This is my MIJ “Daybreak” telecaster. I see no reason why it isn’t as good as a MIA
telecaster.
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Basses from Japan- often different than models in the US?
- Thread starter vindibona1
- Start date
Thankyou.
I sometimes use a crude analogy for that high-res interpolator... Imagine a child with a hoop, running it like a wheel beside them. A touch on the top of it can speed it or slow it or steer it. So long as they match the frequency of touches to the mass of the hoop, they get great response out of it as well as keeping it rolling smoothly. MIDI is doing the touching, and it doesn't have to do it that often if the thing it touches can keep rolling long enough on its own, so it amounts to being able to keep ten hoops rolling... Even poly touch mods can be handled on this basis.Re keys response, that can be to do with internal scales. Yamaha have an odd one in the DX7 and direct descendents, it's slightly nonlinear, almost as subtle as the relief in a well-set guitar neck, and it pivots around the value 100 on the scale 1~127. A strange notion, but it's a bit like a subtle dynamics expander with a high threshold and a ratio very slightly more than 1:1, and it's what allows the natural response to human performance, even without messing with the kind of velocity scaling that comes with a lot of master keyboards. I admit having no clue what Roland do, but I'll guess it might be similar because they were Yamaha's major competitor in the 1980's and if they did it too different, people would get disappointed by the keys response if they tried to change brands. (It's also why the cheap keys with linear response tend to feel clumsy and undynamic.) Yamaha went to great lengths to get musically nonlinear responses out of every scalar value they could. That comes naturally to analog systems, but not to digitals.
My 1997 "Crafted in Japan" 62 RI Fender Jazz bass is just a good, if not better, than any US Fender I've ever played. And yes, it IS a "real" Fender, not that I care that much as long as it sounds great!
I've been watching a few posts that mention this.. Did Fender commission some Japanese manufacturing output, or did they actually set up their own production inside Japan? If so it makes sense. Better than just suing Matsumoku over the early Westones..
If they can't beat the Japanese, join them..
The domestic market for guitars and basses in Japan is HUGE and in my opinion, is much better than that in North America, both in terms of quantity and quality. I’m lucky in that I married into a Japanese family and as such, I get to travel there regularly and see first hand what is available.
These days, I almost exclusively buy Japanese instruments for the reasons stated above. They’re worth the cost, especially if you’re into unique stuff that just isn’t made on our continent, like my 5 string short scale, or Fender instruments that aren’t in the typical colours and configurations.
These days, I almost exclusively buy Japanese instruments for the reasons stated above. They’re worth the cost, especially if you’re into unique stuff that just isn’t made on our continent, like my 5 string short scale, or Fender instruments that aren’t in the typical colours and configurations.
Be mindful that sometimes the Japanese basses being shipped from Japan are really expensive to do so (plus U.S. Customs fees most times as well) and also can be in rough shape and need a great amount of TLC as well. A lot of the time these sit in the worst conditions for metal and wood like shipping containers or outside shops or inside with non-proper temp and moisture control.
You mention all the basses I drool over on Danny Stewart's channel. Oh, how I would LOVE to try a Dragonfly, or Sugi. I can only imagine the initial feeling I'd get holding it and looking down at it for the first time. I LOVE that feeling on a quality bass. That was how I felt the first time I played a Cirrus.
Danny just did a video on a Sugi (Pretty sure ) and he was having a religious experience saying it might be THE nicest bass he's ever handled. It gave me goosebumps.
Someone else might know a little more about the history behind that. All I know that I like mine a lot. Even has the stack knobs, which I like, which would also mean it's an early 62 reissue, I guess.I've been watching a few posts that mention this.. Did Fender commission some Japanese manufacturing output, or did they actually set up their own production inside Japan? If so it makes sense. Better than just suing Matsumoku over the early Westones..
Sugi does make basses for the US market but they’re all typical FSO made of ash and alder and not the interesting/innovative JP type stuff cuz apparently that’s what the market over here wants.
Have a look: Made in the USA
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I've had a number of basses shipped from Japan w/ 0 issues.
Custom Fees are a crap shoot, with the odds in favor of the buyer- Only rarely does the US Customs tag a parcel for fees, its arbitrary.
(That is direct from US Customs agent.)
Happened to me only once, from England IIRC. Bummer, but only once is not bad at all. Plus, its not a deal breaker for an otherwise unobtainable instrument.
