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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:49 pm
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Would any of you know which tuners came with the 1985 Japanese Squier Strat?

I can literally kick this thing down a flight of steps and it stays in perfect tune.


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Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:41 am
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i have a 1985 Japanese Squier Stratocaster. it has the licensed Floyd Rose tremolo on it (cast with the fender logo) and instead of a locking nut it has the string locking mechanism in between the nut and the tuning machines. plays absolutely fantastic and with the exception of the pickguard it's completely original. actually the pickguard is what brings me here. someone put a god awful looking pearloid pickguard on it and really had to hack it up around the tremolo to make it fit around the floyd rose tremolo (it's a bit wider and deeper than a standard fender tremolo system) i'm wondering if anyone can tell me how i can get the proper pickguard for this guitar, being black the guitar uses the white, sigle-ply pickguard and spring chamber cover. my local store is absolutely no help at all, they said i'll just need to start buying then returning the pickguard if it's the wrong one................with a 15% re-stocking fee every damn time. guitar center wont charge me restock fee but i either have to do a 150 mile round trip every time or waste weeks and weeks sending these back and forth. any suggestions on who to to go to get the right pickguard and a new rear cover plate? i havent been able to get a reply from the fine folks at fender on this either.


the tuners on the 1985 squier strat are the sealed ones resembling grovers or gotoh's with "fender japan" cast into the rear cover


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 9:17 am
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Yellow Peril wrote:
I've tried tracking the history of my guitar, serial number etc. but none of it seems to add up - so take a look at the pictures and tell me what you think.

The scratchplate is single layer and although you can't reallt tell by the pics, the knobs and pick-ups are yellowish/aged, which I read somewhere that they are actually supplied this way on some models

[img][img]http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu15/theYellowPeril/SFrontbodyStratSmall.jpg[/img]ImageImageImage[/img]

By the decals on the Head the guitar appears to be the first two years of the making of Squier Fender Stratocasters. 8)


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:10 am
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I've got one of these as well, black with a rosewood neck, yellowing pickups and knobs, serial number T0232**.

Great neck, low action, and unplugged it is the best sounding solid body I have! The cheapo tuners let it down though, and the pickups don't thrill me, but as I am used to humbuckers, it is maybe a cultural thing and I have my amp set badly. But as I bought it for about £75 plus P&P off eBay and it came in a hard case, it owes me nothing. I'll probably fit better tuners sometime.

The following link to one currently on sale is quite informative- it's identical to mine other than the maple neck.

http://www.whitstableguitars.co.uk/1994mijfenderstratocaster.htm

Here are some pictures of my one - the last picture shows you what it is made of:

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Strat by therealkw15, on Flickr

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Yellowing by therealkw15, on Flickr

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Headstock by therealkw15, on Flickr

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Back by therealkw15, on Flickr

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Wood by therealkw15, on Flickr


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Post subject: Re: Japanese "Squier Series" Stratocaster ... the difference
Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 11:13 pm
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WOW, this thread has long legs! Just in case you fellas haven't come to the correct conclusion, may I throw in some very long history of playing, collecting, repairing, restoring (I hate to see any nice guitar suffer ugliness of abuse) and brokering.

I have in my collection the exact same Red / Rosewood / Single Ply PG "Squier Series" Fender Stratocaster MIJ. I'll post a picture at the bottom. It is indeed a "T" serial number, a 001xxxx in fact, which makes it a very early 1994.

These are NOT "Squier" Guitars (whether Strats, Tele's etc.).

