Hai Guys; Do You Japanese Fender?

[cheesecats]

Nice!! If I may; what sort of customs did you have to pay on it?

the import duty for electric fretted stringed instruments from japan is 5% of the customs value, which usually is the transaction price. see HTS subheading 9207.90.00

http://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1300c92.pdf

[DannDubbleEwe]

Nice!! If I may; what sort of customs did you have to pay on it?

Like I said, shipping was $115. So as far as I know it was included in the price I didn't have to pay when I signed for it and I wasn't alerted of anything similar to it. Easy peasey! And the bass is magical :0 CIJ Precision, solid maple neck. HUMINA.

[sonidero]

American Fenders are made by Mexicans in America while MIM is made in Mexico often by the same Mexicans just down the road. I mean, the hardwares a bit nicer so take it with a grain of salt but it's food for thought all the same.

Sig worthy...

Most of the people saying Yes on CIJ/MIJ's are in Straya... I can get some Japanese Fenders in Austin from different shops so maybe you could get a local shop to import one... I find that most of the mid 90's to mid 00's MIM's are solid and feel really good...

[backwardsvoyager]

seriously considering making an ishibashi order now...


http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/80-312350700

HNNNNNG
bummer it's sold out

[sonidero]

seriously considering making an ishibashi order now...
HNNNNNG
bummer it's sold out

THAT IS BONER!!!

How much is that???

[backwardsvoyager]

seriously considering making an ishibashi order now...
HNNNNNG
bummer it's sold out

THAT IS BONER!!!

How much is that???

I know right! I just saw it and thought 'IT's PERFECT!'

79800 yen is for me just over $800 AUD, so maybe like $850 US?
I would be ordering it right now if it was in stock, gonna have to look around for others

[sonidero]

I know right!

I like matching headstocks now...

[backwardsvoyager]

I emailed them to ask if it'll be back in stock anytime soon, fingers crossed..
I'd probably swap the pickguard for a black one but otherwise it's pretty much perfect

[sonidero]

I emailed them to ask if it'll be back in stock anytime soon, fingers crossed..
I'd probably swap the pickguard for a black one but otherwise it's pretty much perfect

OH SHIT... I've been tryin to find a balck pickguard for my Classic Player Jazzmaster which is black...

[bob the r0bot]

OH SHIT... I've been tryin to find a balck pickguard for my Classic Player Jazzmaster which is black...

Standard ebay replacement guards will fit those if you just cut out the space inbetween the bridge post holes

[Helter]

[rfurtkamp]

I have a perfectly serviceable MIJ '69RI Mustang. It's a nice guitar. Well made, fit and finish were good (but has the usual very thin Japanese poly, previous owner dropped it at some point on the rear strap post and it's missing a piece now. It's like a small candy-coated shell.).

I got it when there weren't any cheaper Mustang options.

That said, my Squier Mustang (with proper bridge) is what I play over it 90% of the time or more. Sure, the tuners have a cheap feel to them (and so did the MIA vintage Fender ones I had for years), the rosewood isn't quite as pretty, etc.), but that guitar has *it* while the MIJ is merely 'good'.

I've never played a MIJ that screamed "buy me or you'll regret it for years" except an original Bass VI reissue in the 90s. And that simply because there wasn't another semi-affordable option until now.

I have various Fenders and Squiers - the absolute, bar none guitar of the bunch across the board is a first year Classic Player Jag HH (MIM). I don't like nitro finishes, so MIJ and MIM come ahead for that, but that said, the Squiers are far, far, far better options if I 'm going to be cheap.

Today's MIM is like looking at MIA Gibsons: price point is *everything*. Cheapies are cheapies, unless you find a magical one. But once you get past a certain cost level, the MIMs are amazing - maybe they don't export the same level of instrument overseas, and we get the clunker MIJs here etc.

But there's no way I'm wiling to pay MIJ prices unless it's a one of a kind, not available anywhere else instrument.

[backwardsvoyager]

I have a perfectly serviceable MIJ '69RI Mustang. It's a nice guitar. Well made, fit and finish were good (but has the usual very thin Japanese poly, previous owner dropped it at some point on the rear strap post and it's missing a piece now. It's like a small candy-coated shell.).

I got it when there weren't any cheaper Mustang options.

That said, my Squier Mustang (with proper bridge) is what I play over it 90% of the time or more. Sure, the tuners have a cheap feel to them (and so did the MIA vintage Fender ones I had for years), the rosewood isn't quite as pretty, etc.), but that guitar has *it* while the MIJ is merely 'good'.

