Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Review & Prices

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Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Review
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  • From Fender's 2022 JV Modified series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 4-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Brass Saddles bridge
  • Thick Soft V Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage-Style Locking tuners
  • Weight between 7lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.85lbs (3.6kgs)
  • Compare Specs >
  • From Fender's 2022 JV Modified series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 4-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Brass Saddles bridge
  • Thick Soft V Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage-Style Locking tuners
  • Weight between 7lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.85lbs (3.6kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 72
Sound 78
Build quality 69
Value for money 73
Overall Score 73
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Phase Out Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Tremolo
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Videos

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster
This Tele Just Does MORE | 2022 Fender JV 50s Telecaster Review + Demo
Are Japanese Fenders Worth It? - NEW Fender JV Modified Series
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster - Empire Music
Fender JV Modified | 60's Custom Telecaster, 50's Tele, 50's HSS Stratocaster
More Videos

Price: is the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster a Good Deal?

Its average competitor's price is $2200, which means that the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster is around 41% cheaper than the competition. This takes into account all guitars of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in Japan.

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Your feedback

Not all guitars are created equal, and there are many important things they won't tell you about the guitar you're buying. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our visitors who have played this guitar say. If you've played it before, help others by voting for your experience below.

Weight

Vote
Heavy
0
Slightly heavy
0
Lightweight
1
Very lightweight
0

Tuning stability

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Won't stay in tune
0
Sightly unstable
0
Not bad
0
Holds tune well
0
Won't get out of tune
1

Neck speed (thickness)

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Chunky
0
Slightly chunky
0
Balanced
3
Fast
0
Herman Li fast
0

Neck access to high frets

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Very Hard
0
Hard
0
Normal
1
Easy
0
Very Easy
0

Neck profile shape

Vote
Baseball / U
0
V
3
Asymmetrical
0
C
0
D
0

Fret edges

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Very sharp
0
Slightly sharp
0
Smooth
1

Pickups noise

Vote
Noiseless
0
Slightly Noisy
1
Noisy
0

Pickups power

Vote
Clean
1
Slightly Hot
0
Hot
0

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Is The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Easy to Play?

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players to get used to.

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster
New Player Friendliness
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Wide nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's construction favors people with relatively big hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

How Lightweight is it?

We found that the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster weighs between 7lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.85lbs (3.6kgs). This was recorded from some online retailers that publish the weight of the guitars they sell.

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's 25.5" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Scale Length Comparison
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is the same scale length used in Stratocaster guitars, and it's one of the main reasons they have such a bright sound. It's considered a long scale when compared to most non-baritone guitars.

Since the distance between bridge and nut is relatively long, you'll need to give the strings more tension to get them in tune. This higher tension will allow for a couple of things. First, you can get a lower action (get the strings closer to the fretboard) because the strings won't 'wiggle' too much when pluck and won't cause fret buzz. This can allow you to use lower tunings without increasing your string gauge, and it will make it easier to press down the strings fast.

However, the frets will also have a wider separation between each other, which can make it harder to play, especially if you got small hands. The higher tension will also make the strings feel stiffer, so bending will require more strength.

More guitars with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

It has a V type neck. This is a vintage type of neck that is not so common nowadays. Some people like it because they can rest their hand easily while letting their thumb hang over the edge of the fretboard. It's thicker than most modern necks, so it's great for playing chords but not so much for shredding.

More guitars for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has a 9.5" fingerboard radius. Here's an image comparing this guitar's fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's fretboard radius compared to other guitars

This is the most common radius for Stratocaster guitars. It's considered curved when compared to most other models. This allows you to play chords very easily without muting strings accidentally and gives you more space between strings for fingerpicking. However, this curve also gives the guitar less allowance for lower action. If you bend too hard at the high frets, some of your notes might get muted because the curve will make the string fret out.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has the same radius across the board.

