Fender Japan.

Quattroste

I decided to do an eBay search on Fender Japan and it turned up some excellent looking guitars, at what seem like very reasonable prices. I have a Strat Highway 1 (cheapest US model) but I think it's a great guitar all the same. I would like another better model but don't want to pay the extortionate prices, hence the Japanese search.

Are they as good, and better value than the US models?

What is this one all about Link

I like the look of it but is it really Fender Japan and is it a good model?

Scoual

Hi There,
it is actually a fender japan model

check them out here www.fenderjapan.co.jp,

it might be a good idea to buy from japan directly, will be cheaper.
tey re supposed to be good, some even are really really good, nitro finish, U.S custom shop pick ups.

Cheers

Doctor J

The Aerodyne bass has certainly gotten some great reviews. Didn't hear that much about the strat but one should assume it's up tot he same standard as the bass.

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/webshop/guitar/fender-j/ast65.htm

In general though, I am of the opinion that the output of Fender Japan is at least of the standard of the Corona factory (ie - they're bleedin deadly)

m_stan

don't mean to thread-hijack, but it's relevant...

I have what I think is a late 80's or early 90's Jap Strat. Would the same thing apply to quality between this and a new one ? ie: Is mine deadly too ?

Doctor J

I can't believe you didn't link this one for Ancient1

Quattroste

I was hiding that one from Ancient1

The Freeman

i have to say i am very impressed with my 68 reissue i picked up off ishibashi a few months ago, most of them are the same specs as the american ones(pickups,tuners etc.) and they are a fair bit cheaper too.....

check out ishibashi they have a good oul range there....



keep your eyes open ya might even get one cheap on adverts.ie secondhand:cool:

Voodu Child

Quattroste wrote:

Are they as good, and better value than the US models?

They're extremely well made guitars (as are most Jap guitars), just bear in mind they are (mostly) vintage spec, meaning vintage spec frets, fingerboard radius, trem, tuners etc.

Your highway would have jumbo (?afaik - maybe med jumbo), and 9.5 in radius

Johnny Storm

I thought someone posted here that you could still actually buy new guitars from Ishibashi?

FWIW I have one of those CIJ 68 reissues too and it's beautifully made and finished.

damonjewel

I bought a jap strat, which is a '62 vintage reissue as part of the 50th Annivesrary. Its great and other guitarists who have played it have said its got a graet feel to it and the tones from the various pickup selections are very nice. Only gripe is the whammy bar, little hank marvin style tremors are fine, but dive bombing the guitar knocks the tuning way out.

Maccattack

i was looking at the ishibashi site yesterday and saw a notice along the lines of 'we no send fender japan outside japan'.

Johnny Storm

Maccattack wrote:

i was looking at the ishibashi site yesterday and saw a notice along the lines of 'we no send fender japan outside japan'.

It says that all right but I'm 99% sure someone posted here that in fact if you asked they would still sell you one.

Doctor J

Aye, fella on talkbass in the states got a 62 RI today from Ishibashi. The ban applies to foreign dealers, not individuals.

feylya

Sweet. Shame I don't want a Jap Fender

Eoin Madsen

Doctor J wrote:

Aye, fella on talkbass in the states got a 62 RI today from Ishibashi. The ban applies to foreign dealers, not individuals.

Yeah. I got one a couple of weeks ago without incident. Well... there was some incidents, but unrelated to the aforementioned notice. They sent the wrong one or something, it was a headache.

And it wasn't even for me.

Quattroste

voodoo_child wrote:

They're extremely well made guitars (as are most Jap guitars), just bear in mind they are (mostly) vintage spec, meaning vintage spec frets, fingerboard radius, trem, tuners etc.

Your highway would have jumbo (?afaik - maybe med jumbo), and 9.5 in radius

Not too sure if that would bother me Voodoo. I like the different feel you get from different guitars. I must do a search for the an explanation on Jumbo frets etc. All of the guitars I have seem to have frets that are about 3mm wide but nicely rounded, except the LP. This has tall skinny frets which I didn't like at first but have gotten used too. I gives a different feel.

Johnny Storm

The very first time I posted on this forum, Dr J (I think) warned me about vintage frets and I have to say I do find the vintage frets on my CIJ a little bit of a pain after getting used to modern medium-jumbo frets for a few years. I find with the vintage the tops of my fingers are pressing too much against the fret board. I recommend to definitely try one before buying. The vintage frets are short as opposed to tall.

Fret wire diagram

Quattroste

Thanks Johnny. I'm going to take a couple of pics tomorrow of the frets on the Gibson LP and the Tokai LP. I'll post them for all to see. The feel of them is very different but I wonder just how different they actually look. Well we'll see!

