Fender strat: American or Japanese.

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People told me the Japanese strat is better than the American.
Is this true?
 
Sorta. Some jap strats are better than some American...At least according to the GTR players I know. Certain year jap strats that have the made in japan label where the neck bolts on rather than on the headstock have individual cavities for the pickups rather than one big cavity like most of the American strats made today have. Supposedly this makes a big differance in sound.
 
Interms of guitars-American = quality model. Better wood selection, better electronics, better everything. That doesn't make the Japanese strat bad, just the american model is BETTER. And I don't know if that is arguable by anyone, unless they own a JapStrat inwhich case theirs is better. ; )
 
i have heard that the jap strats are better than the american ones too....
i don't buy it though. i remeber when fender started making the guitars in japan. Everybody said they were cheap japanese crap back then. Now all of a sudden they are supposed to be real good.
 
Supposedly Fender has gone back to making them with the small holes again instead of one really big one, but I havent opened one up to see. If you're going to buy one, make them take off the pickguard so you can look under there and see, no matter where it comes from.

Here's a link all about it. Click Here.

All that said, I've been doing some research recently and found out that one on the Strats used by SRV was once owned by the guitar player in a band from the 60s called Vanilla Fudge. That Strat had been hollowed out to accept 4 :eek: humbucking pickups. It was the white one and SRV only used that guitar to play one song, but he used it every time he played that song
 
The nice Jap Strats play and sound better than American. I've only played one once, but I loved it. When I did a comparison with an American Strat...well, yeah. It wasn't great. The fret job wasn't as good and there was some buzzing. The neck just didn't feel as good as the Japanese one did.

So yeah, the ones with Made in Japan on the neck joint are better than American.

"American = quality model. Better wood selection, better electronics, better everything. That doesn't make the Japanese strat bad, just the american model is BETTER."

With hand made guitars, yes. But with factory built guitars that isn't always the case, they're kinda hit and miss.

The bodies of some USA Stratocasters (natural finish, flamed and quilted maple tops) are covered in a thin veneer. This deadens the tone slightly. Japanese Strats have a "Photo-Flame" which is self explanitory. The "photo-flame" is so thin and needs so little adhesive that is doesn't affect the tone. On other natural finish guitars it's all real wood.

There's the "swimming pool" routing method USA Strats have. I don't like it a bit. Where as the Japanese Strats have 3 cavities.

The electronics on USA Strats are better but that's about it. But really, electronics are no biggie. Those can be replaced.

That's my opinion. I'm guessing the reason why Fender Japan doesn't export any more is because Fender was losing sales on American Strats.
 
The Jap Strarts from the late 80s and early 90s were made in the same factory where they now make the best, most expencive Ibanez guitars. You're not going to find better workmanship anywhere. Ive even had other Strat players grab mine and say "wow, this sounds great. How old is it?" And some of them owned some very expencive guitars.

About the eletronics, a few days ago I took my Jap Strat apart because I wanted to put Texas Special pickups in it. All the pots, switches and other stuff was at least as good as anything I've ever seen in the USA Strats.
 
I have a japanese strat, one thing I notice compare to american standard is: weight!!! American standard is so much heavier!!!

oh, also the pickups on a jap standard are quieter, i think, as in output volume, not noise.

AL
 
Telecasters Too

I actively sought out and bought an 80s MIJ Telecaster and totally love it! The electronics are being replaced currently (because of thinness and low output, but the feel is so much more broken and and comfortable compared to the MIA Teles I've played (new ones and 80s).

I don't know if the story is the same for the Strats but I would bet on it. Such a better value!!
 
I don't think you can really generalize...

I have an American Strat that plays beautifully and sounds great. A friend of mine has a Japanese 60's Strat that plays like crap and sounds even worse.

I've played American strats that were awful. I bought one once (a Hendrix "signature" model) that played terribly at the store. I bought it for $500 with a case (list $1600), brought it home and set it up, and it played great. (Never trust GC to set it up...lol) I then sold it on eBay for $700. :)

I can pick up 2 of the same model guitars in the store and one will be great and the other will suck. I'll bet you can too.