These are "Squier Series" Fender branded guitars, as opposed to "Squier Stratocaster (or Telecaster, P-Bass or J Bass) by Fender" and were meant to be a bargain basement priced "Fender" (not a Squier) for those that insisted on having a Fender logo on the head stock. They were price just below the Mexican Fenders, which were price below the concurrently (same time) made MIJ "Fender" models NOT marked Squier Series. ALL of these "Squier Series" models were made by Fujigen Gakki until 1996 or 97. After which Tokai Gakki and Dyna Gakki took over all Japanese production for Fender and also the Squier brand. To further muddy up the situation, Fender also hired four different established Korean guitar makers to make Squiers, Squier Pro Tone and Fender MIK from 1988 through 1998 when the Korean guitars stopped. (a huge majority of Korean Squier's from 1988 through 1995 have plywood (laminated) bodies. It's easy to tell which as what, but easiest to determine are the 90's models - 1990 - 1995 are Plywood if they have a black or Silver "Squier" logo. Starting in 1996 with the Gold logo, all are either Sen Wood, Asian Alder or (Pro Tone) Ash.

Now here's the kicker - Fender knew that the Japanese Squiers and JV's of the 80's were hot property and better than their own US made guitars. So Fender went to Fujigen Gakki and said, kick DOWN the quality some "you're killing us". So these MIJ Squier Series are NOT as tight, well made, or as good sounding as the 80's MIJ Squiers or JV's. I've have quite a few, all have Ceramic PUP's (that sound very good, not great) and the fit of these "SS" models are more "lose". Everyone I've had has sloppy neck pockets and poorer quality body routing. The Polyurethane finish chip very easily and cracking is very common. The "Red" I have is the best of the half dozen that passed through my shop.

So as it worked out on pricing (not quality) for the 90's - the MIK Squiers were the bottom of the price barrel, then the MIJ Fender "Squier Series" (there were no MIJ Squiers in the 90's), then the MIM Squier guitars, then the MIJ "Fender" "Squier Series", then the MIK Squier Pro Tone (very over-rated), then the Fender MIJ models and finally the Fender American models. There were also some MIA Squiers thrown in there too, with body parts made in Mexico and US electric parts.

As far as quality pecking order goes? Well that's by individual tastes to a certain extent.
The basic model MIK's are the worst of the bunch, but not bad guitars if you like Plywood bodies (the solid body 1996+ MIK are better). Fit is very poor on the MIK's.

The MIM Squiers and Fender "Standard" MIM are next poorest quality, mainly lousy fits and horrible electrics. One more rung up the ladder is the "Squier Series" Fender MIJ's - PUP's are OK and the other electrical components are first class, Tuners are "OK".

Next up the ladder BUT BARELY are the Pro Tone MIK Squiers. Electrics are top notch, but hardware like the bridge parts are 2nd class. PUP's are staggered Alnico V but the strings don't line up with poles on the bridge and neck PUP's worth a chit. The "gold plated" hardware models have the "gold" wearing off pretty damn quickly!! Necks are a little skinny to most players tastes. Bodies are solid (3 - 5 piece) Ash.

Top to the quality line is mostly MIJ "Fender" models, though some years in the 90's the USA models were equal to the Fujigen, Tokai and Dyan Gakki "Fender" and JV models. I have quiet a few USA Fender Strats and Tele's, only 2 or 3 would be equal or better than any 90's MIJ "Fender" I've played, owned or brokered. It is RARE to find a MIJ Fender from the 90's that you wouldn't kill to keep it over a USA model. Sad to say for US Fender quality, but to true.

Oh, one last bit of funny info on this "Red n Rosewood" MIJ Squier Series and Fujigen Gakki, who made them. Fender "fired" Fujigen Gakki because they were also at the same time making Gibson Epiphone guitars at another factory that Fender didn't know about, and Fujigen refused to relinquish the Gibson contract. Fujigen Gakki has made many different brands of guitars for decades and was the largest maker in Japan. Funny, I had an Epiphone "Sheridan" (ES-335) model from that era (1996) and HATED it!! While I have always loved Strats, Tele's and Basses made by them for Fender.

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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 1:49 am
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Thanks for that very informative post, the only thing I'm still a little unsure of is the what the body of the Squier series is made of, I know that the pictures of the worn through rear of the Strat was shown, but my knowledge of woods isn't good enough to identify it.


