Fender Japan

[rasher80]

Hello all,

This is my first post - i'll try not to rant too much!

I just want to say how p-d off i am with the current situation regarding Fender Japan. It seems that the majority of the UK importers like mustangguitars and guitaremporium have had the kibosh put on them, presumably by the chaps over in the good ol' US of A.

I'm grumbling cos i'm a left hander who has wanted a 75 re-issue Jazz bass, and having worked my damnedest to accumulate the money, no sooner am i almost up to the total than all the importers i know of seem to be calling it a day. It's really annoying, cos if i was a right hander i'd just pick up one of the Mexican reissues and just pimp it a bit. I don't have the nous to be able to source one direct from Japan and the only other importer i know of is in the US, who wants £900 before any customs charges. so i'm going to have to forget it and try and get a MIM jazz and pimp that instead.

Bad show Fender!

Anyway, rant over!

[andy67]

hi and welcome,

bummer!

£900 will buy you almost anything...go try one of the new yamaha attitude's, made in Japan and utterly gorgeous!


link: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_attitude_ii_lr.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_attitude_ii_lr.htm[/url]

andy

[sgt-pluck]

Worth pinging a mail to [url="http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedbasses.htm"]http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedbasses.htm[/url] ?

Pluck

[rasher80]

Nice bass Andy! except i'm a lowly cack-hander so it'd be no use to me!

I'll try a mail to FEG but failing that i might just have to go on an upgrading frenzy.

It might not be too bad though, if all else fails eh? A MIM Jazz with a Badass II, Wizard pickups and some decent tuners might be a fairly spot on instrument!

[rasher80]

Sorry, i forgot to mention, it has to at least have a Jazz profile neck, as i've got fairly small hands and when i had a go of a couple of Tokais (A Precision copy and a TB copy) i found the neck really uncomfortable. Which is why i'm plumping for a Jazz.

Awkward ain't i

Edited October 27, 2008 by rasher80

[GЯДИКФЯ]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-75-Reissue-Jazz-Bass-Left-Hand-JB75-US-LH_W0QQitemZ250306327288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250306327288&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-75-Reis...id=p3911.c0.m14[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-Aerodyne-Jazz-Bass-Left-Hand-model-AJB-LH_W0QQitemZ250305820016QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250305820016&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-Aerodyn...id=p3911.c0.m14[/url]

[Clarky]

[quote name='GЯДИК' post='315864' date='Oct 27 2008, 03:01 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-75-Reissue-Jazz-Bass-Left-Hand-JB75-US-LH_W0QQitemZ250306327288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250306327288&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-75-Reis...id=p3911.c0.m14[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-Aerodyne-Jazz-Bass-Left-Hand-model-AJB-LH_W0QQitemZ250305820016QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250305820016&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Japan-Aerodyn...id=p3911.c0.m14[/url][/quote]
There would be c.20% customs tax on top of basic price plus shipping, best to buy from someone who has already dealt with that - wasn't aware that Guitar Emporium were no longer able to import (check their recent thread about how they came close to shutting down due to excess stock but are now importing to order [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27683&hl=guitar+emporium)"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...uitar+emporium)[/url]

Edited October 27, 2008 by Clarky

[GЯДИКФЯ]

[quote name='Clarky' post='315908' date='Oct 27 2008, 03:41 PM']There would be c.20% customs tax on top of basic price plus shipping, best to buy from someone who has already dealt with that - wasn't aware that Guitar Emporium were no longer able to import (check their recent thread about how they came close to shutting down due to excess stock but are now importing to order [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27683&hl=guitar+emporium)"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...uitar+emporium)[/url][/quote]

if you end up paying import duty anyway I'd just wait til the £ is strong against the $ again and buy it from ebay... GE is expensive

[josh3184]

hmm, i, as a fellow cack hander, seem to remember a bass that's been floating around a bit that may be of interest to you. just a sec

[josh3184]

aha! Found it:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26681&hl=sandberg"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...amp;hl=sandberg[/url]


seem to remember that he's looking for around what you're saving up.. that your kinda thing?

