Fender Japan is gone :(

[wintremute]

ok, you find me one of these made in China at ANY price, and I'll say you win...

I think I can easily find a case like that made in China.

 

[callofcthulhu]

Oh I know, and more importantly of a substantially inferior quality and hand workmanship.. much less playability. They're the masters of "copy" over there until you dig a layer or two under the skin of whatever product it is you're comparing it to.

-Said by an American in 1972 of Japanese craftsmanship.

"The Wheel of Time turns round and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become Legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again..."

 

[Marc61]

From Wikipedia : 2015: Yamano and Kanda Shokai end Fender Japan joint venture.

 

[petrus61]

Since it was close to impossible to get a Japanese Fender here that wasn't part of the very few specific lines FMIC offered (unless you were willing to pay shipping from Japan), this has absolutely zero impact on me as a Fender customer. The only Japanese Fenders that ever pop up are usually used, a decade or more old, or one of several more esoteric type basses that I have no use for. They were always rather elusive for the last 20yrs or so to get a hold of here in the US, so I more or less wrote them off...or at least wrote off my chances of scoring a good used one.

It really sucks for the fans in Japan, but I hope they realize what a good run they had and appreciated it while it was widely available. Whatever form or presence FMIC will take in Japan will surely have them missing the good old days of scoring a moderately priced 62RI Precision or pulling a semi-hollow Jazz bass off the rack.

Now they will know our pain

 

[SamJ]

I think I can easily find a case like that made in China.

Disagree on that too.. my Spector comes in a Chinese made hard case and it doesn't hold a candle to this one..

-Said by an American in 1972 of Japanese craftsmanship.

"The Wheel of Time turns round and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become Legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again..."

very true, and not relevant to my point as we live in today, and China today is a hit and miss (mostly miss) bag of hand production and business/labor ethics problems.. There are a few examples of nicely made stuff in China, and almost always it's because there is pride in the product by a workforce that is not poorly treated or paid. Japan on the otherhand has historically and culturally been obsessive about workmanship, and what problems there were in the post war era were largely the doing of American businessmen trying to exploit cheap labor.

 

[Old Blastard]

There are many differences between the FGN guitars and a Fender Jazz, from the neck mount to the fretting system to the pickups. They're great guitars, though. Something I did find is that the partners/Distributors in Japan are no longer working together as part of Fender Japan. I'm not sure if that means they are no longer making Fenders in Japan, however. Apparently Fender will do its own distribution.

 

[obimark]

Glad I got my new Aerodyne jazz bass before the shutdown. Loving this thing so far!

 

[SamJ]

Glad I got my new Aerodyne jazz bass before the shutdown. Loving this thing so far!

makes me wana run out and buy a MIJ Jazz too

 

[Obese Chess]

Major bummer. Always felt like the CIJ stuff was consistently as good of quality or better than the MIA stuff.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

If I had to guess Fender is feeling a financial squeeze.

A company in Japan licences it, so it's the Japanese company presumably feeling the squeeze NOT FMIC.

 

[felis]

Easiest way to think of it is, there never was a 'fender japan' there is a company named Kanda Shokai who built instruments at various plants and licenced the fender name and likeness for said products.

Those various plants will still continue to build instruments and already do for several other brands, some of which look similar to fender products.

It's not the end of anything, it's just kanda Shokai won't be building fender licenced products any more.. I mean, none of you care about the label on the headstock right?!

If Kanda Shokai continued to make the kind of MIJ basses we've known,
and made them easily available in the USA through a distribution network,
I would consider this fantastic news, instead of bad news.

 

[tbz]

Wow.

 

[TripleDouble]

I hope all the Japanese Fenders get snatched up by American collectors, are kept in glass cases, and the prices go through the roof. It would only be fair.

 

[hdracer]

Since it was close to impossible to get a Japanese Fender here that wasn't part of the very few specific lines FMIC offered (unless you were willing to pay shipping from Japan)

It was very easy for me. At Ishibashi music my salesman wrote and spoke English.It cost me $80 for shipping and it got to me in three days.

 

[marko57]

So does this mean my MIJ Precision, bought used in 1987 might be of some value soon?

 

[fuzzychaos]

I don't think you are comparing Apples with Apples.... country of origin and the experience, skill and dedication of the people making my bass matter to me...

Indeed, which is why I like German made Warwicks, Sandbergs and LeFay's, Canadian made F-Basses and Dingwalls, Japanese made Bacchus and STR, Polish made Mayones, Scottish made ACG's, etc, as well as American made.

 

[gnarlyWarlock]

Part of me hates this with every inch of my body, but simultaneously, I've been recently VERY impressed by MIMs and especially Indeonesian Squiers. Ultimately, modern mainstream production involves so much automation, digital machining, ultimately the human factor is only fully involved in the painting/oiling process, fretting and perhaps electronics installation. I totally feel for all the Japanese workers, just like the Undercover Boss episode with Peavey; it's an evil move by the corporate honchos. From a consumer perspective though, idk if it really hits me that hard, though I do love myself some MIJs. A lot.

 

[SpanishDave]

My Aerodyne (pictured right) was bought on line from a shop based in Toyko (also has a shop in Sydney). From TK to mainland Spain I paid 90€ ($97, £130) postage. There are a few ebay shops as well (where I bought mine has one).

I imagine there will be a small spike in prices over the next couple of months then it will come back. The instruments are out there in numbers so they may be a rush to buy now as word spreads of the end of the agreement.

 

[sotua]

Annndddd one less reason to part with my Fender Jazz MiJ 96. That I wanted to be buried with anyway

 

[Old Blastard]

Local store has a killer Indonesian Squire jazz bass they can't seem to sell. Waiting until they are desperate to get rid of it. I don't NEED another a bass, unless it's a sunburst P with a tort guard.