Obviously, if you find a nice Japanese strat, good for you. If not, move on. (This is why I would be nervous buying a guitar online... except for my wannabe Driskill. :D)
 
i haven't taken the pickguard off of an american strat to see whether or not it has the "swimming pool" type cutout for the pickups.

my 1966 strat has the individual cutouts for each pickup. i have a mexican strat and the pickup and pot. cutouts are damn near a mirror image of the '66 body.

i really like the mexican strat since i switched pickups and electrics. it sounds better than most (new) american strats that i have played or heard. It has a little bit fatter sound and the bridge pickup dosn't have that ear splitting harsh tone...its thin but not too thin. I think its because of the poplar wood body...poplar is a cheaper wood...but it gives you a warmer fatter sound than ash.

I said that to says this...blipndub suggested that elecrics and pickups cab be changed in jap strats to give you a fine guitar. Im saying that if you do the same thing to a mex strat you'll have a fine guitar.

I always use my '66 strat as a yardstick (i haven't found a strat yet...amer....jap...mex..or custom shop...that plays as good or sounds any better.)
 
jimistone, I think it's funny that you say your 66 plays better than anything else. I've always thought that Strats from that era played like ass. They sound great, but it's a real fight to play them. At least when compaired to Les Pauls of the same era. My Jap Strat is a 60s reissue and it is just as hard to play as the real ones. I think that the newer Strats feel and play much better, but they don't sound as good.

"Playing a Strat is a mother fucker, but sometimes it's worth the fight"
Jeff Beck
 
I can buy a second hand jap strat for $300.
I borought it one year ago for a few months so I had enough time to check it and it played very well and sounded good but I could not compare it with an american.
But can I do wrong with this price? I don't think so.

thanks for all the info..ron..
 
For $300 you can't go wrong. You can turn it around for a bit more I bet if you don't like it. I agree with the above statements that Fenders in general are pretty inconsistent. I've played MIM that are better than Americans, lots of variability. I don't think i could ever buy a Fender sight unseen.

I paid 450 for my tele w/o a case.
 
I took a chance and ordered a CIJ Fender. It turned out that the guitar was really great. In my life I have owned several pre CBS Strats. Out of all of those guitars my CIJ Strat beats all of them hands down. At least in my experience with the guitars I’ve played. IMHO

On the wood issue I think the earlier model jap Strats were made with lighter woods. Now they are made out of alder the same as the AM fender RI’S. As far as the electronics in my guitar I’ve had no problems…

Check out the specs here: http://www.ishibashi-music.com/index.html

:cool:
 
I'm not sure about strats, but I've come across a few Japanese made telecasters. The time that they were made, I think the Japanese teles were probably better compared to their American counterparts because of that CBS thing Fender was going through. However, the newer American made telecasters, as well as the vintage ones are awesome. Fender American made guitars have really come a long way the past decade. For $300, that's a great price. I'd go for it.
 
maybe a got ahold of a fluke...cause it plays like a dream. almost all the finish is rubbed off the back of the neck...that has alot to do with the way it feels. i string it with 11 to 50 guage strings. i string the mex strat the same way and it plays good...but not as good as the '66. when i bought the mex strat i played several in the store, american made and mexican made. I found little difference in the way they played. the american strats had rounded edges on the sides of the neck...but...that will come with time anyway. also the american ones have jumbo frets, which is nice. the mex strat i ended up buying played better than any guitar in the store, so i got it, took all the guts out and installed a new pickguard assembly....im happy.

i have a friend that has a '59 strat. its all original and plays real good too...its not for sale and neaither is my '66...maybe peopke are hangin' on to the good ones and selling the ones that play like shit.

come to think about it, why did a paticular strat get neglected? probably because there was another guitar around that played better....so maybe thats what your wallhanging relics that bring 8 grand are....guitars that didn't play that good to start with.

maybe the good playing ones got worn out from 25+ years of hard use. they got refinished and pickups changed and all kinds of things that takes collecter value off of them...they are the players guitars

either that or alot of people horded strats in the 60's as possible future investments
 
I love my Mexican Strats...

But I have heard the same thing about Japanese strats being better than USA strats...





Ok... Now you can flame me :D
 
Guitars are individuals no matter where they're made. Both my Strat and me Tele are American made. The Tele is a '71 and the Strat is'98. Both are fantastic guitars although the Tele is the better of the two guitars. A good friend of mine has a few Mexican and Jap Strats and a Jap Tele and we both agree the American (at least mine) are better built, more substantial instruments.
 
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