More guitars with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

25.5'' Scale Length
V Neck Profile
1.65'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Nut Width
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Nut Width

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has a nut width of 41.9mm (1.65''). This is narrower than the typical 43mm (1 11/16") width. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string much easier at the nut.

Frets

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has 21 frets. Even though 24 frets has become really popular, there's still a good reason to get fewer frets; the pickup at the neck position will be further away from the bridge. This makes the neck pickup achieve a warmer tone. You might want this if you're playing Jazz or similar genres.

However, if you don't care about the warmer neck pickup, more frets will always be better. It's always nice to have the option to play higher notes if you want to.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More guitars with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Fret Size Comparison
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's frets are Medium Jumbo size. These sit somewhere between a Jumbo and a Medium fret. They're not quite as tall as a full Jumbo, so you'll still feel the fretboard, but you won't feel it as much as with medium frets. This is a good size if you want to make it easy to press the strings but would also like a little bit of ''feedback'' to know when to stop pressing so the notes don't go out of pitch.

More guitars with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 100
Solo Playability 50
Playability 72

Does the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Sound Good? Tone Analysis

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood Used in the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster

Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood Body
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Neck, Fretboard

Basswood Body: This is a soft type of wood that is very light and easy to work with. It's cheaper than many other kinds of wood used for guitar building, but it doesn't mean it's low quality. In terms of sound, it accentuates the mid-range, which matches the frequencies that a Humbucker produces.

Maple Neck and Fretboard: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

More guitars made with the same wood:

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Fender. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a moderade level of hot output instead of the overwhelming output that distinguises active pickups in metal.

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's configuration is SS. This is the classic Telecaster configuration and it's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Versatility

It has a Phase Out option. When activated, the pickups will ''work against each other'', meaning that they will cancel out their shared frequencies. The result is a very thin sound, instead of a full, rich tone. This is an interesting sound for genres like reggae or funk and has also been used in classic Hard Rock.

More guitars with the same mods:

Diagram

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster's switch options

What music genre is the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with SS configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Country or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this kind of guitar.

Sound Score

Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 65
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 78

How well is the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Built?

Where is the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Made?

Knowing where the guitar is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive guitars are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster is made in Japan. You should expect a high-quality guitar with excellent quality control. It can be compared to guitars made in the US, which is why they're also expensive.

More guitars made in Japan

Bridge

3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Brass Saddles: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.

More guitars with the same type of bridge:

Tuners

The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster comes with locking tuners, which helps with tuning stability and makes changing strings a lot faster and easier. As long as they're high quality, these are the best tuning machines you can have. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier than normal tuners.

More guitars with locking tuners:

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure the guitar stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster has a Bone nut. This material is one of the highest quality you can get. It provides excellent sustain and tune stability if cut well. The only disadvantage is that it's an organic material, so it's not consistent. Two different bone nuts, even if made from the same bone, will probably sound slightly different. However, bear in mind that this is only relevant when playing open strings.

More guitars with the same nut material:

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Bolt-On neck joint. Even though this type of neck was looked down upon for a long time, nowadays bolt-on necks are well built and provide just as much sustain as any other join method. First of all, it's cheap to make because it consists of simply 4 bolts that attach the neck to the body. And you can travel with the guitar more easily, swap out the neck if you damage it, or upgrade to a more comfortable neck later on.

More guitars with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 56
Features 65
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 69

Most Popular Comparisons With The Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster

Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster Specs

General
Brand: Fender
Year: 2022
Configuration: SS
Strings: 6
Made in: Japan
Series: JV Modified
Colors: White
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood
Bridge: 3-Saddle Vintage Style Tele with Barrel Brass Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style Locking
Fretboard: Maple
Neck Material: Maple
Decoration: Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5"
Shape: Thick Soft V
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 9.5"
Nut: Bone
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Switch: 4 Way
Knobs: Dome
Pickup Mods: Phase Out
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 1
Bridge Pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)

User Reviews of the Fender JV Modified '50s Telecaster

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