How consistant is the build quality? Would you order one over the net without playing it? Are the electronics bad? I'm particularly interested in Jaguars, and I would plan to rewire the thing anyways.

Let's see...I've got several MIJ guitars.

Jazz Bass (2nd one)
'60s RI Strat
'50s Tele
Standard Strat

All great stuff and VERY period correct! Of course the electronics are the first thing to go, but I have yet to find a guitar that I havn't bought and changed out the pickups/switch etc.

Oh and BTW all of them ordered without playing them. I'm debating on another Tele too.

Lefty, from where do you order them? I can't find a site in English.

I found a mid 90's MIJ jag at GC a few months back and jumped on it. It's a great guitar. I might put in SD pickups, and the jack is shot, but that's minor. Overall it's awesome. I'm mostly a gibson guy, but this is a really nice jag...

I think you can buy them from ishibashi. I can't find the link, but do a search over on HC for ishibashi...

Actually, I got the J bass and the '60s RI from a local shop. They ordered form FOJ, and it took forever. The Tele I got from Musician's Friend years ago.

Try here...http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/body?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ishibashi.co.jp%2F&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2


Or email here...http://www.ishibashi-music.com/

I've exchanged a couple of emails with them with no problems.

FWIW I like my MIJ '54/'62 RI mongrel Strat better than the '93 American Standard that I used to own. Great neck and just overall good feel and attention to detail. I did replace all the electronics over time and now it's a keeper. I'm a big fan of MIJ guitars in general, I think the quality of work is usually very high.

The "Crafted in Japan" Jazzmaster my friend had, and the 52 Tele reissue my singer has are great guitars. Period!

My infamous (6/96) MIJ "60's Collectible" shell pink Stratocaster is one of the BEST SOUNDING guitars I own. Everybody is quite amazed by it when they play it. Of course along with what the others have said about their electronics being pretty lame, I changed all of that stuff immediately after I purchased this guitar.

Since then, I have also upgraded it with 6110 frets and a Callaham tremolo bridge assembly too. It is also loaded with some very ancient single-blade Joe Barden Strat pickups (in white no less). I've heard that these old Barden prototype pickups are worth a fortune now. Wow...I was stunned! Great guitar in any event and I would buy another MIJ instrument in a heartbeat.

Yeah I've heard MIJ are nice guitars.

I bought a 91 MIJ Strat at E-Bay years ago. It was cheap.The old owner laquered it with very much primer,color .
After check it out the first time i was dissapointed. It sound horrible.

Than i changed Pups (Custom 69), frets (jumbo frets ) the whole wiring + potis. The biggest improvement was made to put out the cheap pot metall steel tremolo block with a calaham. I must also changed the base plate, otherwise it doesnt fit.(Get it also from callaham)

Now its my nr.1 guitar. Its very lightweight and the neck is fantastic.I realy love it. I didnt found a strat that i like more til now.

I´ve got a MIJ Pink Paisley Strat from the 80s. It´s perfect. I can even do a Jimmy Hendrix on the trem and it stays in tune!

does anyone know what years the MIJs were produced? i ask because a guitar/amp repairman recently hinted (not so subtley) that i must be some kinda naive sucker to think that my '96 60s r.i. strat was MIJ.

i bought it, brand new, in Oct of '96 (i remember quite clearly bringing it home right before the third game of the braves/yanks world series). there are 2 stickers on it: on the back of the headstock, a small gold "50th anniv~ 1946-1996" and "Made in Japan" where the neck meets the body. that seems proof enough to me of its date & origin, but this repair guy just rolled his eyes and intimated that no MIJs were made that late.


any ideas?


and yes, it IS a keeper: once i switched out the pups, threw in a callaham block, it became the guitar i always wanted. not bad for less than 5 C notes!

It´s a MIJ Strat. As far as I know they´re still producing them, but only for the Japanese market!

You can still get them from Ishibashi Music. I may be ordering one of these...

I have a 62 Ri CIJ that i bought new two years ago from Ishibashi. I havent modifyed a thing on it, and it replaced my American Deluxe that I had. It was great right out of the box, and made it from Japan to Ohio in 4 days. Quite Happy. Ishibashi was a pleasure to deal with.

james which serial number got your guitar ?

quote:

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Originally posted by Gismo834:
james which serial number got your guitar ?

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gismo: the serial is: V 002693

btw, i've often wondered~ "stoop, you fairy"? might i ask where that comes from?

Mine's a 1997, so the tech is misinformed...I've never heard of a 5oth Anniversary MIJ Strat but that sounds cool! In 1997 they changed from "Made in Japan" to "Crafted in Japan", not sure what other changes occurred...Fender Japan still makes a wide range of guitars from real cheap to high end stuff that mostly stays in Japan...

Check out this link for some info, based on the serial number it's a 1996-97 model:

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.blackman4/