mij strat

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mij strat

Postby ovation553 » Sat May 25, 2019 5:34 pm

hello
need to pick guitar peoples braines.Im just about to buy a mij frenza red maple neck strat... serial number P000461.Its appx 1993/94 . Now hers the big question can anybody tell me will this one be a plywood or real timber or if it is ply will it make a massive difference to the sound of the guitar...the seller has sent in all fairness images of the trem cavity but its well painted so cant see whats under the finish.Look forward to some advice
best regards charlie
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Re: mij strat

Postby JimN » Sat May 25, 2019 6:02 pm

I have never heard of a Fender Japan guitar being made of plywood.

The body might - or probably will - be made of more than one piece of ash, poplar or basswood, but that will be a split down the centre line or similar - that is, two pieces side by side, not multiple layers.

This advice may not hold good for Squiers (most of which haven't been made in Japan for a long time). It certainly doesn't hold good for copies made and sold under other brands.
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Re: mij strat

Postby dave robinson » Sat May 25, 2019 6:28 pm

If that serial number is genuine, the guitar was made at the Fuji Gen Gakki plant in Japan in 1993/4 and most certainly won’t be plywood.
These were good guitars at that time. Hope this helps. :)
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Re: mij strat

Postby zager » Sat May 25, 2019 11:24 pm

A good few years ago I had MIJ Fender squire. It had the greatest neck but the body was indeed made of plywood. I had pictures of the body with the neck off which I had sent to a friend just to confirm that I was not mistaken. The neck had a serial number and the body had letters. Unfortunately I cant remember them as I sold it on about ten years ago.I never thought that Fender made a MIJ Squire Strat with a plywood body But I had one. Just sorry I deleted the pictures to prove it.Tony
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Re: mij strat

Postby ovation553 » Sun May 26, 2019 9:21 am

hi tony
that's very interesting...I didn't quite believe that my self I really thought it was a rumour but you are the living proof....how did the guitar sound...were you suspicious before you found out that the body was plywood...would it be worth a punt at £300 that's how much p serials are going for,,,or maybe just stay clear and avoid a large disappointment ,,,.thanks for other replies
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Re: mij strat

Postby zager » Sun May 26, 2019 11:30 am

The guitar sounded great and the fingerboard played like butter. I really liked that guitar but when I discovered the body was plywood and not basswood I sold it.Someone suggested it might have been a demo or something like that which slipped through. Tony
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Re: mij strat

Postby FanofJapan » Thu May 30, 2019 9:13 am

zager wrote:The guitar sounded great and the fingerboard played like butter. I really liked that guitar but when I discovered the body was plywood and not basswood I sold it.Someone suggested it might have been a demo or something like that which slipped through. Tony


If the guitar played and sounded great, why would you sell it? I personally don't go in for the whole plywood debate, if it sounded good and the neck was nice, personally I would have kept it. Think too many people disregard plywood bodies just because there plywood. If it's well made it wouldn't be an issue for me.
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Re: mij strat

Postby Tigerdaisy » Thu May 30, 2019 9:50 am

Some say that what the body is made out of doesn't effect the sound in any way- Strat bodies have been made out of cardboard...or, no body at all. I have a semi 335 style guitar and I'm not sure the semi bit effects the sound or not...it may all be in the mind.
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Re: mij strat

Postby Gruntfuttock » Thu May 30, 2019 4:31 pm

I have a MIJ Strat and it’s a lovely guitar. I think it’s a bass wood body. The neck is great and the guitar plays well. I fitted Kinman Impersonator 54 V3 and the K9 harness.
I was told before that Fender America could not believe the quality of these guitars!
Sorry I can’t help with your type of wood used question.
I found my guitar in a second hand furniture shop. It’s an early nineties model. Completely unmarked ant the plastic was still on the pick guard. I paid the equivalent of £325 for it (in Japan) so £300 seems like a good deal, not sure of the cost after shipping and import charges.
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Re: mij strat

Postby dave robinson » Fri May 31, 2019 2:21 pm

Somebody once went ballistic over the Squier Classic Vibe ‘Biffy Clyro’ Strat but then began ripping it to pieces saying that the tuners needed changing, the pickups needed changing, the bridge and trem needed changing so I investigated.
I picked up a Fiesta Red Classic Vibe for £175 with a maple board, unlike the Biffy Clyro that is rosewood, the began to re-string to my gauge and gig it. I have an old ‘63 Strat and at that time a USA AVRI as well as the USA DeLuxe.
I compared them all until I was blue in the face and I gigged it for three months, there was nothing in sound or playability between it or any of the expensive ones and I changed nothing, I just set it up
It seems there’s a lot of crap talked - for the sake of what ? :idea:
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