Fender Strat

NOW RELISTED AT LOWER PRICE!!! I HAVE TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY FOR SCHOOL! YOU BENEFIT!!!

 I am selling my VERY VERY RARE (in fact it is likely "one-of-a-kind") 62 ReIssue Fender Japan Strat. ( see my pictures of the guitar here ----->  http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/VintAxesMIJ/89%20Fender%20Strat%20%20OM/)

I live in Japan, have been collecting guitars, and searching through the famous "Ochanomisu" neighbourhood of Tokyo (which is famous for used and new guitars... just google it.) looking for used classics. I have a lot of knowledge about the "golden years" of Japanese Fenders. During the mid to late 80s and early 90s Japan made Fender guitars that were on par with the best of the US Fenders. (see the history here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.blackman4/history.htm) 

The true collectible Japanese Fenders came in three grades. The highest grade were called "Extrad" (meaning extra traditional) and they are still today very hard to find and very expensive. These were the equivalent of a Custom Shop US guitar. The second grade were called simply "Custom Edition" and like the "Extrad" were indicated by a sticker on the back of the headstock. The third grade (and the quality could be from mid to very high) were what were called "Order Made." These were identifiable by the stamp located on both the neck joint of the body and the neck joint area on the back of the neck. They were usually ordered by either a customer, who wished to have something unique, or a Fender dealer who wanted a small lot of customized guitars to sell at his/here dealer store.

The Fender I am selling is the only one I have ever seen in Japan, and it is the only one my favourite Fender dealer in Tokyo has ever seen as well. It is a 62 ReIssue and I found it in a guitar shop with the original sales tag (which will ship with the guitar) and best of all.... it was in nearly unused condition. There were a few strumming marks on the pickguard and a few scuff marks on the back (not scratches) that looked like the guitar had been stored in a cheap Fender gig bag for years. I think it had actually. I bought the guitar because the frets were in perfect condition (still are 9.5 out of 10) and because it came with a very unique pickup configuration. It has two pickups (mid and rear) and neither are Fender stock pickups. The dealer didn't know who made them but he said it looked like they were original in the guitar.

The body is made from very light Ash or Alder (not normal wood for Fender Japan axes) and the neck is maple and is the more expensive neck available at that time (no skunk stripe). The fretboard is rosewood and the neck is in mint condition. The headstock matches the paint (black) and the body is painted with NitroLac. and not the normal plastic-like paint found on most Japanese Fenders. The paint is thin and except for some rubbing on the back, the body is in excellent condition. I want to make this clear... there are NO scratches on the front, and NO dents of any kind on the body. There IS some rubbing on the back that as I mentioned looks to be from storage in a cheap Fender gig bag (it came in one!). This is NOT meant to be a MINT COLLECTOR guitar. It is a great guitar and meant to be played in my opinion.

All the metal is black, and there isn't a tremolo arm (you can buy one cheap anywhere). The tuners and bridge are made for this guitar and are Grover rather than Fender Japan. The guitar looks great and the pickups have a great snappy, full sound. The pickups are certainly premium, though I don't know enough about pickups to properly ID them. I do know they are NOT stock Fender Japan pickups (which were really poor in my opinion!).

The guitar has a "Made in Japan" serial and is stamped with "Order Made." The neck is dated to 7/3/89 which places it right in the premium period of  Fender Japan production. It is in great shape, though it is not mint. Think about it... this guitar is over 20 years old, and had less than 5% wear on the frets (and that is generous). I haven't played this guitar more than five times in the three years I have owned it. I have over ten guitars and this one was too nice to use. I have kept it stored and dry and I have only pulled it out on occasion to hear the sound and show it to my wife (who loves it).

I am ONLY selling this guitar because I am going to law school (in my 30s!) and leaving Japan to do so. I would never sell it otherwise. I am not a guitar flipper and this is a really nice guitar for someone who wants something a little different from the stock standard Fender Strat. I love this guitar, and as a result I won't give it away. I want to get a good price for it while also giving the buyer a good deal as well. If you want to see some close-up pictures or if you have any questions please feel free to message me with any requests. Thank you.

The Little Details!

As for shipping, I have sold several guitars overseas in my preparation to move from Japan, and it seems that generally the cost is about $130 or so to the US and about the same to Italy. If you want to know how much to your area PLEASE ASK ME BEFORE YOU BID. I will be happy to find out for you. If the cost is less than $130 US, then I will charge you less, and if more then I will charge more, but I will cover any reasonable cost over $140US. If you live in a jungle in Africa and it cost me $300 to send it... you are on your own!

If you have zero feedback, or more than 5 negatives, please email me BEFORE you bid, I will just delete your bid if you don't. ONLY PayPal sales, and I will only send this guitar to a confirmed PayPal address.

Also, this guitar is for sale locally, and I reserve the right to cancel the auction if it sells sooner than this auction ends. I hope that doesn't cause you any inconvenience.

Thank you for reading this LONG sales pitch! I wish you all the luck in the world!