That was a bargain, to say the least!

I've seen MIJ strats from around '88 and '89 go for over twice that!

Well done.

Hi Blertles: no, not really - we're just goofing around. The price really was very fine, but not quite good enough to offset an air ticket all the way to Oz.

And anyway, nobody needs an excuse to make that journey. Well worth it for its own sake!

Cheers - C

Hi People, Well as promsied here are some pic's of my latest addition to my Fender Stratocaster Family.

As you know I was lucky to pick this baby up for only $450 AUD..

It arrived today in the post and all is as appears in the photo's.

I will repost some other pic's once I have replaced the nut and a restring and full set up done. ohh the neck is in perfect condition.

I had the pleasure of breaking the seal on the neck and also taking the bonnett off to see that it has 5-4 stamped in the neck PUP pocket.
Does this mean it is a 54 RI instead of the 57 RI I originally thought it was?

Cheers and Enjoy.





















So is it a 57 RI or 54 RI...What does the T stand for on the base of the back of the neck....what sort of wood could the body be???

The body looks to be a 2 piece poplar or baswood job. As for the T on the neck, I've no idea. From the Japanese guitars I have seen most if not all have some letter stamp as well as a ST- or T- code. T- being for telecasters which your guitar clearly isnt. It all looks legit, I can see part of a code on the butt end of the neck.
I'd have to say its a 54 RI body without getting my hands on the belly contour. The stringtree points to a latter 50's neck.

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No no and no

Yep, I was wondering where the rubber stamps in the neck pocket were too.

Orvilleowner will know. He's one of the MIJ/CIJ guys round here...

Cheers - C

Okay, here's my input. The guitar is from 1993/1994 based on the N serial number.

It's neither a "'54 Reissue" nor a "'57 Reissue" because they didn't have those in the product line at that time. It's model number 025-5702, designated a "50s Stratocaster." (I have the tele version, the "50s Telecaster.")

That said, the specs of the "50s Stratocaster" are nice: basswood body, v-shaped maple neck with 7.25 in radius, 5 pos. switch, and the other 1950's features.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Based on the Serial N054472, this is what I found out:

Your guitar was made at the
Fuji-gen Plant (for Fender Japan), Japan
in the Year(s): 1993 - 1994

Interesting.

Thank you everyone who looked at this post....I sincerely appreciate your input.

Alright...I have done a bit of work to this old girl and I found a little surprise hiding at the base of the neck.

I think someone said that they saw it but couldn't make it out.

Well I can well and truly confirm that this lady is entirely an MIJ 1954 RI. BODY & NECK. Wooo Whoooo..

I have since put a disc shaped string tree on the head stock, replaced the nut, replaced the bland factory pups with Tonerider Surfari alnico 3 pups, and all usa pots and 5 way switch. It sounds and plays awesome.

Well, $450 AUD for the guitar,, $10 AUD for the Disc String Tree and New Nut. Not bad for this lovely.

Once again thanks and enjoy....





I have taken my MIM strat out of it's SKB case and put the 54 RI in it...lol..I think I will be taking this to a few gig's now..

Congrats! You've turned it into a 1954 Reissue (by adding the round string tree). Does it have a V-shaped neck?

That guitar has a couple of odd things. 1) That "Made in Japan" decal is in a font that I've not seen before. 2) That 5-4 code looks similar to the Tokai codes, except they use "equal signs," as in 5=4. Here is a CIJ guitar (a '60s reissue model) with a similar code:

Link to Pictures

Since there's no "ST-xx" marking (used by Fujigen), I'm thinking this wasn't made by Fujigen. So is Dyna or Tokai (like the CIJ models)?

These reinforce my belief that your "5-4" does not mean "1954 reissue."

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Well at the moment I am picking up this Strat over the rest when I feel like jammin.

It has plenty of mojo that feels like and sounds like it just got off the bus from the 50's.

I am still interested in confirming for sure what year of RI it is.

It's definately a 1993 RI of # unknown at this stage.

I'm thinking it's a 54 RI but orvilleowner suggest not.

Thanks orvilleowner for your expertise...I appreciate it because I am a big MIJ/CIJ FENDER fan, In relation to the MIJ decal I have seen this a few times before on MIJ strats/tele's.

Come on you guru's and give us your opinion as to what RI it is, 54 OR 57?

Cheers.

Neither. They didnt make year specific reissues in Japan at that time. Just 50's/60's style guitars.

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No no and no

Ahh cool, Niki...Thanks.

Well at least I can make it my own 54 RI by small mods...lol.

I have always found MIJ/CIJ Fenders hard to get direct and detailed info in relation to factory manufacture and specs.

Can you point me in the right direction beside general googling.

Cheers.

I know that's true for the American (USA) market ... I said as much a few posts up ... because I have the old US catalogs (Frontline magazines) that have the product lines. They sold a MIJ "50s Stratocaster" in the US -- with no specific year attached, though they were more like a 1957 than a 1954.

I don't know what Fender Japan might have been selling in the Japanese and Asian markets.

The things that I'm seeing now that are confusing me are 1) the two different fonts that were used for the "Made in Japan" or "Crafted in Japan" decal (a blocky font and a scripty font), 2) sometimes the words "Made in Japan" or "Crafted in Japan" are above the serial number, sometimes below, and 3) the two type of stamped codes (compare ST-357 or JM-66 to 5-4 or 4-13). Does anyone know the meaning of these differences? Perhaps it indicates the Japanese makers?

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Cool.....

Hey I am also curious as to if anyone else on the forum has one of these Strats...????

Please post pic's if you do and your story...lol..we all enjoy pic's with story attached.

I was watching a MIJ 1962 reissue on ebay,, it was a 50 anniversary ( I think). It sold for $375 plus $75 shipping with case in very good condition. Same color as the one you have posted. Hope this helps. Some times if you find what you like and you gotta have it, you just gotta go for it.

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