Voodu Child

Quattroste wrote:

Not too sure if that would bother me Voodoo. I like the different feel you get from different guitars.

If youre looking for something different, then yeah, it would be fine.

Theres a difference between a modern american strat and a vintage in terms of 'feel'. The smaller radius of the vintage strat will choke out (when bending) quicker than the modern one, meaning you'll probably set the action a little higher. And the shorter frets will bring your fingertip closer to the fretboard, so vibrato may not be quite as smooth or easy (friction between finger and board).

On the flip side, the smaller radius can be more comfortable for chording.

Of course, all this is relative - guys were playing ripping leads on vintage strats long before there was such a thing as a superstrat. And depending on how picky you are, you may not notice a difference, or even care. I just thought I should mention it.

Quattroste

And depending on how picky you are, you may not notice a difference, or even care.

Voodoo I reckon your closer with the notice part. I'm not good enough to care

Johnny Storm

Personally I notice the vintage frets but the radius doesn't bother me at all. I dont think photos will help much because you are talking about difference of hundreths of an inch. You can feel those differences when playing but its hard to photograph them

I'd have to respectfully disagree with you Voodoo_Child, about the small radius neck fretting out. It certainly doesnt happen on my one.

Voodu Child

Johnny Storm wrote:

I'd have to respectfully disagree with you Voodoo_Child, about the small radius neck fretting out. It certainly doesnt happen on my one.

I wont get bogged down into an argument, it doesnt bother me either way cos im not a strat man, but its as sure as the sky is blue.

A smaller radius neck WILL choke out sooner than a flatter radius if everything else is equal. 100% certain.

Compare a 7.5 in radius and a 12 or 15 in radius, and you'll notice it. Its not my opinion, its physics. Hell, physics is even too strong a word, its just common sense.

Johnny Storm

voodoo_child wrote:

...., its just common sense.

Doesn't apply to me, then

feylya

It really isn't common sense unless someone is an engineering type or a pedantic guitarist type But voodoo_child is right. A smaller radius neck is going to choke on higher frets faster than a nearly flat neck.

Voodu Child

feylya wrote:

It really isn't common sense unless someone is an engineering type or a pedantic guitarist type But voodoo_child is right.

Well, like anything else, common sense is relative

But if you bend the high E on a high fret, and then twist the guitar around so youre looking down the fretboard, you can probably visualise it. You certainly dont need an engineering degree:rolleyes:

And arent we ALL pedantic guitarist types?

feylya

No one mentioned degrees

Anyways, back to discussion of Fender Japan, not radii

Doctor J

Fender Japan ftw, quite simply

Actually, on the subject of strat GAS, I think the good people in Bacchus are intercepting my thoughts and making guitars out of them. This'd be about €700 on the cursed U-box

The Freeman

sorry to bring the discussion back a step there feyla but i find myself personally that between the thin neck, narrow radius and the vintage frets on the reissue japanaese strats that it can choke the notes considerably, just try playing the solo of another brick in the wall with that 4 note bend by mr gilmour and you'll see what i mean, to be honest i can't play it on my strat but i can on the les paul , on the flip side it is soooo sweet for playing cords and fast solo's;)

any how this isin't that much of a constructive statement so carry on:D and that bacchus does look sweet there on the cursed u-box, speaking of which i think i'll have a look now, wish me good luck(in not buying something).........

fish-head

I got a great CIJ 52RI Tele, and it feels a heck of a lot better than some of the Teles I've played in stores around town.

Quattroste

On the frets I have taken the pictures and put them together. I can't successfully upload to this site so I had to put it here

Fretboards

The Tokai is on top and the Gibson underneath (that's the way they like it )

You can visable see that the Tokai has low wide frets where as the Gibson has tall skinny frets. Would the Gibson Frets be considered vintage?

feylya

I thought the Tokai ones would be more like "vintage" frets.

I've resisted looking at that Bacchus. Damn you doc!

Johnny Storm

Quottroste, check out this one:-
EvilBAy Link

Quattroste

Already watching it Johnny. I'd say it will go for at least double that.

punchdrunk

i'm pretty sure none of the cij fender are nitro...

Karl Hungus

Holy crap, that Bacchus is absolutely gorgeous! :eek:

punchdrunk

actually it seems like a few do have nitro finish? news to me!
anyway my 97ish mij strat is deadly,but the pickups were crap,and some of the hardware was ropey too,i.e the bridge!
but the neck is a beaut

Johnny Storm

Some discussion on A.N.Other forum that the very high end CIJ Strats with Dimarzios like the ST54-120DMC may have Nitro finishes. I have no idea if its true.