I guarantee you , that the 4 photobucket images posted are of the same guitar ie 2 taken in natural light and 2 under artificial light. The colour has yellowed in the 20 odd years I've been playing it. Yes it has a rosewood fingerboard. Yes it has a 22 fret overhang. It has not been modified since brand new (except for the pearloid pickguard). Are you saying that it's MIJ Nikininja? Ceri. what's an OP?

Don't worry, nothing rude! OP = Original Post / Original Poster.

But now I really am confused, because the bottom picture seems to clearly shows a neck without a 22nd fret overhang. And Niki says it's stamped as a '56 Reissue - Fender didn't make rosewood fingerboards in the 1950s. (That is what that number means, is it?) The neck and the neck pocket obviously belong together, from that number. There's been no substitution.

Further, in the photo of the neck pocket, I can see yellowish looking paint where it has been exposed to the light but pale blue where it has been hidden from UV by the pickguard. But neither of those colors look remotely similar to the color of the guitar in the top photo.

Completely perplexed, thus far. Would it be possible to take some more photos - the whole body would be handy, particularly if it still has the pickguard and neck taken off. And some more shots of the neck would be good: front and back, particularly of the heel end and the headstock.

I freely admit, I'm stumped at present... Don't be put off, Boxbang. We're just interested to suss it all out.

Cheers - C

EDIT: mind you, on the MIJ thing, I'm not seeing MIJ or CIJ on the back of the neck near the heel. Is it just out of shot, or not there? I'm wracking my memory over the Kahler - was that only on Japanese Strats?

I'm open to correction on the MIJ thing but that serial stamp looks very similar to the ST-54 or ST-62 stamps on japanese made guitars. Im just not sure if fender japan made a 56RI.
You can see the colour change if you look closely around the bottom horn where the edge of the scratchplate sits.

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No no and no

I can. But pale blue to yellow is fading of bionic levels. Any major museum contains 500 year old Renaissance paintings where unstable blue pigments have metamorphosed into a sort of acid green-yellow.

But on a 20 year old guitar, finished in what is essentially automotive paint? Man, that's astounding. Has that guitar spent a decade lying on a sunbed?

I have a feeling I am about to learn something very interesting about guitar lacquer - that's why I'd love to see a pic of the whole body with the pickguard taken off. I wonder what color this guitar originally came as?

Also. I'm wondering if that pic of the neck heel is merely taken from a deceptive angle that is hiding the fingerboard overhang. Again, that's why more pictures would help.

Boxbang, don't worry: we love this stuff! Give us the data and we'll sort it for you. BTW, did I miss the serial number somewhere...?

Cheers - C

Japanese for sure.

Back then, the "56" in the model number indicated the price, as in 56000 Yen. All of the Japanese makers did that.

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My other guitar is a Strat.

So cutting to the chase, this is therefore a Japanese Contemporary Standard 22 Strat, like on this page, right?

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.blackman4/st22.htm

Boxbang, if that ID satisfies you may my reward be a photo of the front of the body with the pickguard removed, please? I'm fascinated by this faded paint issue...

Cheers - C

Yes. several of us would be interested in that shot!

I appreciate your help guys. It's an unusual guitar. That's why I'm here. you'll have to trust me on the colour for now. The top pic shows the colour fairly accurately, a bit lighter where it has been covered up. There's absolutely no trace of blue anywhere on the guitar, although I do have blue curtains. Yes the neck photo angle does indeed hide the fretboard overhang. Nowhere on the guitar does it say anything about Japan, headstock has no country of manufacture. Serial number is E8 19948 which matches both MIJ and USA searches. It cost me $1100 AUD (I don,t know how many yen that is) in about 88, which was mid priced between a MIJ and a USA. I don't know what else I can tell you. Thanks BB

Hi Boxbang - that's not blue? Gosh: you understand our confusion. So what color is this thing, where the light hasn't got to it?

Anyhow: I suspect that ID is correct. Japanese Contemporary Standard 22. Did you look at the webpage? Seems convincing - unless better information comes along.

Cheers - C

That is very similar to my Spyder trem,from what I can see of it. My sustain issues on the HM Strat may be partly because of the trem, but also because of the American Basswood body too. I may have one of the dead wood bodies on that guitar which would explain why it only cost me $100 when I bought it.
Ceri- If I had to replace anything on that trem, I would just replace the entire deal with a Floyd Rose. I would'nt worry too much about trying to restore this one. I should mention though, that like the guitar itself, this tremolo just won't die. It stays in tune jam after jam.
Thank you for posting the link though, that was very thoughtful.

-Harley

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I have a similar guitar black pick guard slate colour but it says made in america on the heal but made in japan on head stock it also has a kalaher pick guard

it is for sure a made in japan floyd rose contmp strat late 80s after they didnt have sunk in in the later 80s. i have a 85 mij contmp strat that had a kahaler bridge that some one else tryed to replace and screwed up so i fixed it but im 100% sure that your guitar is mij by the st-56 mine says st-62 and has 22 frets but mine says made in japan on the headstock serial #e5--------

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