Fender Japan is gone :(

[AaronVonRock]

Lol. I read that too literally. But to address your point, the Aerodyne being made in Japan is certainly a factor in the quality of those basses with the high emphasis on workmanship there. You are also correct that building this bass in another country does not guarantee the same level of quality. However the MIM Geddy Lee basses get a lot of praise and they used to be MIJ. One does wonder if that is an indicator or an exception. However the Deluxe and Vintage (Classic) lines from Mexico are quite good. Only time will tell if this change is really positive or negative.

It seems the quality of MIM has improved a lot over the past few years, especially with the Road Worn series and some of the artist models like the Dirnt, Mendel, and now Dee Dee. Also, the Modern Player series that were MIC were solid basses, too.

The country were products are assembled these days is becoming less of a factor when it comes to quality and I think this trend will continue. Anyone in any country can be trained to operate machinery and carry out QC. These aren't skills exclusive to Americans and Japanese.

 

[nerkoids]

if you are not from here your opinion does not count since you have no clue...yes...the last 2 posts from europe..

By that logic, if you're not left-handed, you have no clue... all you right handers have PLENTY of options, MiM and MiA-side. For us lefties aspiring to have anything Fender that wasn't a sunburst or black model... well, that's all gone now...

 

[SamJ]

WOW.

With all due respect, you've just crossed the line from being conveniently shortsighted to being subtly racist...



What exactly do you think is going on in China right now?

I see, so critical of China and their business practices and workmanship makes me a racist then? ok guilty as charged.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

For me, Aerodynes are great for a number of reasons; super-slick esthetics and certain ergonomic features (yay vintage fretboard radii!) for starters. But these, for myself and others, are personal reasons why we dig them.

On a purely "construction" level, there's a high degree of quality and attention to detail, as well as a body design that is not found in any other Fender bass that I can think of. For instance, check out the carved-top & bound body. Y'don't see that in just any off-the-shelf Fender! It's things like this that make Fender Japan's offerings unique unto themselves while still being recognizably "FENDER".

…and that's just a few reasons some of us are lamenting the apparent End of the Party.

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I have yet to read a negative review of the Aerodyne. The one in your photo is the export model for the U.S. I have the non-export, which is regarded as being even better quality. All I can say is it is the best bass I currently own. I agree with you 100%, especially the 7.25" neck radius. To me, that's worth the price of the bass.

 

[gnarlyWarlock]

My reading is that the Japanese company licensed the Fender name and designs and then farmed the work out to Fujigen and others. If the workers work on basses under different names (as even Fujigen, Matsumoko and others have done over the years) then there might not be much impact on the workers, just a slight difference in style. If the Japanese company was feeling the pinch that is not good, and maybe stopping licensing the Fender brand is cost saving on their part, and that would be more worrying for those employed.

Alternatively they might just feel that licensing the brand isn't offering them enough value compared to making their own products if that is largely serving a domestic market. Yamaha has made a number of classic designs over the year and done well with their own brand, as has Tokai, and other Japanese brands (Korg, Roland, Zoom) do well in their own right in other parts of the music business.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, since I don't know the whole backstory behind FJapan, however, I've heard of Washburns and Ibanezes made at the Matsumoko plant in the late 80s - present day. Wasn't sure whether they were talking about the same absolute location. Like, Detroit is motor city, although Fords and Chryslers don't share the same production line.

I agree. However, what I, personally, will miss are the cool and/or beautiful designs and options that FMIC (stateside) can't or won't make. Just by doing a side-by-side comparison the Fender Japan offerings and the current runs by the stateside, you'll see a tremendous difference in mind-set. Certainly, all are recognizably "FENDER", but the esthetic grooves run off into different territories.

