GrammeFriday Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 This one's for all you Fender Japan geeks out there. [url="http://s1333.photobucket.com/user/grammefriday/media/Sonic%20Blue%20MIJ%20Fender%20Jazz%2062RI%201993/IMG_6875_zpse7394f27.jpg.html"][/url] Pictured above is my MIJ Jazz, made by FujiGen Gakki in 1993. On removing the neck recently I was delighted to find some Kanji (Japanese characters) in the neck joint. Here they are: [url="http://s1333.photobucket.com/user/grammefriday/media/Sonic%20Blue%20MIJ%20Fender%20Jazz%2062RI%201993/IMG_6858_zps6e4f99a6.jpg.html"][/url] Now for a closer look: [url="http://s1333.photobucket.com/user/grammefriday/media/Sonic%20Blue%20MIJ%20Fender%20Jazz%2062RI%201993/IMG_6859vertical_zps57863758.jpg.html"][/url] Very cool looking, for sure, but what does it all say? As my Kanji deciphering skills are distinctly limited, I asked a Japanese native speaker friend to do a spot of translating work for me. She tells me that the three vertical characters at the bottom definitely say "Hokkaido" (北海道), which of course is the name of the northernmost of Japan's four main islands. She is much less confident about the horizontal bit at the top, however, but she thinks that it might say "Ozawa" (小沢), which is a fairly common family name, or "Otaru" (小樽), which is the name of a port town in Hokkaido. [url="http://s1333.photobucket.com/user/grammefriday/media/Sonic%20Blue%20MIJ%20Fender%20Jazz%2062RI%201993/IMG_6859verticalannotated_zps68c5633c.jpg.html"][/url] Based on this info, the likeliest scenarios are: 1. the bass was put together by Mr Ozawa (or, less plausibly, Mr Otaru) from Hokkaido 2. the bass was put together by an unnamed factory worker from Otaru in Hokkaido Now for the conundrum: it is also possible that it means that the bass was actually assembled in Hokkaido, but as far as I am aware FujiGen Gakki's factories have always been in Nagano, which is in Honshu (Japan's main island). So, does anyone know if there is any manufacturing connection to Hokkaido, or am I right in thinking that Hokkaido is more likely to be where the bass builder comes from? ご協力いただきありがとうございます！ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 agh you know how all parts have to stamp their necks on the heel so they can't be passed off as real fender necks? well same idea - translates as "fake fender from Hokkaido" (I AM JOKING!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I think it means 'Squier'. Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammeFriday Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 Wednesday night is Troll Night, apparently ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Ha ha, yes! Apologies. I hope someone will come along and tell you something useful shortly! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammeFriday Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 [quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1395871432' post='2407557'] I think it means 'Squier'. Truckstop [/quote] If only it were a (JV) Squier, rather than just a lowly MIJ Fender! Then I could set a much higher asking price for it when I put it up for sale later this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy535 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I never seen a fender Japan with that style of stamp before. What is stamped on the neck? Maybe you have a fender neck and other make body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 [quote name='GrammeFriday' timestamp='1395872426' post='2407573'] Wednesday night is Troll Night, apparently ... [/quote] Only Wednesdays? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Maybe it's the name of a prior owner ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammeFriday Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 [quote name='Kempy535' timestamp='1395915195' post='2407820'] I never seen a fender Japan with that style of stamp before. What is stamped on the neck? Maybe you have a fender neck and other make body. [/quote] Thanks, Kempy535 - interesting to know this. Here's the neck stamp (with part of the serial number erased by me so as to foil ebay identity thieves): [URL=http://s1333.photobucket.com/user/grammefriday/media/Sonic%20Blue%20MIJ%20Fender%20Jazz%2062RI%201993/IMG_6882-Version2_zps07741eb8.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w632/grammefriday/Sonic%20Blue%20MIJ%20Fender%20Jazz%2062RI%201993/IMG_6882-Version2_zps07741eb8.jpg[/IMG][/URL] So, insofar as one can ever tell these things, the neck is definitely MIJ Fender. Yes, I guess it is possible that the body comes from elsewhere, but I think it's a bit unlikely, given the ownership history of the bass (which I know in full). Curiouser and curiouser! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammeFriday Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1395915412' post='2407829'] Maybe it's the name of a prior owner ? [/quote] Yes, that's another possibility - must admit that had not occurred to me! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy535 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Sorry I meant the other side of the neck there is normally a stamp showing the model number. I have had a few different type Jap made fenders and all of them have had the model number stamped on the neck pocket of the body like below. Not the sticker but the ink stamping below it. If you know and trust the previous owner then don't worry about it. Looks like a nice 62RI [url=https://flic.kr/p/mshSQz][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I've been asked to read Kanji on necks and bodies before. But, it always turns out that the bits I really need to recognise are unreadable. The "Hokkaido" is clear, and even I would have got that. But the bit at the top just looks like random lines to me. I'm not even convinced that it's Kanji at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammeFriday Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Thanks for the helpful replies, folks. Kempy: no, there is no model number stamped on the neck pocket, so it's impossible to know whether the body and neck come from the same place. The number on the neck itself seems legit enough - the date suggested by both The Guitar Project (http://www.guitardaterproject.org/fender.aspx) and Guitars Japan (http://www.guitarsjapan.com/fenderchart.html) exactly matches the date of birth written on the bottom edge of the neck, under the truss rod screw. But as for the body … none the wiser! But in the end I am not that bothered either way - both body and neck are clearly from Japan, both parts definitely date from 1993 (when the first owner bought it), and most importantly of all, it looks and sounds absolutely killer. And I'm ok with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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