software

Hello all...
I was hoping that the community here could get me some info and thoughts on the Jap made strats.
Especially this one:
from : localhost/shop.goo.ne.jp/store/sakuragk/gds/03068/
it is a ST68-85TX

Better link with more info:
from : localhost/sure looks good and the price is DEFINATELY right but I dont know much about them and ordering something that far away makes me nervous.

Anybody here have one?
Quality? Mexican, American????

Thanks!!!

mij/cij fenders are real close to american-made sometimes even surpassing them in quality. i have owned 3 strats, 2 teles and a jaguar all mij and they were top quality stuff. only gripe are the necks tended to be too heavily poly-ed.

btw, check out ishibahi.co.jp. lots of selection and customer service is top-notched. they read and speak english.


Originally Posted by danimij/cij fenders are real close to american-made sometimes even surpassing them in quality. i have owned 3 strats, 2 teles and a jaguar all mij and they were top quality stuff. only gripe are the necks tended to be too heavily poly-ed.

btw, check out ishibahi.co.jp. lots of selection and customer service is top-notched. they read and speak english.

cool man thanks!
that is who the links are from, i am talking to one of the guys via email very cool and very helpful!

i am very interested, i want a '68 but sure as heck aint payin custom shop prices, just aint smart for me to do that...

no worries bro!

i ordered a tele and 2 strats from ishibashi in the past and they have all arrived safely and really packed well.

i highly recommend them. i am sure you won't regret it.

cheers!
dani

before i forget. i am not sure if the 68' comes with a 3-bolt neck attachment. you may want to check on that.

I love my 83 Jap Fender. Sounds better then most new fenders ive heard ( with stock pickups anyways ) Solid too.

i have spent a large amount of time tonite going over the offerings here on the fender japan models

it seems the '68 is a 4 bolt neck but the neck is thin, only 40 mm with most american strats being 42 mm

the 54, 57, 58, 62 etc all have 42 mm

they sure are gorgeous guitars and it would be nice to have something that was a reissue without having to spend $1300 or more

4-bolt is much nicer than those 3-bolts. i reckon the 2mm won't really make much of a difference. afterall, its only 2mm!

i second the notion of a reissue without spending a bomb and those mij fenders are a killer for the price! i am entertaining thoughts of getting myself a jaguar baritone...


Originally Posted by dani4-bolt is much nicer than those 3-bolts. i reckon the 2mm won't really make much of a difference. afterall, its only 2mm!

i second the notion of a reissue without spending a bomb and those mij fenders are a killer for the price! i am entertaining thoughts of getting myself a jaguar baritone...

Actually a well built 3 bolt is just as nice as a 4 bolt, see Gamp;L pre 92ish. Stable as all hell. Its all about tight tolerances in the neck heel pocket.


Originally Posted by bvc310Actually a well built 3 bolt is just as nice as a 4 bolt, see Gamp;L pre 92ish. Stable as all hell. Its all about tight tolerances in the neck heel pocket.

You have to be really careful about that. Fender's implementation of the 3 bolt micro-tilt design in the 70's was bad. Not just a little bad- a whole lot of bad. I had a 3 bolt Telecaster Custom that slipped so bad even relatively aggressive playing would knock it out of whack- then you'd have to guess which way to slip the neck to get it back in tune.

I currently own a 98 Gamp;L L-2000 with the 3 bolt neck- and it's as solid as any well attached neck. Because of how bad Fender's 3 bolt reputation is- and as long lasting as it is, Gamp;L changed their micro-tilt design away from the 3 bolt.

LOVE THE HEADSTOCK

i love my '57 reissue strat (yep, it's the same as the '57 apart from the string trees!)... never played a jap fender i didnt want straight afterwards, it's pretty dangerous!

tom


Originally Posted by ImpLOVE THE HEADSTOCK

i love my '57 reissue strat (yep, it's the same as the '57 apart from the string trees!)... never played a jap fender i didnt want straight afterwards, it's pretty dangerous!

tomwhich 57 do you have an american or jap?
i have looked at the americans but they are roughly twice the price (new)

So from these sites you can get MIJ Fenders to North America??

Go for it. My MIJ 57ri has replaced an MIA 62ri, a '76 and an SRV. Great guitar.


Originally Posted by Kamanda~SDSo from these sites you can get MIJ Fenders to North America??

yeah man they will send it to you for about $115
i guess you could play the market and find out when the exchange rates were good


Originally Posted by aaronlwhich 57 do you have an american or jap?
i have looked at the americans but they are roughly twice the price (new)

oh, jap! i could get another jap fender for the price of the american..

oh, now you have me thinking

tom

I have a MIJ Strat and the workmanship is top notch. It puts the MIA Srtats to shame, which I also own one. However, their pickups don't sound as good. You may want to change the pickups once when you compare them to the MIA Strats.

I highly recommend Ishibashi music and CIJ guitars. I got the '52 tele and this thing is sweet. Great solid tone, even the pickups sound so good that I doubt I'll change them out. Playability is good, but like was mentioned earlier, there is a ton of gloss on the maple neck. Love it on the fretboard, not so much on the back of the neck. I think I might steel wool it to smooth it out some.

It is a touch expensive to ship them, so I went straight to the store and picked it up. Only $750 for the roundtrip ticket!