Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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Danley
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Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by Danley » Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:48 pm

Found here: http://brochures.yokochou.com/en_index.html

1983 - They gave your guitar a behind-the-nut lock, but how about the bridge?

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The answer: BOTTOM ROX!

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Or: END ROX!

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'85 - Best locking nut concept; love to explore this further:

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'93 - Whoa

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'94 - Cramped

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Also '94 - Samurai?

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'96

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'96

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'02

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Offsets: Starting 1993 , Basswood/Sen are never mentioned in the context of the Jaguar/Jazzmaster

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Unless you bought a gold hardware special:

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Last - '84 . :

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King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by Futuron » Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:46 pm

Danley wrote:
Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:48 pm
Found here: http://brochures.yokochou.com/en_index.html

1983 - They gave your guitar a behind-the-nut lock, but how about the bridge?

Image

The answer: BOTTOM ROX!

Image

Or: END ROX!

Image
Fender Japan need to make a guitar with a rocking nut and locking bridge
Last edited by Futuron on Sat Jun 08, 2019 4:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by CorporateDisguise » Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:53 am

That Mosrite/tele hybrid is pretty freaking rad.

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by burpgun » Fri Jun 07, 2019 7:12 am

I swear to god I never understand the gulf of design risk taking between Fender Japan and U.S. Fender. Colors, designs, whatever, the Japanese operation was constantly trying stuff. I remember that weird hollowbody P-bass thing when it came out. I think it also had a piezo in the bridge, but not sure. I wonder what that dual slanted pickup P-bass sounded like. I've never seen anything like that.

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by Danley » Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:09 am

Only noticed now that the 'Upper Rox' headstock lock actually has fine tuners. One thing that never gets mentioned in these catalogs is the System 2 bridge (locking version of the 'Elite' front-sprung vibrato.) Guess you'd have to use it with 'Upper Rox' since it didn't have fine-tuners. The Nokie Telecaster is pretty damn cool actually.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:17 am

Regarding the "best locking nut" concept, my father in law actually has that on an HSS Japanese Strat that he has. It's a great guitar.

He does not like that locking nut, and he's explained to me why, but I forget. He says it's quite a hassle in practice and I think he just leaves it off. I haven't used it personally.

Regarding that vibrato block, what is being locked back there?
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by Danley » Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:23 am

Larry Mal wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:17 am
Regarding the "best locking nut" concept, my father in law actually has that on an HSS Japanese Strat that he has. It's a great guitar.

He does not like that locking nut, and he's explained to me why, but I forget. He says it's quite a hassle in practice and I think he just leaves it off. I haven't used it personally.

Regarding that vibrato block, what is being locked back there?
If I break out a textbook and channel me from a decade ago when I took a year of Japanese in college, I may be able to make sense of it in a day or two. Too bad the nut fails in practical terms.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:28 am

Well, don't place too much stock on my secondhand account here. It might be just fine for you or me, in fact, I would buy a guitar that had that on there despite his warning.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by JVG » Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:37 am

Jeez that takes me back! What a time - before retro was cool, and everyone wanted new stuff. EMG pickups, Floyd Rose vibratos, fluorescent paint jobs....

Things have changed.

But yeah, agree that Fender Japan was fairly progressive compared to the US. Thanks for posting!

J.

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by X-Ray Spex » Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:40 am

My Dad has one of the HSS Japan contemporary Strats from 1987, the locking nut thing works fine. The bridge system on the other hand is an absolute nightmare to setup and maintain, consequently it's been hardtailed never to divebomb again. The humbucker in the bridge kicks absolute ass though.
''It's not what you play, it's what you play'' - Troy Van Leeuwen

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by Danley » Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:47 am

X-Ray Spex wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:40 am
My Dad has one of the HSS Japan contemporary Strats from 1987, the locking nut thing works fine. The bridge system on the other hand is an absolute nightmare to setup and maintain, consequently it's been hardtailed never to divebomb again. The humbucker in the bridge kicks absolute ass though.
Are these they (System 3/Schaller Soapbar?) I'm curious about the 'contemporary' series guitars - and the front-route System 3 vibrato pictured below in particular. Given my fascination with Offsets, I'm always up for a new challenge when setting up a vibrato as a big middle-finger to anyone who says it can't work :D

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King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by valley_parade » Mon Jun 10, 2019 6:00 am

CorporateDisguise wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:53 am
That Mosrite/tele hybrid is pretty freaking rad.
Seriously.

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Re: Old Fender Japan Catalogs - Oddness

Post by X-Ray Spex » Tue Jun 11, 2019 4:29 am

Danley wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:47 am
X-Ray Spex wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:40 am
My Dad has one of the HSS Japan contemporary Strats from 1987, the locking nut thing works fine. The bridge system on the other hand is an absolute nightmare to setup and maintain, consequently it's been hardtailed never to divebomb again. The humbucker in the bridge kicks absolute ass though.
Are these they (System 3/Schaller Soapbar?) I'm curious about the 'contemporary' series guitars - and the front-route System 3 vibrato pictured below in particular. Given my fascination with Offsets, I'm always up for a new challenge when setting up a vibrato as a big middle-finger to anyone who says it can't work :D

Image
It very well might be, although I think my Dad's one has brass saddles etc so it might be system 1 or 2 possibly? I'll be heading over at the weekend probably so can report back here then.
''It's not what you play, it's what you play'' - Troy Van Leeuwen

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