G'day Mark T.
Yeah, however it happened (missing decal), there must be a record of the model somewhere.
Did you ever take the neck off your black one mate. Chances are,that you would see this....



The black example from Cincinnati that you posted months ago doesn't look quite right to me.



It's just the paint in the neck pocket that gives me doubts. They came in Candy Apple Red though so, is that traces of clear red and metallic gold that I'm seeing?

I hope you're still enjoying yours mate.

Goodonya ...Mark.

I don't think you can really equate anything MIJ to the USA line. It's unlikely, but altogether possible that USA necks were shipped over at some point.

I have a 2010 MIJ that so far seems to have stumped the experts on this forum. I had the guy from Ishibashi try to get more info on my Strat, he just said it's not in any of 2009-2011 catalogues or brochures and is probably a limited run of some sort. I know it's not faked because who fakes guitars that aren't collectable or aren't worth a whole lot of money when you would basically be breaking even.

Here's mine. I've seen one other like it, the only difference being a cream ring instead of black.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=74273

I'll pay $$$ for the brochure or catalog that lists my model. I don't think it exists.

To my eye these necks look 100% MIJ, not USA. USA never used gray serial numbers. I still think that these weren't originally intended to be sold outside of Japan and when Fender USA decided to import them (and sell them in other countries as well) they simply put on a "Made in Japan" sticker. Those stickers were easily removed by owners (or simply fell off over time). If you look at the first few years of MIJ Charvels they did the same thing - neck plates that had a USA address and added a "Made in Japan" sticker.

G''day John,
The thing is, we have several examples of owners who saw their Strat get unboxed, no decal, no sticker. We've never found an example of a sticker on any of these identical Strats. On the other hand, we have MIJ headstock decals on some examples (very few).
I agree they were not intended for export. Fender needed guitars and Fender Japan had these Strats, laden with U.S. parts.
My guess is, they couldn't decide how to mark them. They needed to get some Strats into the marketplace, and out they went, from the U.S. to Europe, Australia, Asia ... unmarked.

They may have intended to put stickers on them at some stage, but I don't believe this ever happened.
Ahh well, take it easy guys. Please add anything relevant to the thread.

Thanks.



Goodonyaz ...Mark.

Mark you may well be right on this - that for whatever reason these never got properly marked for country of origin. And who knows what was going on with some of these in that time frame - in 1988 the HM Strats clearly had "Made in Japan" on them under the finish (by the serial number on the back of the headstock) but in 1989 the "Made in Japan" was removed and the USA price lists call them the "U.S. Heavy Metal Stratocaster" - even though the 1989s looked identical to the 1988s. Plus it is pretty odd that a non-reissue USA model wouldn't also clearly have a "Made in U.S.A." decal on it under the finish.

I thought I had seen one of the maple topped "mystery" Strats with a "Made in Japan" sticker back in the day but you know how memory fades after 20+ years - I could just be remembering the Charvels.

Here is somebody ambitiously selling one of these on Ebay for almost $3,000!! The pictures are crappy, but I don't think it has an MIJ sticker, and the knobs are replaced. I hope he gets the money!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1987-Fender-Ame ... 500wt_1198

Hah yeah. Missing bolts and blocks on the nut, wrong knobs. The seller claims it's USA made.
Who's autograph is that on the backplate? ...Mick Jagger? .... one of the Jonas brothers ??? It doesn't say.
Anyway I hope he gets the 3 grand.
Goodonya ...Mark.

Hey,

I recently picked up one of these guys, identical to yours.

I love the way that this guitar plays, but like you, I have been limited on the info I can find. When I bought it, I was under the impression that it was a contempary strat, but after reading this thread, I have learned a lot.

Any ways here are a few pics of my baby (I call her Blondie).








Cheers,


SP

G'day Mr Brownstone,
Welcome to the thread. That's a nice example you have there, a maple neck version of mine.



Enjoy the guitar mate and please update the thread with any new info.

Goodonya ...Mark.

PS, the one on ebay eventually sold for $597.00 - seems resonable. What did you pay sir, if you don't mind me asking.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0842766149

Here's one on ebay for $599.00 buy it
now

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Fender-Str ... 25754379b3

A nice sunburst, looks very original. (not '84 as claimed)

Goodonya ...Mark.

