I just bought a 1993 Fender Japan Stratocaster. I checked the serial number (O091376)on the neck and confirmed this. However, I don't know about the body. I suspect that it is a replacement. I took the neck off and in the where the neck was there was no serial number or stamp. Also the bridge is a replacement, I believe. It doesn't say fender, neither does the backplate. It has Gotoh tuners. How can I confirm if the body is real?:cry:
BTW: I bought this in a thrift store in Okinawa.. you'd be amazed at the number of exact copy guitars and real ones that are in thrift stores all over here.

here are some pics.

http://s402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... st/fender/

Well first off, your pictures aren't coming up....Photobucket is asking for your password. You need to set your gallery to "public" or something so that people can access the pics...if you can get them showing up here, that would be even better.

Now on the MIJ bodies, just because it's not actually stamped doesn't mean it's not genuine...some MIJ bodies are stamped or have a label, some don't. I have an '85 Fender "Contemporary" body and really the only thing in the neck pocket is a little paper label stuck in there that says "Fender"...it's quite possible that if the neck has been on and off a few times such a label can fall off (or be removed). In my case I do know it's a Fender body though because it has the System 1 trem. I also have an '85 Squier MIJ as well and while the neck is well labeled, the body really isn't....there's a couple of markings there but nothing that would definitively say Squier or Fender. Unfortunately while these were typically VERY good instruments, they are not always labeled really well and they tend to have very little documentation.

That said, I would suggest getting those pictures up for folks to see...based on what you've said so far, it might be real Fender and it might not. If you know what to look for, that can give you some indication...typically those MIJ Fenders...especially the models made in the mid to late 80's, had -excellent- craftsmanship. If you look at the tooling around the body cavities for example, typically an MIJ will be -very smooth with little or no tooling marks (even my MIM's look a little rough comparatively speaking). It's also been my experience that if it's actually an SSS configuration, most of the early MIJ bodies where routed for SSS (as apposed to being routed H-S-H or "swimming pool" routing with an SSS pickguard on top). Again not absolutely definitive, but it's a fair clue.

Get those pictures working and hopefully a few others can chime in here with some help.

Peace,
Jim

to start off, I'm very sorry about the pics.. didn't realize I had set them to private. here are some pics... I realize that they arent very good. I there's anything anybody wants to see just tell me and ill upload pics of that part

Ok...just my opinion here and I'm -not- an expert but to me that's looking like a very nice MIJ. BTW...on those saddles, don't let the lack of the Fender stamp fool ya...a bunch of those MIJ's had unstamped saddles. It was something dumb they had started back in the mid 80 as a way to save some money. In fact my '85 Squier MIJ has unstamped saddles...unless you know for sure otherwise, those could very well be Fender saddles.

Also as I said the routing on the body...looks like a nice SSS configuration on the body and not a "universal" cut as seen so often now. I can't really tell much about the tooling but from what I'm seeing it does certainly look consistent with an MIJ Fender/Squier. While you're right about there not being anything "identifying" in that neck pocket, there are a couple of tooling marks there that I think is consistent with my '85 MIJ. I wouldn't stake any money on it obviously but I think that body may very well be Fender. Basically to me it looks like maybe a 90's Japan version of the Mexican Standard. I know Fender still made guitars in Japan in the 90's (still do from what I understand) but they basically sell them to the European market so they don't compete with themselves here in the US with the MIM's.

Hopefully someone else will come along who can be a bit more definitive for you but either way it looks like a very nice guitar...and I"d be willing to guess that it probably is.

Peace,
Jim

I, too, am not an expert. But that looks like a standard vintage bridge and saddles and I see nothing that would indicate this is not a genuine Fender Stratocaster.

PMWL (Play More Worry Less)

_________________
You're only as strong as
the drinks you pour,
the tables you dance on,
and the friends you roll with.

Mate you don't have a problem with this Lovely looking Strat.

In my opinion the entire thing is Genuine Fender Japan.

I own one exactly the same but in the colour of Blue with rosewood neck.

It is a 1993 standard and came to me with Blank Bridge Saddles as well as the Gotoh Tuners and the Japanese Electrics.

Me being Me, I have changed the pup covers, knobs and switch tip to aged white, I also swapped the blank bridge saddles to the Fender Stamped ones, I also changed the neck plate to a F logo plate and string tree to update, and finally I replaced all of the Electrics to CTS POTS, New 5 Way Switch and Custom Shop Texas Specials.

BEOFRE





AFTER



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It is now a gigging Fender Japan Strat that I rate Highly with my other MIJ's.

You have a nice guitar my friend.

to all of you that replied:

Thank you very much, I was seriously considering selling the guitar. Now there's no doubt that I'll keep it.