Retailers like IKEBE etc. have experience & take great care in packing & shipping, No problems there either.
EMS is fast and effective, around 5 days for me to the West Coast. Costs of ALL shipping these days is crazy high (what isn't?); last I paid was around $120 insured. No doubt it's increased, but I've seen Japan-made basses ship from Reverb dealers e.g. for around $150.
Again- if you find a Japanese bass you like, IMO well worth the added costs & time. Sure there are great builders here, but some of the Japanese products- Wow.
Since we're talking about importing which involves shipping we should be aware that shipping all over and within Conus is getting pummeled with all sorts issues.
If on the cusp of getting anything shipped and not have it get stuck somewhere we need to take note that things are not the way they were from even last year.
Lots of artists are cancelling their tours all over the planet just because of the logistics of moving people and gear.
Even shippers like Fedex are facing problems.
FedEx Ground delivery network 'on the brink of COLLAPSE' as $54bn conglomerate 'refusing to act' | Daily Mail Online
And this is just one shipper yet it deals with the trucking industry itself not really Fedex as it appears that most of its trucks are private owners under contract.
So even something in the next state over could be held up somehow at any given moment.
If on the cusp of getting anything shipped and not have it get stuck somewhere we need to take note that things are not the way they were from even last year.
Lots of artists are cancelling their tours all over the planet just because of the logistics of moving people and gear.
Even shippers like Fedex are facing problems.
FedEx Ground delivery network 'on the brink of COLLAPSE' as $54bn conglomerate 'refusing to act' | Daily Mail Online
And this is just one shipper yet it deals with the trucking industry itself not really Fedex as it appears that most of its trucks are private owners under contract.
So even something in the next state over could be held up somehow at any given moment.
Fortunately, my basses were all bought/shipped pre-covid. I know there have been serious delays in everything since then, but I believe the situation is improving. I wouldn't hesitate ordering from Overseas, as long as I knew the source was reliable, and shipping lead times and such were provided beforehand.
I was overwhelmed by the inventories in Japan-Brands I did not know about-like Sugi- blew me away.
Musicland Key Shibuya was literally across the street from my hotel, and they had a great selection of Sugi's and Dragonfly by Harry's Engineering as well as others.
The Sugi's were a bit $$ more than i wanted to spend at that time, but the Dragonfly CS-4 I wound up buying fit the bill in every way. Immaculate build with a pre-amp as tight as anything I've ever heard.
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Sugi USA "Rainmaker" series are built by Tim Wilson in and for the US market. Really nice P/J basses.
SUGI Japan NB (Nightbird) basses are built by Nick Sugimoto & his team, including some of his sons, I believe,
to the highest standards. They are incredible basses.
Mr. Sugimoto is considered one of the top luthiers. I could best describe the NB's as hand-crafted Ibanez Prestige
style instruments.
Those Ibby Japan prestige basses are sweet enough, but the Sugi's-using Aqua timber necks and some incredible finishes- are amazing.
My NB4 is very basic, but a really beautiful playing & sounding instrument.
Musicland Key in Shibuya had a large selection when I visited, and I was overwhelmed.
I later bought one & had it shipped. Good move on my part!
Sugi Guitars - Official Website
Ohhh yeah, baby. Are they called Dragonfly, or Dragonfly by Harry ? Are the "by Harry" a flagship model ?
Wow- Atlansia.. Wild stuff, very Japanese in nature I think. The hits keep on coming.
& I literally could not be happier with an instrument than I am with my Dragonfly.
No connection, but Danny is a good source for getting a Japanese build if desired. I inquired about a Zeus
build, and he was able to come through when other Japanese sources could not.
HARRY'S ENGINEERING | dragonfly custom guitars and Bass Guitars (harrysjp.com)
Not to be confused with Michael Kelly dragonfly basses-
By a long shot!
Outside shops may be bad, but shipping containers are probably ok. Internal changes of temperature and humidity will be slow, and avoid acute stresses. My Westones see humidity swing between 46 and 100 percent on a daily basis throughout nearly 6 weeks of the year, and I like to practise outside in sunlight with headphones on. None of this seems to bother them, even the tuning stays solid. I used to think I'd miss a graphite neck for this reason, but I don't. So long as there's no condensation on the wood and metal, they're ok.