That makes me feel good about what I paid for mine!

The guy wanted $700, but I managed to get him down to $600.

Hi guys,
was just browsing and saw this thread.....so my disclaimers first :O)....i didnt get DEEP on the several pages so 'scuse me if i missed anything. I don't recall the stickers (MIJ etc) one way or the other because it wasn't something I focused on way back when....when I actually had some memory left........anyway......here's what i think it is (far left on the first picture)....and the picture of the neck slot that boxbang posted way back bears this out i think (ST-562). So here's what i have. Hope it helps....oh yeh...sorry bout the cruddy pics.....I scanned into pdf and then did screenhunter shots of the pdf...(sheesh!!)
Cheers!,
rob






Model Name: Standard Stratocaster®
Model Number: 025-4300-(Color #) and 025-4302-(Color #)
Series: Standard Series
Body: Basswood
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood #025-4300 or Maple #025-4302, 12" Radius (305mm)
No. of Frets: 21
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.625” (41 mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Standard
Bridge: Floyd Rose® Licensed Tremolo
Pickguard: 3-Ply White 11 Hole
Pickups: 3 Single Coils
Pickup Switching: 5 position Switch
Controls: Master Volume, Tone, Tone
Colors: (502) Lake Placid Blue,
(506) Black,
(509) Candy Apple Red,
(532) Brown Sunburst,
580) Arctic White
Strings:
Unique Features: Used Khaler trem in 1987
Source: Japan
Accessories:
U.S. MSRP: $499.99 to $619.99
INTRODUCED: 1/1988
DISCONTINUED: 1989
DISCONTINUED COLORS:
COMMENTS: Late 80's, Changed to Squier Standard Series in 1991
WRENCH SIZES:
NOTICE: Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice

_________________
______________
rob Schwarz
Director,Fender Customer Service
Proudly serving Fender Customers
for over 30 years

G'day Rob, and thanks for your input.
Those pictures in the brochure sure look like our guitar (ST - 562) but I believe the specs quoted are for the ST-557, that is, the 21 fret version.
The neck heel below from earlier in the thread seems to back this up.



I'm pretty sure this is a 21 fret neck.

Hmm, so what about the ST-562?



I wonder, did Fender fit some 22 fret necks to the existing guitars? Or were they ordered complete from Fender Japan, models that were not originally destined for export? They wouldn't have had decals, correct?

Rob, thanks again for the info. I know it was a long time ago. Do you have a theory about the "no decal" mystery?


Still more questions than answers

Goodonya ...Mark.

Hi Mark,
Yep. Not that I'm an expert on MIJ codes but as you can see on the parts sheet, 557 goes with 562 and its indeed a 21 fret neck. I have no explanation for the 22 frets. All models I could find in our database are designated 21 frets and the 025-4300 the only one with a Kahler Spyder trem on it.
Here's how they read:
Fender model number-
027-4300- System 1 trem 1985-87 21 frets white pg
028-4300 Kahler trem 1987 -21 frets black pg /painted headstock
025-4300- Kahler trem in 87---Floyd licensed 1988-89- 21 frets White PG
Although out at the same time as the Contemporary Series, they weren't considered part of them. The Cont.'s had no pg (ok...pickguard) and were more often than not in the metal flake paints with the System 1,2, & 3's on them.
So..... no record of a standard looking beast with 22 frets and since I was firmly a grunt back then (now a not-so-firm grunt) i couldn't tell you on the stickers or MIJ designation....but I CAN tell you that they were definately MIJ.
I know....lol....still a mystery. 0
All the best,
rob

_________________
______________
rob Schwarz
Director,Fender Customer Service
Proudly serving Fender Customers
for over 30 years

OK Rob, thanks for the great info. When I started the thread, I guess I was trying to validate this unusual model as genuine, and this goes a long way towards that goal.
There it is (ST-562) in CAR on the Fender Brochure (first)



This clearly has 22 frets, but as you say, no information supplied.



We have, in this thread, so many examples of these guitars with no MIJ decal.
A similar guitar appears in a Japanese brochure of the time (Sunburst below)



Interesting.

Thanks again Rob, please post again if anything else comes up.

Goodonya ...Mark.