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:44 am
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When the Fender executive staff went to Japan to see what they were turning out the story went that they came back in tears. The Japanese plants were turning out far superior guitars to the Mexican plant, and they rivaled the US made plant outputs. A friend of mine has 2 of those Japanese Fenders, and they are really well built. Fender pulled out of Japan to keep the US/Mexican made guitars safe from being overtaken, or so the story goes from a former executive.

I've seen a few of the Fender Squier Series guitars that were made in Japan for sale, but people wanted crazy money for them. :Like between 4 and 500.00.

Now it seems no one really makes guitars in Japan anymore. Even Ibanez ( A Japanese company) makes guitars in Korea and Indonesia now. Just follows the trend, Nikon only makes 2 cameras in Japan now, If you don't have a pro series, D1, D2, or D3 or a prosumer D700, they are all made in Taiwan.


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:08 am
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As you'll have gathered from this thread, I've been curious about this series of guitars for a while and have often come across references to various 'Fender employees' and many myths and legends that are unsubstantiated; so I thought I'd take the bull by the horns and contact the Fujigen factory direct.

A Kazuma Tanabe has been has helpful as he can, but because of a confidentiality agreement with Fender, he wasn't allowed to go into the history side of things.

He did however supply me with this specification list which does broaden my knowledge a little;

Model Name: ST-360 (overseas low-cost model)
Manufacturing Year: 1995
Body: Basswood
Neck Maple 1PLY
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 21fret
Tuners: 1DC (Fujigen original – Made in Japan)
Bridge: S88- K (Made in Korea)
Pickups: 3 single ferrite magnet pickups (Made in Korea)
Controls: 1 vol, 2 tone (Made in Korea)
Finish: Polyester

He did suggest I contacted Tony Bacon, who he calls 'Dr. Fujigen'. I have done so and should I receive an informative reply, I'll post it.

I think that I've now exhausted my options, but at least I now know a little more than I did in the beginning ;-)

Terry


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:33 pm
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Just stumbled on this thad and what a great reference it is! i have just bought an MIJ Fender Stratocaster Sqier series http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190757442561? ... 1497.l2649 which arrives tomorrow!

Its a 1993 and shares a lot of features of the guitar at the beginning of the thread, will add more details when I get hold of it!

cheers
Steve


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:48 am
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Steve,

That looks like a bargain and, if it's half as nice as mine, I think you'll be very pleased with it.

Let us know how it turns out.

All the best.

Terry


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:14 am
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Just as a bit of a round up to the information I have gathered is the content of the reply from Tony Bacon.

He thanked me for the information I'd sent and said that he wasn't aware of this particular series and will include it in the next edition of his book.


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:13 am
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Hi terry
Thats great, could you point me at the website or email address where you got the fender dating information from Kazuma Tanabe and Tony Bacon please?
Thanks for the great info
Best regards
Steve


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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 12:07 pm
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Yellow Peril wrote:
Just as a bit of a round up to the information I have gathered is the content of the reply from Tony Bacon.

He thanked me for the information I'd sent and said that he wasn't aware of this particular series and will include it in the next edition of his book.


I know there are a few MIK Fender Squier Series out there as well. These seem to be a whole different animal than the MIMs. I've never been up close to an MIJ to tell the difference though.

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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:08 am
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Hi guys!

I have 2 Squiers Strats MIJ, one from the E series and the other from de Q series. For what I have read here, the first would be from 84-87 and the second 92-93. I bought both in second hand and they sound amazing.
Since the E series is in bad shape and needs some care with the electronics (the pots are rusted) , I was thinking in using a loaded and pre-wired pickguard. I was thinking about Lace sensors, Dimarzio or Fender Custom. Do they fit properly on that Squier Strat model? I know the screws probably won´t match but the size would be the same?
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And this is the Q series (with mods on the bridge):

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Post subject: Re: Japanese Squier Strat History?
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 8:58 pm
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I just picked up an 85 E model today and it is a sweet guitar. Original bridge, new electronics and pickups with the original knobs and covers, 8 hole 3 ply pick guard and single ply trem cover. Original tuners that say Fender Japan and a neck that's been recently refretted. This is one sweet player for sure and almost as good as my CIJ hardtail Strat!

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