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MIJ Guitars (non-clones)


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Many of you know that in addition to my love for Hamers, I also have a real soft spot for Japanese guitars. I've owned a ton over the years, vintage and modern. My sense is that most people think of the high quality clones when the subject comes up, including me. But over the years, I've been exposed to some pretty spectacular guitars that are not simply clones, but an original model or a different interpretation. Many are brand names that aren't well known outside of Japan. So I'm starting this topic to introduce and discuss some of those MIJ guitars that you wouldn't necessarily put in the copy or clone category.

My first of several entries will be a model that is somewhat representative of a Hamer Korina Special. The "Rabbit is" brand (yes, that is actually the name) is a small off-brand associated with Deviser/Crews. Info is scarce, so I don't know exactly what the association is. From what I can tell, they have 1 main guitar model available in korina (USA-2) or mahogany (USA-1), a double cut wraptail special with a humbucker in the bridge. 

I fell in love the minute I saw one listed on a Japanese dealer site. They're not cheap, so I waited until one popped up for sale in Japan and jumped. It's exactly what I hoped for, a light resonant guitar with great tones. I was a bit surprised at how much I liked the sound with both pickups on. And I find the look of the korina on this particular guitar to be great, seems to have some figuring to it.

Here are a couple of pics and a recent demo I found. And I agree, the name and logo is a little goofy. But the guitar itself far overcomes that slight negative.

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Humbucker/P90 with a wraptail and a belly cut...?  That may be my perfect guitar...

Do they make that in a single cut...?

Love my Japanese Charvel (and all the Japanese Charvels I’ve owened over the years). Super high build quality and only guitars I could buy sight unseen other then my USA Hamers and be 100% happy with. 

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20 hours ago, Ua D said:

Sweet.  I’ll love jr styled double cuts.  It’s what brought me to being such a Hamer fan.  That looks wonderful.   How does it balance on a strap?

It's very light, so feels great with a strap, no neck dive or anything like that.

8 hours ago, crunchee said:

Nice!  Is there any neck flex with that full double cutaway?

Not that I've noticed. The neck is deeply set into the body.

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8 hours ago, Travis said:

Do they make that in a single cut...?

Not to my knowledge, only double cuts.

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Of my seven electric guitars, five were made in Japan. It's not like I went out to buy MIJ guitars, I've bought and sold a bunch made wherever, and the MIJ guitars have been the keepers. Two are Fenders, two are Vox (Korg era), one Ibanez. None have any bling or fancy wood figuring. They all just play and sound great, and the craftsmanship is top notch. 

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                                                                                             That IS a great looking guitar!.....................love everything except the headstock,I'd have to have that lettering and rabbit removed [I'd just leave it black] which would not be too difficult should one choose to have it done. The rest................... I'd throw down on that guitar. Can you give a ballpark of the pricing on these? I love MIJ guitars and have played and collected them for years. Love the Yamaha guitars I owned,Weddingtons Images,SAs,SGs as well as their fine acoustics. I only have the one 1991 Fender MIJ ST-62 Reissue now and it is a wonderful guitar in every respect.

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13 minutes ago, Dave Scepter said:

It's my favorite part of the guitar 😆iTsDEd5.jpg

                                                               I don't mind the shape at all I'd be cool with that................................the rest of the guitar I like alot,I think what is on the headstock face makes the guitar look cheap..............which it certainly is not, guess I'm too much of a traditionalist when it comes to something like that.I  love the wood on this one............. beautiful!

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22 minutes ago, Carl.B said:

                                 I like this finish better than the red mahogany but the natural with the "TORT" guard I really like it...............I'd own and play that any day but like I said  the Rabbit and lettering would have to go. To each  their own though,  beauty is in the eye of the beholder kind of thing.

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14 minutes ago, Carl.B said:

Guitar Shop Hoochies (the Reverb Seller) is, I believe, the main dealer/distributor for Rabbit is guitars. The blue finish is korina as well. 

