MIJ Strat

Taylorplayer · #1 11-04-2011, 11:43 AM

A friend recently blessed me with a 1997-98 MIJ Strat. It was kinda' rough but it cleaned up nicely. It needed a through going over, but now it plays and sounds really good.

If anyone can shed any light on this guitar I would really apprecaite it.

muscmp · #2 11-04-2011, 11:51 AM

bill: nice find!

i'm not sure what particulars you are looking for, but here is a start: fender.com. this is their support area. if you are looking to establish the build date, use the product dating area. if you are looking for the manual, the product manuals area. the stringed instrument area would show you parts layout and schematics.

http://www.fender.com/support

hope this helps!

mikeB.

Taylorplayer · #3 11-04-2011, 12:10 PM

mike -

once again -- thanks! I seem to be saying that to you a lot lately!

pieterh · #4 11-05-2011, 01:53 PM

I can't remember the name of it now but I know there is a specialist Fender Japan website, either a dealer or enthusiast or both.

You may not get so much info from fender.com, the whole point of Fender Japan after the management buyout in the late 80s and reintroduction of US manufacturing was that Fender Japan would cater for the eastern market while Fender Mexico would take care of the more modestly budget conscious western markets. I may be wrong but I seem to remember that though they have an official connection they are separate companies.

Given the sheer volume of product coming out of the Mexico plant - I've heard that it is the world's biggest guitar plant in terms of units produced - it isn't surprising that some find Japanese made Fenders desirable. I've played a few, notably some Strats and a fine Jazz bass, and the quality of all of them was very high.

Your example, even if you've had to renovate it somewhat, will get some heads turning and hands itching to try it

Darwin · #5 11-05-2011, 02:19 PM

Taylorplayer, the Japanese Strats are very good instruments. In the early to mid eighties, Fender Japan was producing the guitars for Fender America for a short time. The build quality and the necks are outstanding. The Vintage reissues that were built in the early to mid eighties are a premium price, highly collectible and sought after and a market all to themselves. There are people who replace the wiring and pickups with American parts but that is a personal preference. I had an Aerodyne Tele, MIJ, which is a beautiful guitar that I recently gave to my son. It had a P90 neck pickup. You have a very nice instrument. Enjoy.-- Darwin

Taylorplayer · #6 11-05-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pieterh

>>> Your example, even if you've had to renovate it somewhat, will get some heads turning and hands itching to try it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darwin

Taylorplayer, the Japanese Strats are very good instruments.>>> <<< You have a very nice instrument. Enjoy.-- Darwin

Thanks very much. I apprecaite the positive feedback!

throbert · #7 11-06-2011, 07:04 AM

The 80's Fender MIJ were really nice. The only thing I would consider doing is changing to different pickup set. Lot of players did that during that time and it helped give rise to the replacement pickup guys like Fralin and many others at this point.

zabdart · #8 11-06-2011, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by throbert

The 80's Fender MIJ were really nice. The only thing I would consider doing is changing to different pickup set. Lot of players did that during that time and it helped give rise to the replacement pickup guys like Fralin and many others at this point.

This has always baffled me because the pickup specs on MIJ Fenders from the mid-80's were always closer to Leo's own than anything put out by CBS.
That said, output specs on Fender pickups during the Leo Fender years tended to be all over the map... as long as they fell within plus or minus 10% of a given DC resistance value. CBS, to their credit, standardized their pickup outputs... but at a value anywhere from 1000 to 1500 Ohms lower than what Leo achieved. Hence, the bugaboo about CBS-era Fenders. When Bill Smith and the employees bought the company back from CBS, they got everything except the factory, so they licensed the production of Fender guitars to a couple of Japanese firms for a couple of years, while they sought new manufacturing space. The Japanese, in their mania for making exact copies, made guitars whose pickups were closer to Leo's old specs than the ones used by CBS.

Taylorplayer · #9 11-06-2011, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zabdart

This has always baffled me because the pickup specs on MIJ Fenders from the mid-80's were always closer to Leo's own than anything put out by CBS.
That said, output specs on Fender pickups during the Leo Fender years tended to be all over the map... as long as they fell within plus or minus 10% of a given DC resistance value. CBS, to their credit, standardized their pickup outputs... but at a value anywhere from 1000 to 1500 Ohms lower than what Leo achieved. Hence, the bugaboo about CBS-era Fenders. When Bill Smith and the employees bought the company back from CBS, they got everything except the factory, so they licensed the production of Fender guitars to a couple of Japanese firms for a couple of years, while they sought new manufacturing space. The Japanese, in their mania for making exact copies, made guitars whose pickups were closer to Leo's old specs than the ones used by CBS.

Thanks. After cleaning the pots and the 5 way switch I was (am) quite impressed with the way it sounds. The day may come when I'm looking for a different "sound", but I am going to leave things as is for now.