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Post subject: Fender production in Japan closed?
Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:20 pm
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I realize FMIC took over the distribution of Fender instruments in Japan in 2015, but I haven't seen any solid info as to whether guitars and basses continue to be produced at Japanese factories or whether from now on all instruments sold in Japan come from the US, Mexico and China.

Does anyone know? I see there's a few Fender Japan Exclusive series, but nowhere in its promo literature does Fender state whether the series is produced in Japan or elsewhere.


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Post subject: Re: Fender production in Japan closed?
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 2:49 pm
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Hi EarlyEaster, welcome to the forum.

A quick search on Google throws up this:

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric-series/made-in-japan/?rl=en_GR

It looks as though these guitars are still in production in Japan.

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Post subject: Re: Fender production in Japan closed?
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 4:16 pm
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Fender dissolved it's relationship with the two Japanese companies which built guitars for them.
The joint venture was dissolved the spring of 2015, possibly April 1 but don't quote me on that.
There is a new, much smaller Fender-Japan company wholly owned by Fender but they do not market product directly like they did before and the product line was scaled back rather sharply.
It is unknown if production in Japan will ramp back up.
I think they are taking a wait-and-see approach.

I don't have any definite confirmation but I have heard rumours that they also ended their relationship with Cort in Korea.
The Strat depicted in my tagline photo below is a Cort-made Korean model.
Very good guitar.

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Post subject: Re: Fender production in Japan closed?
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:27 pm
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Last year's 12-string Strat was MiJ, and there are new Aerodyne models, so they are definitely still running, at least small-scale for the North American market, apparently the Aerodyne models never stopped in Japan.

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Post subject: Re: Fender production in Japan closed?
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 9:46 pm
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sjlen wrote:
Hi EarlyEaster, welcome to the forum.

A quick search on Google throws up this:

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric-series/made-in-japan/?rl=en_GR

It looks as though these guitars are still in production in Japan.


Yes, I saw that, assumed it was unsold stock. I've done a lot of online reading on the topic and there are some people saying all production in Japan has ceased, while a few maintain that there are still "Japan Exclusive" models being produced. But no definitive answer from Fender or anyone close to the operations.


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Post subject: Re: Fender production in Japan closed?
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:17 pm
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The official Fender isn't in the habit of publishing info on changes in their production policy, so it's just "wait and see" once again.

There is that MIJ "Hybrid Indigo" line marked NEW, so in some way the production continues - maybe for outside-US markets only.


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