OffsetUsername wrote: ↑Wed May 20, 2020 3:38 pm
What's strange is, in my experience, Australia gets Fender Japanese guitars on occasion to dealers like Found Sound but then the Fender US line is super rare for y'all. I'm sure distance plays a factor but Fender Japan is usually very strict about not exporting their guitars. So yeah, hopefully y'all get to enjoy this line as well.
They're only strict about (not) exporting to the US

(And apparently only after the release of the AVRI line aside from some small 'special' runs.)
Fender Japan guitars have been routinely available here for a long time, which is why there are so many of them floating around Aus. I had the choice of about 8 different brand new CIJ Jazzmasters in all of the cool colours with matching headstocks (Daphne Blue, Burgundy Mist Metallic, Seafoam Gren, Candy Apple Red) hung on the wall in Venue Music (RIP) Sydney back around 2004 (sadly the best sounding one was finished in CAR which was my least favourite aesthetically...)
I get the feeling they're fairly easily available in Europe, too. The whole 'exclusive for Japan / never intended for export' thing certain online sellers like to copy into their ads is bollocks
MIA Fenders are available too, but in the case of offsets they're 'rare' because nobody buys them new, and why would we? The list price is marked up to obscene amounts by the importer acting as 'Fender Australia'. You could come visit us here, see the sights/wildlife and then as a souvenir pick up an American Original Jazzmaster for the low low price of just $3900. They don't sell, and stores don't want stock sitting there for years unsold.
I brought my AVRI Jaguar in from Japan when the AUD was at parity with the USD, it was probably 3/5 the cost of buying one in an Australian store even after shipping and import duties.
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.