OffsetGuitars.com

I've caught a somewhat inexplicable case of GAS for a Talman of late (always liked the design, just not sure why I feel compelled to acquire one now to the extent that I'm considering doing so w/ one I won't have the opportunity to try first...) and am kind of zeroing in on one of these 2 examples:

1994 TC630


2018 (?) TM1702P


Obviously they're fairly different configs, essentially an Ibanez Jazzcaster on the green one and a more strat w/ lipsticks on the daphne. I believe either would have been made at FujiGen.

I really like the SD Alnico II Pro pickups the green one would come w/ and I'd have a 45 day escape plan for it if it turned out to have been a mistake but the lack of a wiggly bit feels like a demerit for me & it would be a bit more significant purchase.

I think the vibrato on the original is a sure plus, I don't have anything else w/ lipsticks (yet...) which could be good or bad, and while the price is definitely on the upper end of what they seem to go for it's ~50% less out of pocket than the Prestige. No returns on it though...

What say you OSG? Any thoughts on a difference in relative expected quality on mid '90s to present day Japanese Ibanez?

Lipstick no question. Those pickups are nice.

The blue one looks cooler, but as a person who finds Strat bridge and middle pickups fairly useless (lipstick or otherwise), I'd personally lean toward the Tele variant. The configuration of a Tele bridge pickup and a Tele neck pickup is extremely hard to beat in my experience.

Based on my newfound insight (thanks custom build reverb offsets thread), is a Talman actually an offset?

matthew a wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:33 am

Based on my newfound insight (thanks custom build reverb offsets thread), is a Talman actually an offset?

Why wouldn't it be?

leokula wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:35 am

matthew a wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:33 am

Based on my newfound insight (thanks custom build reverb offsets thread), is a Talman actually an offset?

Why wouldn't it be?

Read from halfway down this page for a mind blowing revelation, which makes a lot of sense when you think about it...

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... &start=105

That said, I have no idea what 10 degrees looks like in reality.

I love Talmans. Ever since seeing Offspring as a young kid.

Thanks for the feedback guys! I have a leaning towards the lipstick one myself if for no other reason than the (for me) novelty of the lipstick pups, the vibrato, and being a nice example of the first year of their production. I do really like the green finish on the new one and can't argue w/ the tones I'd imagine it would produce, but I've got the tele type space fairly well covered already (& w/ the exact same pickups even ).

Only real hitch for my decision making process is not getting to check out the blue one ahead of time but no guts no glory I spose

On the subject of is it an offset, my eyeballs see at least as much offset in the waist as most Mustangs/Duo-Sonics/Music Masters, but I apologize if this was posted in the wrong sub-forum, just reads as an offset to me.

matthew a wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:33 am

Based on my newfound insight (thanks custom build reverb offsets thread), is a Talman actually an offset?

I just measured it at 12.5 degrees.

... which is an offset.

I suppose that I'm the resident Talman expert around here as I have 2 original models and 2 reissues. The older ones are cooler, but I think the new ones have nicer features. Both of my MIC reissues are alder, have channel bound necks, locking tuners, fender style recessed headstocks, and fuller necks.

The '94 TC530 will be MIJ and have a resoncast (mdf) body. If that is an issue to you, but you still want the lipsticks, look for a MIK 96-97 TC630 which will have an ash body, but only came in white, black, and sunburst. I haven't played any of the lipstick models in a long time, but my P90 model really benefited from a pickup upgrade.

There are a ton of the MIJ and MIC tele type reissues available currently and (probably) for the foreseeable future, so I wouldn't rush on one of those.

If I were you, I'd get a MIC TM330P and put some good strat sized lipsticks in.

Thanks for all the input guys. I jumped on the '94 (although pretty sure it's actually going to be a '95 based on the Ibanez wiki) TC630 yesterday evening and am just waiting for it to ship.

Dunno,