[LukeFRC]

A year or two ago I knew what i wanted and emailed far east guitars, a month or so later he got one (his are usually second hand) and I got first dibs

[noelk27]

It's not Fender, but the distributors who stitch up the territorial markets. But if there's something being produced in Japan that you're after go direct - try [url="http://www.kurosawagakki.com"]http://www.kurosawagakki.com[/url] who will export to you, or [url="http://www.digimart.net/pub_gk_list.do?c1=1&c2=13"]http://www.digimart.net/pub_gk_list.do?c1=1&c2=13[/url] if you want to do a wider search. It would also be worth your while taking a look at the Japanese G&L Tribute Premium range - they do left handed models in two neck widths, one very Jazz in it's proportions - Kurosawa Gakki are main dealers. Of all the countries to buy from, Japan is one of the easiest, as the resellers there go out of their way to be helpful. Once it gets here, it's just a matter of going to the local ParcelForce depot, paying the charges and taking it away.

Edited October 27, 2008 by noelk27

[~tl]

I've bought a CIJ bass from Jon at [url="http://mijfenders.com/"]MIJ Fenders[/url] before. It might be worth seeing if he can get what you're after...

[pete.young]

[quote name='noelk27' post='316049' date='Oct 27 2008, 07:27 PM']It's not Fender, but the distributors who stitch up the territorial markets.[/quote]

In this case, it is Fender Japan - they are leaning on all the Japanese exporters and insisting that they don't export the not-for-export Fender Japan basses which we know and love. I'm not sure how Guitar Emporium gets round it, more power to them if they can do so.

Other than that, you're looking at importing a second-hand one yourself from someone like Ishibashi, who will still ship the secondhand stuff just not the new ones. [url="http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box"]http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box[/url] . Or hoping that John at Far East Guitars can find what you're looking for. You'ld probably have to ask John to find you one: I don't think he'd bring in a left-hander on spec.

[rasher80]

I'm not sure, but GE has a notice on his website saying "Unfortunately the Guitar Emporium is not trading at this time" and mustangguitars has a message saying

"UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO TRADE RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED BY FENDER USA ON FENDER JAPAN WE REGRET THAT MUSTANG GUITARS WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO TRADE.

WE WISH TO THANK ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND FELLOW LEFTIES FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND CUSTOM.

WE WOULD ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE ALL LEFTIES TO EMAIL FENDER USA WITH REGARD TO THE LACK OF LEFT HANDED MODELS IN THEIR RANGE AND TO REQUEST THAT THEY PRODUCE MORE LEFT HANDED USA MODEL GUITARS AND BASSES AT LEAST ON THE SCALE OF THE FENDER JAPAN PRODUCTION NUMBERS, TO ENCOURAGE MORE LEFTIES TO TAKE UP THE GUITAR AND TO LIVE THEIR DREAMS, JUST LIKE A CERTAIN MR HENDRIX AND MR COBAIN (YOU KNOW THE LEFT HANDED GUYS WHO A CERTAIN USA MANUFACTURER USES TO ADVERTISE THEIR RIGHT HANDED GUITARS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE)".

Josh, i can't seem to see the images from that link you sent, but i'm at work so i'll take a look when i get home. Cheers for that.

MIJFenders hasn't got back to me and it's a no-go from FEG.

I'm in two minds what to do now - either take the plunge and buy direct from Japan and get bent over a barrel by HM Customs or decide that I can live without a bound, block inlaid neck and buy a MIM Jazz, whack some Wizard 84s and a Badass II in it and see how it goes!

[Bigwan]

I've just recieved a s/h 70s re-issue CIJ p-bass from loudandclear through the classifieds here. If it is anything to go by then it would be worth being bent over by HM customs to get what you want. I've never played a better p-bass. 2 of the 3 best Fenders I've ever played were MIJ/CIJ: my p-bass and a Marcus Miller sig jazz - each of these is on a par in every way with the 3rd (Fender Roscoe Beck V - one that I let go and shouldn't have!).

