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MIJ fenders


philbillbass
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what are the advantages of MIJ fenders? i mean is it just they are affordable but for great quality. for example:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-57-Precision-Bass-in-Fiesta-Red-Shadows_W0QQitemZ300122294963QQihZ020QQcategoryZ4713QQcmdZViewItem
is that a good buy?
all opinions welcome

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In this day and age, the manufacturing methods are pretty similar, the materials will be similar and (now) the QC will be pretty closely scrutineered...... so apart from huge disparities in labour costs, (and no Custom shop in the other than the US), you will get a very good instrument (if its a genuine Fender) regardless of where it was made......

No if you want the orginal Mojo, or maybe some exotic non-sustainable selected woods or you are just need to have it MIA... then a US is the only option. If you want an excellent instrument but cannot afford to pay thru the nose, Genuine MIJ MIM will play just as well as a MIA.

Or as Muppet states... Nail Head hit.......

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[quote name='philbillbass' post='22641' date='Jun 24 2007, 01:21 PM']what are the advantages of MIJ fenders? i mean is it just they are affordable but for great quality. for example:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-57-Precision-Bass-in-Fiesta-Red-Shadows_W0QQitemZ300122294963QQihZ020QQcategoryZ4713QQcmdZViewItem
is that a good buy?
all opinions welcome[/quote]

No, it isn't. If you're after a 57 your best bet at the moment is the MIM classic 50. Probably the best value fender available at the moment.

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yer i have been looking at the MIM 50's bass and they look nice, i was just wondering about the MIJ ones! but thanks for all your info on this! i wil hav a closer look at the 50's one. i would preferably want to get a realy nice p-bass as cheap as possible! bout £350 for a decent second hand one? so buying new probably isnt an option so i wil just keep looking on the bay and in the for sale sections on these forums

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[quote name='The Burpster' post='22645' date='Jun 24 2007, 01:37 PM']In this day and age, the manufacturing methods are pretty similar, the materials will be similar and (now) the QC will be pretty closely scrutineered...... so apart from huge disparities in labour costs, (and no Custom shop in the other than the US), you will get a very good instrument (if its a genuine Fender) regardless of where it was made......

No if you want the orginal Mojo, or maybe some exotic non-sustainable selected woods or you are just need to have it MIA... then a US is the only option. If you want an excellent instrument but cannot afford to pay thru the nose, Genuine MIJ MIM will play just as well as a MIA.

Or as Muppet states... Nail Head hit.......[/quote]

I would say that the CIJ ones are better than the MIM ones when it comes to quality. The quality of the Jap instruments is extremely high - better in many cases than the MIA stuff. If I was buying a Fender unseen I would only go for a CIJ - I'd have to try the US or Mex ones first. The CIJ jazzes I've had were really top notch. I've never played a Mex that was anywhere as good as a Jap one.

try them all and see for yourself.

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My mate John at FarEast Guitars in Essex has the following at the mo, DISCOUNTED!!!

[url="http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedbasses.htm"]http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedbasses.htm[/url]


Its the s/b precision at the bottom of the page.

You could get this beauty posted to you in Merseyside for less money!!

Edited by neilb
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[quote name='Sean' post='22679' date='Jun 24 2007, 04:19 PM']I would say that the CIJ ones are better than the MIM ones when it comes to quality. The quality of the Jap instruments is extremely high - better in many cases than the MIA stuff. If I was buying a Fender unseen I would only go for a CIJ - I'd have to try the US or Mex ones first. The CIJ jazzes I've had were really top notch. I've never played a Mex that was anywhere as good as a Jap one.

try them all and see for yourself.[/quote]

I agree- the quality of Japanese is consistent. The quality of Mexicans isn't, based on the mexicans and Japanese Fenders I've owned. In fact the Japanese ones are as good as the Americans.

The MIM 50s classic is good value for money assuming you get a good one. If you're distance buying you cannot always guarantee this so going Japanese minimises the risk.

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[quote name='neilb' post='22683' date='Jun 24 2007, 04:41 PM']My mate John at FarEast Guitars in Essex has the following at the mo, DISCOUNTED!!!

[url="http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedbasses.htm"]http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedbasses.htm[/url]
Its the s/b precision at the bottom of the page.

You could get this beauty posted to you in Merseyside for less money!![/quote]


thanks for that link! how could it be posted to Merseyside for less money? and i will keep an eye out on that site but i am seriously considering that bass, the maple fretboard is just so sexy!

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[quote name='philbillbass' post='22743' date='Jun 24 2007, 09:00 PM']thanks for that link! how could it be posted to Merseyside for less money? and i will keep an eye out on that site but i am seriously considering that bass, the maple fretboard is just so sexy![/quote]

Get a torty pick guard and it'll be the sexiest thing since Ursula Andress in Dr No!

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It's worth noting (and I will do this quickly) that there a export and non export MIJ/CIJ Fender basses. The one ion the first example link is an export model.

The ones from Far East Guitars are actually Japanese Non-export models. As it has been mentioned above, they are specific to Japan.