Totally feel you on this. Many unique variations, e.g. the Geddy Lee, or just flat out niche reissues, like the Bass VI, were done in Japan. MIA was just a few bog standard Standards/Specials and a couple AVRIs. And it seems the color palette's a lot more diverse on the Japanese and even Mexican standards. I'm amazed I can't find an MIA Blue Precision with a maple neck, outside of the Steve Harris model which, I think, is an MIJ, coincidentally ^_^.

As an aside...it seems Ishibashi has a wider selection of American gear than distributors stateside (lol??). Like, I've never seen this here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Kukulkan61]

I was in Okinawa in 1984 and I use to frequent the music there on Gate 2 street, I believe is where it was at, and man do I regret not buying a Fender bass there...Oh well my loss again...

 

[fjadams]

I knew I should have bought one of the SS Jazz when you could snag one for about $650 or so shipped.

Dummy!

 

[Ulf Buck]

The new Aerodyne I just picked up from GC (Took 5 weeks to come from Japan) 2 week ago was the last one EVAR!
Behold my awesomeness.

 

[felis]

Maybe they will under their own name.

Of course that's what I meant.
They'd be foolish to slap a Fender logo on and set theirself up for a lawsuit
if Fender has really ended their affiliation.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

Aside from Fender America, would most people be so concerned and passionate if it were any other Fender plant closing down?

 

[walldaja]

I'm not sure why Fender has a web presence. There never seems to be any news or information that is useful, especially since they updated the site. If you know what to look for (model name) and they still make it you can find it but if you're depending on site navigation to take you there you're dreaming. Most major companies at least let you know what is going on at the corporate levels. I'm wondering if the production in China is next on the chopping block--Indonesia seems to be taking the lead. I love the gear, but it really annoys me to not know what is going on. My main bass is a MP Jazz V--they just walked away from that with tons of pieces on ebay. Has someone from Disney been transplanted to their corporate headquarters?

 

[Old Blastard]

Kanda Shokai's website still has Gretsch and Music Man stuff for sale, so I think the distribution end of Fender Japan has changed. What that means for manufacturing I can't seem to tell

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

Has someone from Disney been transplanted to their corporate headquarters?

Just wait and see if they start distributing Fenders in the Disney gift shops.

 

[Dash Lashes]

someone from Disney been...

Just wait and see if they start distributing Fenders in the Disney gift shops.

 

[Leialoha]

Ikebe Japan still lists them for sale, though I imagine they won't last long...

 

[Nic.]

In at least some cases, the "real" product and the "ripoff" are apparently made in the same factory by the same folks (seems to be the case for both Eastwood and Hofner - Eastwood is up front about it; Hofner, not so much. If I can save $600 by getting the exact same instrument with a different name on the headstock, is there any good reason not to?

I think it's a quality control thing. Sometimes it's easier to guarantee quality by making a crapload of the same item, picking out the best for the 'premium' line and selling the rest as a lower quality line to maximize profits. So you CAN get an instrument that's pretty much as good on the lower quality line, just that you've to do the extra work of searching for it. And from a gig employer's point of view, seeing a bassist with the 'premium' name on the headstock or even a classic bass design is like a guarantee that "I don't have to do the extra work of searching for a good bassist, this guy should be good". Dumb, I know, but that's how it is.

 

[Hertz]

hopefully the Japanese shops will come up with a new design that will surpass Fender.

 

[placedesjardins]

hopefully the Japanese shops will come up with a new design that will surpass Fender.

Already done.
Bacchus Guitar/Bass International

 

[Moving Pictures]

I have yet to read a negative review of the Aerodyne. The one in your photo is the export model for the U.S. I have the non-export, which is regarded as being even better quality. All I can say is it is the best bass I currently own. I agree with you 100%, especially the 7.25" neck radius. To me, that's worth the price of the bass.

I foolishly got rid of a non-export model and it is one I regret loosing. Pretty happy with my current Aerodyne.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Ikebe Japan still lists them for sale, though I imagine they won't last long...

Nah, I doubt it. I just bought a brand new Japanese Marcus Miller that had been sitting in a box for 4 years.