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1 hour ago, Dave Scepter said:

It's my favorite part of the guitar 😆iTsDEd5.jpg

Japanese guitar makers are often quirky when it comes to original designs, such as this headstock.  Remember, this is the country that brought us the Fernandes Nomad/ZO-3, which comes/has come in a LOT more variations in Japan than were available in the US, and the standard-model Burny BC Rich-style guitar with transparent green acrylic body that Rick Nielsen uses...I dunno if they still have that particular guitar in production, but I remember seeing a good number of those acrylic-bodied Burnys in the 'big-chain' music stores back then, when I was over there:

fernandes.co.jp

Sometimes, the quirkyness extends to non-original designs...I remember seeing in a Japanese guitar magazine about twenty years ago, back when I was stationed in Japan and the local mall newsstand was a short walk away, a headstock photo of a Les Paul clone, done in trans cherry like George Harrison's 'Lucy', where the headstock brand was 'GeoRge' in inlaid pearl across the top Gibson-style, with a 'Harrison model' logo in script lengthwise...all done in the style of a vintage Gibson LP.  I thought it was hilarious, unfortunately I'm Japanese-language illiterate or I woulda tracked down more info about it.

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My next MIJ guitar is a rare one. And while it has the body shape of a typical LP, I stop short of calling this one a clone as I certainly have not seen anything like it.

History is a brand for Shimamura, a very large music store in Japan. The brand has been around since 1996, but since around 2001 all of the guitars are made at the Fujigen guitar factory. Fujigen has their own brands (FGN and Fujigen) and many of the History models overlap, but not this one. In 2005 Shimimura commissioned a special History model to commemorate the store's 35th anniversary. The 35th Anniversary AH-LC. I believe only 35 were made.

I know this isn't for everyone and I typically don't care for super blinged out guitars, but this one really caught my eye and when one came up for sale earlier this year (the only one I've ever come across), I jumped.

You can see from the pictures that it has a spalted flame maple cap and carved back (the back is at least 1/4" thick, not just a veneer) with an amber burst finish. The body is Honduras mahogany and the neck is 5 piece with Bubinga and flame maple. The fretboard is Brazilian RW with abalone block inlays. 

Beyond it's blinged out look, it plays incredibly well (as well as anything I've had). With all the maple, the tone is on the bright side, but not harsh. The pickups are also splittable with push/pull pots.

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32 minutes ago, RobB said:

Wowee. Love the headstock shape, kind of an inverted, “eff-you”, to Gibson. Beautiful woods and inlay.  

That headstock shape looks a lot like those found on some Yamahas, such the SA series:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_SA2200

Also, the SG series that Santana once used:

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Yamaha_SG2000

 

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Nice looking guitars.

 

I bet that the name Rabbit Is was some Japanese person hearing the words "Rabbit Ears", and assuming an English speaking person was saying "Rabbit Is".

 

Well, that's my theory on the name Rabbit Is.

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Really like that engraved tailpiece. Although I’m guessing that would make overwrapping the strings on the tailpiece a “no-no”...

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1 hour ago, Texsunburst59 said:

Nice looking guitars.

 

I bet that the name Rabbit Is was some Japanese person hearing the words "Rabbit Ears", and assuming an English speaking person was saying "Rabbit Is".

 

Well, that's my theory on the name Rabbit Is.

Maybe this instead?

 

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I have over the years (decades) always avoided Japanese guitars. I had it in my head that they were inferior quality and that the finishes were too thick and synthetic.

Then about seven years ago, I bought a 1985 Takamine EN-20-12. I needed an acoustic 12 string and had been looking for a Taylor jumbo 12, but didn't really want to shell out the $1400.00 or more for a guitar that wouldn't get that much playing time. The Takamine is a great instrument. Huge sound, low action, excellent construction and wonderful pickup/preamp set-up. 

So then I started to keep an eye out for it's six string brother. Not a whole lot of them pop up. They only made this model for a few years in the mid 1980s. Finally found one on Reverb about six months ago and overpaid for it because it was advertised as "excellent condition" and I had been looking for so long for a clean one. I spent $600 on the 12 string but $950 for the 6 string.

Was shocked when I received it. The guitar looks literally brand new. As in never played, even though it's a 1986. Still has the "Made in Japan" sticker on the back of the headstock. Just like the 12 string, huge sound, low action and superb construction. All solid woods, cedar top. They even have a compensated two-piece bridge saddle. Just killer. Like playing a grand piano. It has become my #1 when I do my acoustic shows. My trusty old Taylor 410 has been relegated to open G tuning that I use on a couple of tunes. 

My prejudice against Japanese guitars has been dissolved.

 

 

EN 20.jpg

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