I've never played a MIJ that screamed "buy me or you'll regret it for years" except an original Bass VI reissue in the 90s. And that simply because there wasn't another semi-affordable option until now.

I have various Fenders and Squiers - the absolute, bar none guitar of the bunch across the board is a first year Classic Player Jag HH (MIM). I don't like nitro finishes, so MIJ and MIM come ahead for that, but that said, the Squiers are far, far, far better options if I 'm going to be cheap.

Today's MIM is like looking at MIA Gibsons: price point is *everything*. Cheapies are cheapies, unless you find a magical one. But once you get past a certain cost level, the MIMs are amazing - maybe they don't export the same level of instrument overseas, and we get the clunker MIJs here etc.

But there's no way I'm wiling to pay MIJ prices unless it's a one of a kind, not available anywhere else instrument.

I've been tempted by those Squier VM's but I've been looking for a backup guitar with a fixed bridge so they wouldn't really suit, hence looking at the MIJ special editions.

I have heard before that the export MIJ models aren't as well made as the ones they sell domestically, not sure how much truth there is to that, though.

Does the CP Jag HH hold tune well and do you get any strings popping out with heavy playing?

Also, anyone here compared the blacktop jag with the MIJ HH Jag?

(sorry if im hijacking the thread here, desperately trying to get a good Fender for under a grand)

[rfurtkamp]

Mine is a domestic model (revolt yellow, a color never offered otherwise), somebody bit the bullet and imported it before me. PU that remained was typical awful MIJ, thankfully I don't use that one much (it's been made into a super Mustang with a middle pickup and bridge bucker, only the mid is a normal MIJ). Pots, etc, typical import cost-cutting stuff. Not saying that I have any problem with it, but simply that for 3x+ what the Squiers go for, they're not that much of an improvement by any standard IMO.

I have my CP Jag HH (with the trem, not the fixed bridge MIJ one, for clarity) set up as my synth guitar, 10s like everything else I play. Tuning stability is ludicrously good, and I've never had an issue with strings popping on any offset with a TOM installed, factory or no (and minimal problem on any MIA I ever played back in the day, all the problems with the "Must have expensive offset bridge" seem to be suspiciously confined to the MIJ offsetonlyera). It wouldn't stay my synth guitar if it didn't stay in tune beyond tune for as long as I need it - there's nothing worse that having a piano section go out of tune mid-song on a synth guitar.

Analog-only, the buckers are even decent, and the coil-blend is very, very useful (and a worthwhile replacement for a rhythm circuit I rarely use anyway on my other Jags and JM).

Blacktop Jag the problem is no trem, and no trem = not a Jaguar for me more than any pickup or other options.

[backwardsvoyager]

Mine is a domestic model (revolt yellow, a color never offered otherwise), somebody bit the bullet and imported it before me. PU that remained was typical awful MIJ, thankfully I don't use that one much (it's been made into a super Mustang with a middle pickup and bridge bucker, only the mid is a normal MIJ). Pots, etc, typical import cost-cutting stuff. Not saying that I have any problem with it, but simply that for 3x+ what the Squiers go for, they're not that much of an improvement by any standard IMO.

I have my CP Jag HH (with the trem, not the fixed bridge MIJ one, for clarity) set up as my synth guitar, 10s like everything else I play. Tuning stability is ludicrously good, and I've never had an issue with strings popping on any offset with a TOM installed, factory or no (and minimal problem on any MIA I ever played back in the day, all the problems with the "Must have expensive offset bridge" seem to be suspiciously confined to the MIJ offsetonlyera). It wouldn't stay my synth guitar if it didn't stay in tune beyond tune for as long as I need it - there's nothing worse that having a piano section go out of tune mid-song on a synth guitar.

Analog-only, the buckers are even decent, and the coil-blend is very, very useful (and a worthwhile replacement for a rhythm circuit I rarely use anyway on my other Jags and JM).

Blacktop Jag the problem is no trem, and no trem = not a Jaguar for me more than any pickup or other options.

thanks for the input dude.
I was mainly looking at fixed bridge models because I need something that stays in tune and is easy to restring.
May have to go check out that mexican CP Jag HH now before I think about importing. Might try and find a Squier J Mascis jazzy too.
Another thing about the MIJ's is that they're usually made out of basswood instead of alder (except the HH Jag) until you get to the expensive models