Edited October 28, 2008 by Bigwan

[Buzz]

[quote name='rasher80' post='316747' date='Oct 28 2008, 02:44 PM']I'm not sure, but GE has a notice on his website saying "Unfortunately the Guitar Emporium is not trading at this time"[/quote]

Malcom is still around and doing some trade, just not carrying stock, he can still obtain instruments for you:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27825"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27825[/url]


Just need to email him or ring him.

[BigRedX]

Go to Japan.

Have yourself a holiday in one of the most amazing countries in the world and while your at it buy a nice CIJ bass.

You know it makes sense!

[Telebass]

+1. Probably not the cheapest solution, but easily the most enjoyable!

[Delberthot]

If you know what I play then you'll know what i am going to say.


You could easily get yourself a Warmoth body and neck in your choice of woods and finish. Put all the goodies in it that you want and still have the best part of £300 left over if we are talking about a £900 starting figure. You could also take it to a luthier and have the frets dressed and everything else done while you are at it.

Fair enough, its not going to say Fender on it and you'll get about 2 bob if you ever try to sell it but it will be exactly to your specifications.

The last bass I had before my Warmoths was a CIJ Fender '51 reissue precision which was a phenomenal bass but great as it was, both my basses wee all over it in terms of balance and playability and I have exactly what i want.

Jon at MIJ Fenders is a good guy to deal with if you'd still prefer to get the real thing. Surprised that he's not got back to you but he does go over to Japan every couple of months to buy new and used Fenders. He's a huge Ritchie Blackmore fan. I used to play in Rainbow & Black Sabbath tribute bands with him a few years back.

[rasher80]

You know, i thought about going down the Warmoth route but i just about know how to change strings - i've always let a luthier do any adjustments i've ever needed so i'd be lost as to what to do. I'd really love a 54 P Bass with the corresponding neck but with a Jazz profile. That would be sweet. Or easier still, Fender could expand its LH bass repertoire a bit more from MIM Standard Jazz MIA Standard P and MIA Deluxe Jazz

Hopefully if i'm lucky Malcolm will still take an order from me and i can have the CIJ bass i've always wanted!

[noelk27]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='316996' date='Oct 28 2008, 07:14 PM']Go to Japan ...[/quote]

That's what I do. Then again, I don't have a choice - the other half works for Samsung, and is based there.

You can get a return ticket for under £500. Unlimited use of the Bullet trains - kinda - if you buy a travel pass before you go. And you can be amazed at just how low-rise swathes of Tokyo really are. Go on, you know you want to!

[Delberthot]

Both my Warmoth's have jazz width necks with the tele headstock.

If you take your time its not that difficult to put one together.

The holes are already there for the neck and body to be screwed together; drill pilot holes for the tuners and make sure they are straight; the holes for the bridge are already there as well, just screw it on after feeding the ground wire through the hole to the control cavity; you could use a prewired assembly for the electronics. Most manufacturers offer these - if you want passive there a few guys doing prewired passive wiring on Ebay; strings on and away you go.

Where do you live by the way?

[rasher80]

I live in Manchester.

It seems fairly straightforward in practice from what you've said, but i'm confident in my own disability to operate any sort of tools efficiently that i would no doubt end up with a neck for a prototype 13 string bass if i attempted to do it myself

I know that i could just buy the bits and get a local luthier to stick them together but it would cost me quite i bit i reckon!

And i'm only 5'8" so i was worried the '54 body would totally dwarf me and i'd look ridiculous

[GЯДИКФЯ]

[quote name='rasher80' post='319115' date='Oct 31 2008, 03:18 PM']I live in Manchester.

It seems fairly straightforward in practice from what you've said, but i'm confident in my own disability to operate any sort of tools efficiently that i would no doubt end up with a neck for a prototype 13 string bass if i attempted to do it myself

I know that i could just buy the bits and get a local luthier to stick them together but it would cost me quite i bit i reckon!

And i'm only 5'8" so i was worried the '54 body would totally dwarf me and i'd look ridiculous[/quote]

a Jazz body is way bigger than a '54 P style body