Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Some info or pics of the guitar in question and what was paid for it would help determine if you did or did not get ripped off...
 
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Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

I know a bit about them, having owned several over the years (including two "lifers" - 1985 and 1994 '50's reissue Strats). What's the scoop on your possible ripoff situation?
 
Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

I know a bit about them, having owned several over the years (including two "lifers" - 1985 and 1994 '50's reissue Strats). What's the scoop on your possible ripoff situation?


Sorry it took me so long to get back. The body just seemed weird. The guitar is uber light and it threw me off. I also thought the color seemed odd when I pulled it from the box, but when I did some research I found an 87 with the exact same color (link below). I also thought the E Series had 3 ply pickguards and this is a vintage type one ply, but I didn't know the reissues went as far as '86. The neck is for real and looks and feels like a 50s neck. I'll pull it apart and take pics. I may have jumped the gun on the "ripoff" assumption. http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/str...forum/29950-yet-another-japanese-mystery.html
 
Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Are you investing or playing?

If it sounds good, feels good, it IS good. Was it WORTH what you paid regardless of who/what made it???
 
Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Im curious to see whatcha got. Im not an expert, but I do own an 80s Japanese Squier Stratocaster and its a GREAT guitar! Stock pickups were horrible, and pg was a cheap single ply affair, but otherwise, I love it.. (of course, those items have been changed) And back when I got it, I did some research on them, so I have some background.
 
Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Sorry it took me so long to get back. The body just seemed weird. The guitar is uber light and it threw me off. I also thought the color seemed odd when I pulled it from the box, but when I did some research I found an 87 with the exact same color (link below). I also thought the E Series had 3 ply pickguards and this is a vintage type one ply, but I didn't know the reissues went as far as '86. The neck is for real and looks and feels like a 50s neck. I'll pull it apart and take pics. I may have jumped the gun on the "ripoff" assumption. http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/str...forum/29950-yet-another-japanese-mystery.html

I don't hear anything in your post there that makes the guitar seem like a fake. Nobody would bother faking one of those anyhow.

To my knowledge, there were '50's reissue and '60's reissue models (i.e. one ply and three ply guards) from the time those guitars were introduced until the present day Crafted in Japan models.

As for the weight, I consider it a good thing. Many people will pay a premium for lightweight bodies. It may be a coincidence, but every single one of my best sounding guitars of all time has been a fairly lightweight guitar. My main guitar, a Custom Shop Esquire, is about 6-1/2 lb. My Junior, my '68 ES-330, my '68 SG Standard – all very light guitars - all standouts in terms of tone.
 
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Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Here are the pics. So far it looks legit and I don't think the pickguard has ever been removed...there's still sawdust in the cavity. The super light body and brightness of the color really threw me off. It just didn't feel right. I know I look like a total amateur here, but I appreciate the feedback and time taken to answer my question. Once I put some legit alnico s/c pups in here and get the action set where I want it, I think this going to be a good one.


noname.jpgnoname2.jpgnoname3.jpgnoname4.jpg
 
Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

A pic of the entire guitar would help, as would the front and back of the headstock. FWIW yours looks pretty much identical to the '85 E-series my bro used to have except his was black..
 
Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

It looks like an '80's MIJ Strat in Lake Placid Blue. Seems to be largely, if not entirely, stock still. Even the single ply guard on the '60's color looks stock. They didn't follow strict vintage specs on those guitars, so it's very possible that at one point they did a '50's reissue in that color.

That's a cool guitar, and I would not do anything that compromises its ability to be returned to stock some day. Those guitars have steadily gone up in desirability and price over the years, as people finally wise up to how good they are. They sell for more now than they did when new, sometimes by a factor of two. (Their increase in value on the street has more than kept up with original retail price plus inflation.) Even if the stock pickups and electronics aren't that great, I would just remove the harness as a whole and put it in a box somewhere. Somebody some day down the line will curse the previous owner who threw them away. Not a ton of these guitars exist that have not been modified in some way.
 
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Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Beautiful guitar with character.

Shame about the jumpy owner.
 
Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

I had an 1986 Japanese Fender Squire years ago, and everything there looks legit including pickups. Are the saddles stamped fender?
 
Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

The serial number says E614790. 1986 I assume. No FENDER stamped on bridge. noname.jpgnoname2.jpgnoname3.jpgnoname4.jpgnoname5.jpgnoname6.jpgnoname7.jpg
 
Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Very cool. I have a vintage white one from '85/'86. It was my first electric, and I've had it for almost 25 years now. It's a lifer.
 
Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Re: Funkfingers' comments that this is not LPB because it is not a multi-stage metallic.

I've never before heard it claimed that Lake Placid Blue is a candy-apple-type - i.e. two-stage-metallic - color (translucent color coat over a metallic base coat). IIRC, it's a '57 Eldo color (which anyone who's ever been to a Cadillac car show has seen). Fender originally applied it as a single-stage metallic coat, using acrylic binder in the lacquer as opposed to nitrocellulose. The clear applied on top of the metallic was nitro. All Fender metallics but one or two were done this way (nitro clear over acrylic metallic).

The guitar in question might not technically be LPB, but if not it's just because the blue itself is a different hue. It's not because true Fender LPB necessitates a candy-apple process; it does not.

Also, those guitars often didn't nail the old Fender Custom Colors accurately, or name them accurately, so who knows what blue they used or what they named it. For instance, my '94 '50's reissue is pretty close to being Daphne Blue (saturated light blue). But it was originally spec'd by Fender Japan as Sonic Blue (powder blue)...and I'm not sure if either of those blues were commonly ordered custom colors in the single-ply guard years, of which my guitar is supposedly a reissue. They were more commonly seen on '60's model years. These MIJ reissues were well crafted, but less-than-thoroughly researched in terms of vintage accuracy.
 
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Re: Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Very cool. I have a vintage white one from '85/'86. It was my first electric, and I've had it for almost 25 years now. It's a lifer.


Hey thanks and I agree. I can't put it down. Sorry for the false alarm...like I said, I pulled it out of the box and saw that bright metallic paint and it's feather-light weight and thought "there's something wrong here" ...shoulda been patient and gave it thorough examination.
 
Any 80s Japanese Strat / Squier experts out there?

Wait till you get some decent guts in there!

It's a beautiful guitar. I love LPB with an all-maple neck.

FWIW, the routs look just like mine. Same radii on the curves of the control cavity, and same [too large] edge radius on the body. The larger radii make them look a bit more cartoony than your classic American Strat, if you look closely. Standard Strat edge radius is 1/4", which ends up between 6 and 7 mm. My guess is that rather than ordering non-metric bits, Fujigen went with 7 or 8 mm radius roundover bits.

The body is likely 3-5 pieces of basswood. I wouldn't be surprised if you can make out the joints through the poly. I can see them on mine.

Mine is modded all to hell now. It's been through three or four remodels in its life. Short of body/neck/bridge/neckplate/jackplate/screws, it didn't have any of the original parts when I got it. The neck had even been stripped bare and oiled. It currently sports 18V EMGs and a Kahler. It's neck is apart at the moment for a truss rod replacement, and has been for a year. But your thread will likely prod me back into the project.
 
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