Re: japanese stratocasters

[smackoj]

I have never owned a MIJ strat. I can't remember ever even holding one. So, before I would buy one I would like to get the most info avail. which, of course, is why i posted here. Main three questions:
Are the MIJ Squiers close in quality to the standard or reissue MIJ strats? 
Are the electronics and especially the pickups high quality in MIJ guitars?
Is one timeframe of manufacture the best and all others lesser quality or are there groups of different timeframes that shine?

thanks amigos

 

[jjasilli]

I was given a mid '80s MIJ Squier Strat with an E-serial number:

*  The neck sucked and was basically bent like an S.  Neck quality on these is a known issue; but I have a friend with one and that neck is fine -- luck of the draw.  I replaced mine with a Jimmy Vaughan neck.
*  The body is OK, though sealed in poly
*  the PU's are great, even though the magnets are steel.  They sound vintage and authentic.
*  I paint-shielded the body cavity; upgraded the pots, wiring & SW; and improved the grounding scheme per www.guitarnuts.com

This is my "vintage"-style Strat; it's a fine guitar.  My friend's mid '80s MIJ Squier Strat sounds great and is totally stock.

[Zipslack]

Most 80's MIJ Squires are considered to be equivalent to American Strats, or close to it, as far as build quality and neck.  If you can find one for a small amount of money (person doesn't know what it is), grab it.

[HotBluePlates]

I have had a '94 MIJ 60's Reissue since 1994. Great guitar and always has been, but I don't know whether I'd be more pleased with an alder-body Strat (these were basswood).

Pickups and electronics were okay, but not as sturdy as U.S. parts. I swapped those a very long time ago, and have probably the 3rd set of pickups in it.

Neck has been straight as an arrow ever since I got it.

[smackoj]

copy that Hot Blue, JJ and Zip.  I have noticed several knowledgeable sellers stating the body is Basswood. Was or is that the standard wood for MIJ strats?

straight necks are worth a lot compared to benders and twisters

 

[HotBluePlates]

As far as I know, basswood was standard for Japanese Strats.

U.S. Strats were historically ash for any finish that showed the wood grain, or alder for solid or metallic finishes that obscured the grain.

[jjasilli]

copy that Hot Blue, JJ and Zip.  I have noticed several knowledgeable sellers stating the body is Basswood. Was or is that the standard wood for MIJ strats?

straight necks are worth a lot compared to benders and twisters

 

Lots of Asian guitars seem to use basswood - as a cheap substitute for alder.  Nothing terribly wrong with it; but nothing to write home about either.  Its soft.  A poly shell cures that, but may also diminish tone.  See, e.g.:  http://www.edroman.com/customshop/wood/basswood.htm

[smackoj]

very informative link JJ

thanks for posting it

smacko jack

[Madison]

Don't know if you found what you are looking for yet.

I have owned and handled a few Japanese Strats over here.

I like the mid 80s Fender stuff.

Though, the 70s Matsumoku made Strats can be very good.
I owned a few Greco SE models, re-fretted them, etc. the were very sturdy.
They had 3 piece necks which I think kept them straight.

Some of the Fernandes , the Revival series, are quite nice for your standard Strat.

Had a couple of Tokais that were very nice but the nut width just wasn't right.....for me.
I think most guys would be happy with them.
(I am really particular about string spacing)

The Fender Stuff.
I am a big fan of the mid-80s era ones.
The necks just feel right to me.
YMMV.

What I own now is a Squier.
I have no problems with the MIJ Squier name.
Heck (showing my age here), my first electric was an 80s MIJ Squier.

After all this time I took a liking to 3 bolt 70s style.Really liked the feel after a friend left a '79 USA one here for a few years.He took it back.

This Squier, I would assume it's a basswood body.
It's now my workhorse Strat.
Body was/is a bit beat up but I don't care.
The neck is great after I did some fills on the rear, dressed the frets, etc.
PUPs are original, sound pretty good to me.
Took me a while to get it just right.
Everything works well.
Keeper....for now.

Might pick up just one more someday.
Seems there are some really good deals at the moment.
Unfortunately, I don't even have enough time to play all the guitars I have!

Sold off my old workhorse 90s USA Strat a few years back.
No regrets.

My 2 ¥

Good luck on your search.

[eleventeen]

I'm not fond of what in my experience are the over-lacquered necks of MIJ Strats. The workmanship looks fine on any that I have seen.

