Was checking out Fender Japan's website and saw quite a few Stratocasters that interested me.

http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/fender/200 ... caster.htm

What I was wondering is does anyone know a place to obtain these new in the US? Not on eBay, but actually new as in a store or online company?

Thanks!

Martin

I don't know of any retail place to buy them in the states, so I bought one of Ebay.

I have seen some auctions for brand new CIJ strats, and it would list the different models you could chose from, but they didn't have any auctions going last time I looked.

Thanks Jason. I have seen quite a few on eBay but was wanting brand spanking new. I am amazed at how many styles/colors are available there that I have never seen here especially in Mustangs, Jaguars and Teles. And I love the 71 natural ash Strat.

Again though, thanks for the quick response.

Many of those MIJ guitars are brand new.

FMIC no longer permits those instruments to be imported here since the United States is deemed by Fender Corporate to be a "protected" territory and does not want competition with its MIA and MIM lines. Obviously, a few Japanese-built guitars still manage to "leak through" via Ebay vendors and other "gray market" importers. The only MIJ Fenders not prohibited for import into the US are those that FMIC sanctions and officially catalogs -- ie: the Geddy Lee Bass, the Mustang re-issues, a few Telecaster models, some Jaguar and Jazzmaster models, and a few other instruments.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Thanks Retroverbial.

I guess the ones on eBay are from individuals/companies that don't feel obligated to do what FMIC dictates.


Too bad because there are at least two Strats, 4 Teles, 1 Jag and a Mustang that I would like that I don't see an equivalent MiA/MiM model for.

Thanks again. I appreciate the input.

Many of us here own MIJ/CIJ Fender guitars -- some bought during the time when the only new Fenders available from any source were those made in Japan (the mid-80s era), others purchased later through less-legitimate channels like the gray market. I wouldn't let anything deter me from buying something I really wanted. I love my CIJ Premium Vintage '65 re-issue in Old Lake Placid Blue......

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

OH my god shell pink! ive always wanted one of those. i remember trying out a shell pink 60's mim but went for the American standard instead. dang ide love one of those!

Ebay...

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A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski~