question for fender strat experts

[Jimbilly]

Does this look right for a stock '87ish MIJ strat? The solders look original (except where I had to reattach 2 grounds), but it could be an entire guard from something else.

[kizanski]

The Pawn Shop Phantom strikes again!

[cmatthes]

Nice! That body looks a helluva lot better than something I've seen out of "Revelator" guitars! (ha ha!!)

[Guest Mike Lee]

Looks exactly like an early 90's Fernandes strat I used to have, down to the appearance of the pots, the pickups, and the "aged" pickup covers. Even the neck pocket shim looks identical. Mine was a great guitar too, maybe Fender had Fernandes build them?

[serial]

What makes this a MIJ Fender? Unless it has the serial on the headstock, the pots and other electronics look like nothing I've seen out of any of the half dozen or so MIJ 80s early 90s FenderMIJs I've owned. I'm putting my yellow upgraded '62 RI on eBay tomorrow (shot pix tonight). "Made In Japan" should be on the neck (if it's a Vintage or Collectible Series, it's near the heel). Body stamp on the ones I've had is completely diff too. Saddles on mine had "Fender" stamped on 'em too.

[cmatthes]

I'm not a Jpns Fender expert, but the neck stamp does look like a Fernandes and/or Tokai vintage series line mark.

Could be Fender Japan - I honestly can't tell from the pics. Looks cool though!

[billywade]

My pics aren't quite as nice but I do have a similar MIJ Fender at the house right now. The markings look pretty much the same to me. I don't have as good a pic of the pots though.

Not shown but it also has the aged covers and single ply white guard.

It also has two roller string trees and 21 frets.

Serial # on mine starts with an H. String spacing on the trem is 2 & 1/8

I've owned a couple of these in the past and always found them to be pretty decent.

[RichF]

Looks exactly like an early 90's Fernandes strat I used to have, down to the appearance of the pots, the pickups, and the "aged" pickup covers. Even the neck pocket shim looks identical. Mine was a great guitar too, maybe Fender had Fernandes build them?

I agree with Mike about the electronics and pickguard looking like Fernandes. I have a Fernandes with similar looking electronics.

The body doesn't look like my Fernandes though. Mine has much more square pickup routes and the center wire channel goes through from the neck pickup route through to the neck pocket.

There seems to have been quite a bit of cross pollenization between the Japanese factories over the years.

[Zoner]

There is a real good reason they look like Fernandes - they rolled out of the same factory. The '62 reissue has the differences noted because the originals did, hence the reissue moniker. The standard Strats from the Japanese line had the non-imprinted saddles that were like the ones pictured and would have a serial # on the headstock or neckplate. They also tended to have non-staggered pickups and sealed tuners, where the reissues will have the Kluson style units and tinted necks and aged parts. Those Japanese reissues are killer guitars and have gone up considerably in value over the last few years. All the Japanese Fenders were made in the same factory, and for a while when Fender was first purchased back from CBS ALL fender guitars were Japanese made as the deal only included the rights to the name without any facilities. That looks 100% straight to me and I have had many of those fine guitars pass through my hands over the years. My fave is the Squier Strat I bought when I was 18. Big headstock, 3-bolt neck, and the perfect Strat tone after I tossed a set of Duncan Vintage staggered stacks in there. Z

[hardheartedbill]

the only weird thing is the single ply guard on a roswewood board guitar, something that never happened in history and I doubt Fender reissued, the Japanese seem even more concerned about accuracy so something is making me wonder

[kizanski]

Nice! That body looks a helluva lot better than something I've seen out of "Revelator" guitars! (ha ha!!)

OHMYGOD!!

That's exactly what I thought when I saw that red body!!

[esquared]

Not that strange, Bill

This is probably the best source I have found on MIJ strats

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.blackman4/models.htm