How can you tell the difference in models for Japanese Strats?

[ILikeGuitar]

I was wondering how you can distinguish their higher end models from their "economy" models.

I've heard the economy models don't have Fender stamped on the saddles.. is this true?

The ones that usually sell for $500ish are their standard/reissue line right?

[ILikeGuitar]

More specifically how to tell the difference between their standard line and the 50s reissue with maple

[dangerine49]

The neck heel is usually stamped with the model number.

[zenbu]

there are no MIJ Fender that are called reissues by the company...thats an F/MIA thing.
There should be stuff stamped in both the neck pocket and on the end of the neck, my `80s FJs have the pencil date on the butt. Sometimes the old ones have a small blue sticker on the back of the headstock, thats the retail price too. Custom editions and ExTrads have those stickers on the back of the headstock.

[the_gunslinger]

Most of the MIJ strats I've seen are going for around 500$ these days. I know mine is the Floyd Rose fat strat, and all it says is 'made in Japan' on the heel with the serial number below it. I would love to buy another, I think these are mighty fine instruments, and right now a great bang for the buck. I think in the future, prices will increase for MIJ Fenders once people realize how truly great these strats are. I would also like to be able to tell the models apart. Maybe somebody has an old brochure with the Jap strats they could post?

Or could somebody tell me how to read the serial numbers?

[brandass]

In my region (SF Bay Area) MIJ strats have been going for $400-$500 for many years now; $350 isn't rare either. They may go up eventually, but doubt it's going to be a meteoric rise, given the way they've behaved til now and the shape the US economy is in.

[zenbu]

`course it depends on the model...if youse can find a JV for those prices, better jump on em `cause people are paying a lot more for em now. By the mid `80s the line-up had expanded considerably, some still great others less so, even into the `90s with the custom editions and ExTrads they made top notch stuff...and I bet you won`t find either of those at the prices stated above and if you do, again better snap em up. The locking system models generally fetch less than other models for whatever reason. Even in Japan the run of the mill production model from any decade doesn`t go for nearly as much as some others...the all rosewood tele I got a few years ago has tripled in value since, hard to say for my all walnut tele `cause they just don`t come around. Have an ExTra that I could sell for much more than I got ot for a few years ago...same for my JVs and custom editions so it`s not very accurate to lump all Japanese Fenders into one or two catagories especially if you take the shop orders, order mades and one offs into consideration. And where one lives is a huge factor as well, but I`m active on line in Japan and see what the prices are today compared to when I was buying years ago.

[soundcreation]

Most of the MIJ strats I've seen are going for around 500$ these days. I know mine is the Floyd Rose fat strat, and all it says is 'made in Japan' on the heel with the serial number below it. I would love to buy another, I think these are mighty fine instruments, and right now a great bang for the buck. I think in the future, prices will increase for MIJ Fenders once people realize how truly great these strats are. I would also like to be able to tell the models apart. Maybe somebody has an old brochure with the Jap strats they could post? Or could somebody tell me how to read the serial numbers?

 

 

Hey...just so you know...Japanese americans find the term "jap" offensive. It has to do with them being interned into concentration camps during the 2nd world war on the west coast. A lot of the US propaganda at the time used the term "Jap" to justify these types of things.

 

I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it but it is what it is.