How do i get a japanese vintage strat?

[shakedancer]

I read about everyone getting japanese 57 strats, 54 strats, japanese replacement necks etc. Where do you buy these guitars? If i wanted a japanese 57 strat tommorow what would be the process? I appreciate any feedback.

[Mark Davis]

Ebay or order one directly from Japan.

If you do order one from Japan be aware there is usually a $110-120 shipping charge added to the price.

Most people end up changing the pickups pots switch and all the electronics. Most of the time when you find a used one this has already been done so it saves more $$.

[shakedancer]

Thanks Mark, i'll check on e-bay.

[flying]

http://www.excite.co.jp/world/englis...=JAEN&wb_dis=2

Many buy from here

[sneakyjapan]

some FJ models from the 80s have full size pots and US p`ups... I have some. Careful though.... just bcause its from the 80s and a Japanese Fender doesn`t make it a keeper... thay made a lot of models, some very good some less so. Model number will determine what price range the guitar sold for originally and quality of parts used. Sellers outside Japan often don`t include the model number either because they don`t know or don`t want the buyer to know. Its best to do a little research before the purchase. I`m lucky... in Japan there are some web sites where I can get info from the natives. Helps a lot.

[steve s]

Most people end up changing the pickups pots switch and all the electronics.

So what's the advantage of these guitars. It must be the build quality or finish??? they do look good on the ishibashi (or whatever that is?) site.

[T-bone Tone]

The very first Squier vintage strats - 1982 - are highly collectable and more than hold their own against the US vintage re-issue guitars. They were a response to the Tokai's of 1980 onwards, which are equally good and collectable.

Originally, they were only available in Japan and Europe, it was around mid to late '83 before they exported them to the US, and even then I'm pretty sure it wasn't the vintage strats but a more standard model!

The reason behind this was that Fender were taking a pasting from Tokai, especially in Europe. At my local music store the Tokais were flying off the walls! It wasn't hard to see why. They were remarkable pre-CBS copies, right down to a clever headstock label font that - from a distance - made Tokai look like Fender! This was 1980-81, and the US '70s style strats at the time looked - and sounded - inferior.

To their credit, Fender responded, thanks to Dan Smith who Fender had bought in from Yamaha to get quality up at Fullerton and devise a stratergy to deal with Tokai and other japanese manufacturers who were now being regarded as better than the real thing!

The Squiers were as good as the Tokais - in itself, a tremedous achievement - but had the clear advantage of having a large Fender label, and a much smaller Squier and made in japan on the headstock. This decal arrangement did not last long, and by the end of '82, The Squier legend was larger than the Fender. This was, apparently, because they looked almost identical to the US vintage stratocasters which by the end of '82 were now well in production - and many people found the cheaper Japanese '57 RI easily as good!

Since then, Squier has gone from strength to strength, but those early '82's with the large Fender on the headstock are the ones to go for.....if you can find one!

[Tom P.]

This fella has some nice geetars.
Guitargai

[GeorgiaTele]

IMO, there is NO advantage to buying a Japanese Fender, unless it is dirt cheap. Most of them have electronics and wiring that would be more at home in your car radio. The wood is often heavy. The pickups in the older ones are not good at all (IMO). I know for a fact, at least on their Teles, the bridge hardware is a thinner gauge metal than the US and even Highway 1 models. Most of the hype about the Japanese reissue quality is simply that - hype. Put out by collectors and importers. I'd rather have a hand-selected MIM '50's or 60's than most stock Japanese RI's.

[Telemaniac]

I have a CiJ 54 RI. Yes the electrics weren't great but most of them have been replaced now. The jack socket was the worst.

It's the second one I've had, I sold the first one and after about 3 months had such remorse that I got another one from Ebay. I love it now - as Loco here knows I had a period when it wasn't quite like that!

It's never quite going to be a Tele, but still it's now a very nice guitar with a great neck profile.

No more to say really :)

[sneakyjapan]

not sure I`d say most are one thing or another. They made so many models it`s tough to generalize. I go by the ones I own, the ones I`ve selected from many. They did make strats with full size pots and US pick-ups... I own some. Bought here in Japan and I`m not certain if they ever exported these models or they were domestic only. But they do exist. I haven`t even mentioned my ExTrad or my custom editions... those are seperate from the other FJ 80s strats I own. Model number goes a long way in determining which level of strat one has and unfortunately many sellers outside Japan don`t include that model number for whatever reason so it`s a bit of a crap shoot unless there is an ExTrad or custom edition sticker on the beck of the headstock. They used ash, alder basswood and sen for bodies. They used flimsy electronics and they used US made, MIJ p`ups and US made p`ups. Poly finishes and nitro finishes. It`s really important to research an FJ before purchasing and it`s easy here in Japan with so many people to ask.