IMHO (as I own one) the Non-Export models are absolutely fantastic and have better quality hardware and pups that the export models.

Maybe I have played old dog MIA's but I don't think I'd have any reason to buy a US P Bass over a non export CIJ. Ishibashi should certainly get a mention here!

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[quote name='dood' post='22750' date='Jun 24 2007, 09:10 PM']It's worth noting (and I will do this quickly) that there a export and non export MIJ/CIJ Fender basses. The one ion the first example link is an export model.

The ones from Far East Guitars are actually Japanese Non-export models. As it has been mentioned above, they are specific to Japan.

IMHO (as I own one) the Non-Export models are absolutely fantastic and have better quality hardware and pups that the export models.

Maybe I have played old dog MIA's but I don't think I'd have any reason to buy a US P Bass over a non export CIJ. Ishibashi should certainly get a mention here![/quote]


its a bit confusing that Ishibashi so i think i wil just stick with lookin on the far east guitars site for a nice bass!!! and i am guessing that £415 is a good price for that bass ??

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[quote name='philbillbass' post='22743' date='Jun 24 2007, 09:00 PM']thanks for that link! how could it be posted to Merseyside for less money? and i will keep an eye out on that site but i am seriously considering that bass, the maple fretboard is just so sexy![/quote]

Er...simple. The red fender P bass has gone for £480 odd on Ebay.. IMHO thats over the top. Johns bass at fareast.co uk is £415. He could post that to you for much less than £480.

The maple board on that P is lovely.

I got my aerodyne from John and he is a top bloke.

Edited by neilb
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If you can read/ translate Japanes there are a few sites that look cheap:

[url="http://www.rakuten.co.jp/takamatsu/602183/681945/1786874/"]http://www.rakuten.co.jp/takamatsu/602183/681945/1786874/[/url]

[url="http://page19.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/x10941569"]http://page19.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/x10941569[/url]

[url="http://search.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/search?p=fender+japan&f=0x2&alocale=0jp&mode=2&auccat=0&apg=2"]http://search.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/sear...cat=0&apg=2[/url]

And Ishibashi as already mentioned: [url="http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/"]http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/[/url]


Why did they waste our time at school teaching us Latin, French and German?

And a search engine for Japanese music shops:

[url="https://www.digimart.net/service/info/english.html"]https://www.digimart.net/service/info/english.html[/url]

Edited by mhuk
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[quote name='Sean' post='22679' date='Jun 25 2007, 12:49 AM']I would say that the CIJ ones are better than the MIM ones when it comes to quality. The quality of the Jap instruments is extremely high - better in many cases than the MIA stuff. If I was buying a Fender unseen I would only go for a CIJ - I'd have to try the US or Mex ones first. The CIJ jazzes I've had were really top notch. I've never played a Mex that was anywhere as good as a Jap one.

try them all and see for yourself.[/quote]


+1

As I've mentioned in a different thread I recently went through just about all the music shops in Adelaide playing all the fender basses I could (helping out a student/friend). IMHO the new off the rack CIJ Fender bass is currently of a superior quality in (not all) but most cases. Things like the Marcus Miller MIA bass is an example of an exception.

I have no bias generally, Just calling a spade a spade.

Oh yep and what Dood says is also very true.... thanks mate I forgot about that side of the equation.

Edited by Freuds_Cat
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Not being a certified 'Fenderhead' I will bow to the far more experienced ramblings above....... I would have thought the best advice would still be......

if at all possible, to play 'em before you buy...... Unless you are [u][b]absolutely sure[/b][/u] about what it is you're buying?????

£450 is a substantial investment and you want to be sure its what you want and need.... if its not EXACTLY right another will come along shortly.... sometimes you have to patient.......

:)

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[quote name='philbillbass' post='22784' date='Jun 24 2007, 10:35 PM']so can you ask him to try and get you a certain type/ colour of bass?[/quote]


Yes, Im sure John will specifically seek out the bass you want. May take a bit of time but hes always seeking stock from Japan.

Email him at

johnblackman AT ntlworld.com

The advantage is he deals with all the import/duty side of things, saves you doing it.

GL mate.

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have to agree with the jap thangy,i just bought a jap P bass off ebay (check out me avatar--sorry about the colour) & it only cost me £265.00 delivered.
after strings & a much needed set up it plays really nice,sounds awesome too.
mucho recommended.

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[quote name='The Burpster' post='22886' date='Jun 25 2007, 10:45 AM']Not being a certified 'Fenderhead' I will bow to the far more experienced ramblings above....... I would have thought the best advice would still be......

if at all possible, to play 'em before you buy...... Unless you are [u][b]absolutely sure[/b][/u] about what it is you're buying?????

£450 is a substantial investment and you want to be sure its what you want and need.... if its not EXACTLY right another will come along shortly.... sometimes you have to patient.......

:)[/quote]


Its striaght forward advice, but the best you can go with!

I was looking for a music-man or fender but my Alembic came up before any of the forhand came up in what I wanted, so I bought the Alembic. I like it, but don't love it, and thus with be listed up soon...

THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

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