The Strats I play now are rosewood fretboard Strat-Plus, made in USA from 1989 to about 1997. I prefer the later ones with the LSR nuts, which were introduced somewhere in the middle of 1993. These guitars have, to my hand, the best Fender necks, and they are finished with a satin finish which does not get sticky-grabby even when sweating. Now I will say that the Lace Sensor pickups are not great, in fact, I might even say they are sub-average. Yes, they are quiet, but rather sterile sounding. For the most part, I play jazz and usually use only the bass pickup, sometimes the bass+middle, less, the middle pickup. I also play through a POD which takes care of most of my tone. I am not as sensitive to tone as probably most players. I have not changed the pickups in the two I own. I don't really use tremolo so I don't really use the trem-setter deal. These Strats have a steel tremolo block sort of like pre-CBS ones, but with a bevel. Not die-cast metal.

But as far as the mechanical aspects of the guitar: staying in tune, ability to tune accurately and stay in tune (these have locking Schaller tuners, earlier ones had locking Sperzel tuners) evenness of the neck, finish and evenness of the frets, sustain, the notable ability to "sing", and the elasticity of the feel, sometimes called "give-back"....these Strats IMO BLOW AWAY older Strats, and I have dealt guitars for 25 years and have owned at least 150 pre-CBS Strats. There's simply no comparison as mechanical, very well made devices. They can be bought in mint condition on ebay for about $800 and to me, are ideal other than the pickups.

I sold a 1960 and 1964 Strat that were long time guitars I had owned for 30+ years. Both refin'ed. The 64 was a great, great guitar. However it was running low on fret life and I was uncertain how I would like it after a refret. The tuners sucked. The pickups were magnificent. On old ones, I like the old small frets and NEVER liked big frets. On these Strat-plus, they have biggish frets and I am fine with them.

Other than the pickups, I am completely happy with these guitars. They are very consistent and the rosewood ones have nice wide, flat necks that I happen to like.

[smackoj]

Thanks one and all for your input on the MIJ stratocasters. Lots of good information to think about. One thing that I particularly like about the
earlier MIJs is that they seem to be better made than today's fender lot. I'm not talking about the Custom Shop stuff but I am really concerned about Fender's manufacturing plan. I went into the local Guitar Center a few days ago and looked at some of the new strats on the wall. The first one I picked up was one of their new American "least expensive" models that they said has replaced the Highway One series. This thing was a sad case for a new guitar. It looked and felt like it was not actually finished at the factory, but sorta slapped together and sent to a Guitar Center near me. Sad really when you think about it. But everyone is looking to sell more guitars and having that Made in America sticker gets a lot more serious buyers than Made in Indonesia or Korea or China on it.

On the other side of the coin, I deicided to go to a music store I had never been to before about an hour's drive away. They had a new USA strat that was very nice looking and put together well, but I almost dropped out when they told me $2300.00 ! Man, that kinda shocked me. I can remember when a new standard strat went for about a grand or maybe 1200....dang, not gonna pay that much for one.

 

[eleventeen]

Not to harp..but there is a guy who is the acknowledged world guru of Strat Plus known as xhefri (pronounced "jeffrey" ) and he has maybe 100 of these guitars. He knows all about them. Every detail. Google "xhefri" and you will find his site.

He likes the pickups more than I do. I think they are right down the middle of the bowling alley average. But they are quiet, for sure, and they are entirely usuable as they are. Sterile, though.

If you are looking for a US made Strat at best price, I can't think of a better way to get there. The quality of these is custom shop, not production line.

You get the satin neck finish versus goopy lacquer and that is a GIANT deal as far as I'm concerned. It matters less on a maple neck but it's HUGE on a roseneck.
You get locking (don't care) Schaller (vastly better) tuners versus Klusons...altho I guess the boxy type of tuners (that do not have any mounting screws, eg; are pin-secured) on many newish Strats is probably pretty good.
Superior fret finishing to production line Strats.
You get a steel tremolo block instead of a die cast block.
You get a wide, flat neck that I have only occasionally encountered on any form of "USA Strat". If you don't like that, well, so be it.

If you look on ebay and carefully stalk them out, you can find these in SB for $800-850 delivered, and if you wait for a nice one, you can usually find one in simply mint fret condition. Usually custom colors cost a little more (I have one in Caribbean mist and one in Blackburst) or if they are banana yellow or mint green, maybe a lot more.

I myself vastly prefer the (later) LSR nut to the Wilkinson nuts. These changed from the factory in mid 1993.

The maple necked ones are great guitars but they have ash bodies which are heavier (typical Fender combo: ash body w/maple neck, alder body w/rosewood neck) and I used to think those were better. I no longer do. I prefer the alder body rosewood neck. Yes, the ash has a prettier grain. That's the only positive as far as I am concerned. I believe the alder ones sing more and they are just lighter. Not by much. I used to think heavy ash body and maple neck sustained more. I no longer do. I now think you get better sustain out of a superior fret job, and these have it.

I'd again urge you to look at these.