed. This is compounded by the bright-sounding pickups. If twang is your thing then this in heavenly. But if you wish for this guitar to cover a bit more musical territory, a swap in pickups might be necessary. That said, the clarity from the default pickups are outstanding. 

Since I own the Jaguar, I'm not affected by the neck's playability of this Tele. In fact, I do not feel marked differences between the two guitars. The body might be the main influence in making you feel the instrument is indeed smaller than its counterparts. 

I must say that the price of this instrument is unreasonable. It's a hair short of $1.5K & it's actually a diminished version of a Telecaster; shouldn't that be abridged by a diminished price tag as well? In view of no special highlight or features of the Junior series (in-house pickups, in-house hardware, no exotic grade wood, etc. ) in general, this is a terrible value-for-money consideration. You are better off getting a Mexican Telecaster if you wish for a no-nonsense Telecaster experience at this price point.

Final rating: 80%

Fender: Junior Collection Telecaster (Japan)

Availability: Swee Lee Co.

Price: $1,499 (bag included)