Hello, I'm actually saving up for an American Strat but when I'v got it I'd like to start buying Mexican and Japanese Strat for like secondary guitar( ), but where can I find any information about these. I'v searched and they don't seem to have any 'official' website to give you information on them.
Thanks for any replies.

We've discussed this a fair amount recently. You are in London, aren't you, Jimmy? We have several outfits in the UK who specialise in importing from Japan and selling direct to the customer. Two such are:

http://www.mijfenders.com/

http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/

As I mentioned on another thread, that first offers attractive prices, but doesn't give a real world address, which always makes me uncomfortable. I haven't tried them.

The second is a side-project of Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience, a very reputable guitar shop in West London. I've had a MIJ Strat from them and had very good service. Recommended.

And bear in mind that if you don't see what you want on their site it is a good idea to enquire: they claim to be able to order most Fenders made in Japan, whether Export models or ones supposedly only intended for the domestic market.

There's also at least one dealer in Switzerland offering a similar service, and he seems to put a lot of guitars up on ebay.co.uk, so keep an eye out there, too.

A strange thing: every so often someone in North America makes this enquiry on the Forum, and I have yet to hear about anyone offering a similar service Stateside. I've even heard of Americans importing Japanese guitars from Europe, with all the extra costs that will involve. Maybe Fender USA strongly discourages the availability of the Japanese product on home turf...?

Cheers - C

It might be that strong discouragement keeping any retailer from trying it on a large(ish) scale. There are small(ish) eBay "stores" selling used MIJ product and perhaps there are some selling new (I haven't looked).

It would be a lot easier for a North American to buy direct from Japan instead of going through Europe!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

That's what I'd have thought. (Punitive) EU import tax, and then US import tax on top! plus all the shipping. Yet I've heard of it being done - weird.

There must be a Japanese website equivalent to this one where the entire Japanese Fender catalogue is set out. But I have yet to discover it...

Cheers - C

you mean like this:

http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

...Ah.

It is possible that I have looked in on that one in the past - and not used it much. Can't quite figure out why... Sort of hit and miss, ain't it...?

Be quite stylish if Fender USA decided to list the specs of guitars - in Japanese! Must suggest it to Brad.

I have a Japanese friend who speaks excellent English; but lots don't. How do they cope with a site like that? What if they don't know what "TWANG" means?

- C

I sometimes use a translation website (eg bablefish), but the links have URLs in English (just look at the bottom of your browser as you pass the cursor over the links).

I must mention that Fender Japan does a lot of FSRs (limited runs) for Japanese retailers, so it's good to surf around them to see even more MIJ models (Ishibashi, Ikebe, etc). I'll have to dig up a good list of Japanese retailers ... there are some cool websites that have Beaucoup MIJ guitars (Fender Japan and others).

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

You're right! It's good to have someone round here who is awake!

But, oh dear. A whole new world of browsing just opened up as I try to digest the differences between an ST57-US, an ST57-TX, an ST57-TX/ALG, an ST57-DMC, an ST57-DMC/VSP...

And I tell you what: those prices are not much lower than those same guitars cost in Europe. Uh-ho - shopping opportunities!

You might not hear from me for a day or two...

G'night - C

I wrote:

> but the links have URLs in English (just look at the bottom of
> your browser as you pass the cursor over the links).



That has been my well-exercised trick for navigating around Japanese websites: I just read the URLs and I know where to go. I admit that I do have a Japanese friend (a bassist) who ten years ago gave me a list of the big Japanese retailers' websites. That was a good start.

Here's a page to check for some MIJ FSR models (at Ikebe):

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/ikebe/443985/

Shopping opportunities? Shipping will be pretty high, you know.

Good Luck and Good Shopping one and all

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I'v been taking note of your advise.

You know you could probably just get new tuners and Am Std. pups for a Mexican/Japanese Strat and it be just as good...

Although, I warn you - some times the Mexican ones can sound BETTER than the American ones (I have proof!)

That's because you can slap some decent pickups on a plywood body and it would sound good.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Errr, correct me if I'm wrong, but, aren't both American and Mexican Strat bodies made of Alder?

Mostly, yes. Why do you ask?

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Ah just wondering...you made the comment about plywood bodies and I began to think...ah but don't mind it, I have a headache tonight.