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  #16  
Old 03-04-2023, 09:31 PM
joeappel joeappel is offline
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Originally Posted by fpuhan View Post

The Japanese have a term that doesn't translate easily, monozukuri. In short, it refers to "pride in manufacturing work." That doesn't convey the word's subtleties (a good article on it can be read here)
Thanks for sharing that article, it’s very interesting.

So I’m wondering if the original poster ended up buying the guitar or not.
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  #17  
Old 03-05-2023, 05:34 PM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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Originally Posted by fpuhan View Post
If the OP is still around and reading this, I'd like to add two points. The first is that just this evening I came across a MIJ Fender Stratocaster that meets my needs about 98% (I'm not so sure the neck profile is for me). I'm dithering over I want to spring for it or not.

The other is something that was a Big Deal[emoji769] about 30 years ago: TQM and the Deming Prize. TQM is short for Total Quality Management, and the Deming Prize is awarded to those firms who follow TQM's principles of constant quality improvement. The sheer irony of the Deming Prize is that the man it is named after, W. Edwards Deming, was instrumental in improving Japan's manufacturing techniques following WWII. It was only later that his principles garnered attention in the U. S. The prize named after him is one of the longest-running and one of the highest awards on TQM in the world today.

The Japanese have a term that doesn't translate easily, monozukuri. In short, it refers to "pride in manufacturing work." That doesn't convey the word's subtleties (a good article on it can be read here), but I think the posts in response to the OP have all suggested that Japanese Fenders are NOT cheap knock-offs. Rather, they might even be considered "limited runs" nearly on the level of Fender's Custom Shop.

The guitar I'm looking at is elevated in my estimation because of its Japanese origin, not diminished by it.

There’s a good book called the Toyota Way, that explains the Japanese management way of making the highest quality product, by making every single employee as a very important part of the operation, which translates to pride in their work.
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  #18  
Old 03-06-2023, 06:26 PM
fpuhan fpuhan is offline
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Originally Posted by joeappel View Post
So I’m wondering if the original poster ended up buying the guitar or not.
I don't know about the OP, but I sure did!

I came across the "unicorn" I've been longing for and last night made the deal.

It's a MIJ 2019 Fender Hybrid '50s Stratocaster FSR Sherwood Green w/ USA Pickups. Carefully inspected, dialed in, and checks all the boxes. Now I just have to wait for delivery.

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  #19  
Old 03-06-2023, 06:58 PM
Chickee Chickee is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fpuhan View Post
I don't know about the OP, but I sure did!

I came across the "unicorn" I've been longing for and last night made the deal.

It's a MIJ 2019 Fender Hybrid '50s Stratocaster FSR Sherwood Green w/ USA Pickups. Carefully inspected, dialed in, and checks all the boxes. Now I just have to wait for delivery.

That is a beautiful Stratocaster! Sherwood Green is one of the best Fender colors. You state its a FenderSpecialRun, but what does the Hybrid part mean? Does it have a battery?😹
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  #20  
Old 03-06-2023, 08:17 PM
joeappel joeappel is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fpuhan View Post
I don't know about the OP, but I sure did!

I came across the "unicorn" I've been longing for and last night made the deal.

It's a MIJ 2019 Fender Hybrid '50s Stratocaster FSR Sherwood Green w/ USA Pickups. Carefully inspected, dialed in, and checks all the boxes. Now I just have to wait for delivery.
Love the color! It's a beauty.
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  #21  
Old 03-07-2023, 09:15 PM
FrankHudson FrankHudson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fpuhan View Post
I don't know about the OP, but I sure did!

I came across the "unicorn" I've been longing for and last night made the deal.

It's a MIJ 2019 Fender Hybrid '50s Stratocaster FSR Sherwood Green w/ USA Pickups. Carefully inspected, dialed in, and checks all the boxes. Now I just have to wait for delivery.

Love that color!
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  #22  
Old 03-08-2023, 02:01 PM
fpuhan fpuhan is offline
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I guess I have a thing for Sherwood Green. Last year, Squier released a 40th Anniversary Telecaster "Gold Edition," and I found one as a mint condition open box. I couldn't refuse. And it actually plays and sounds way above its class!

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  #23  
Old 03-13-2023, 04:11 AM
EZYPIKINS EZYPIKINS is offline
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I had a Japanese Contemporary Strat back in the 80's. I thought the quality was at least as good as the USA Strat's of the day.

newyears1986.jpg
Only pic I have of it. Wish I still had it.
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  #24  
Old 03-16-2023, 01:08 PM
Larpy Larpy is offline
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i have a mid '80s MIJ Squier '62 RI Strat. Smaller neck than a standard Strat and (I think) a shorter scale. Very easy to play and sounds very good.

When I got it, it had a metallic blue finish that I did not care for, so I removed it and refinished it in transparent amber nitrocellulouse lacquer.

Two things to note:

First the stock finish was thick and absurdly tough poly (took hours and hours to get it all off). Guitar sounded good with the original finish but better with a thin nitro lacquer finish.

Second, it turned out that the body wood is neither alder nor ash but, I believe, basswood. That's the wood Fender sometimes used in the Leo years for some of their entry-level guitars (like the Duo-Sonic).

Some players claim that a basswood Strat can never sound like a "real" Strat, but I don't agree. Over the years I've owned a '77 Fender Strat, a '96 Fender '57 RI Strat, and a Nash S57. My MIJ Squier sounds better than all of them except for the '57 RI.** The worst-sounding electric guitar I ever owned was that '77 Fender Strat. Sounded dead even with new strings.

I'll take a good-sounding piece of basswood over a dead-sounding piece of ash or alder any day.

**Edit: that's not true; given what I remember, the Squier sounds about on par with the Nash.
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