Hello

I posted this before but this time I've uploaded pictures

I'm hoping someone can help me get a bit more information on a guitar I have

I bought it in a shop call Ichibashi in Tokyo when I went there a few years ago. The serial number is E925003, and according to serial number guides I've found means it was made in '84-'87.

Here are some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65619148@N02/5975851432/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65619148@N02/5975851446/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65619148@N02/5975851460/

Can anyone shed some light on this? Anyone seen one like it before? I'm trying to establish whether it's particularly unique - I picked it up for just £300 with a flight case, wouldn't part with it but I'd love to know!

Any help would be most appreciated! I'd add a picture but I can't find an option to do it!

Looks like a Floyd Rose Fender Stratocaster in foto flame color. Made at the Fuji-gen factory. I have seen these around but to me your pickguard and pickups look changed and your bridge looks like a Ibanez bridge to me

Heaven alone knows what the Japanese were upto when they were entrusted with the Strat..

I couldn't begin to guess if that's real, or a knock off that takes advantage of Fender's darkest days. I definitely don't like the look of the Fender logo. But even if it's genuinely what it claims to be, it's still has little to do with Fender USA, other than "go make some Strats for us while we get organised here.."

Maybe i'm pedantic and it's only my own opinion, but my criteria of what makes a Strat has some very strict limitations! It most certainly does not include a Floyd Rose trem system..

Enjoy your guitar - I'm probably out of step anyway and in reality it's a higly desireable instrument..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

That's a neat piece of Stratocaster history you have. I've seen one before from the 80's with a floyd rose-like bridge. However, it was a natural finish like a lot of the 'regular' Japanese Strats from the 80's and the late 90's

I know you bought this in Japan and not in Europe but I've tended to see more Japanese Fenders in Europe than in North America. Perhaps there was a different distribution network .

Well from what I've heard, Fender USA strats were not being produced in the USA when my guitar was built. All the instruments were being built in Japan at this time, including the USA models. Also, though you're perfectly entitled to your opinion, I think it's pretty mean to heap such scorn on someone else's guitar. We all love strats, right? Be nice!



Thanks for that. It's the finish that's really annoying me - I can't find another one that has the bird's eye maple finish. The pickguard/pickups theory sounds like it's probably got some weight to it - particularly the single coil pickups have extra big (can't remember the technical term) round metal parts similar to one of those extra-fat seymour duncan single coils. Maybe someone else chop-shopped it before I got my hands on it...

Any other ideas? I'd really like to get to the bottom of this!

You're right. And that's what I was alluding to.

Regardless of whatever I might think of Japanese Fenders, we have to thank them for keeping the Strat in the market place. With no Strats coming out of America after the buy out, Japan was the only game in town if you wanted our favourite instrument..

And I certainly wasn't heaping scorn on your guitar friend, just sounding out an opinion is all. I hoped I'd made that clear in my post.

Enjoy your guitar and thanks for showing..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!