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Ishibashi?

#4
Bongolation said:
The finest-built production Fenders in the world. Period.
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Debatable. I still give the edge to US models.

Bongolation said:
The CIJ Fenders FMIC sells here are not even made by the same Japanese company as the home-market ones.
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I do not believe this is accurate.

All that aside I have ordered from Ishibashi and it was easy and waaay faster than I thought it would be.
 
#5
Bongolation said:
The CIJ Fenders FMIC sells here are not even made by the same Japanese company as the home-market ones.
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Really? Do you know what the factories are called?

I heard that Tokai and Fender started a cooperation 1-2 years ago, which ended Tokai's line of Fender copies and had them produce actual Fenders instead - but I would love to get my stories straight, if I'm wrong :)

Are you saying that the MIJ line that is also sold outside if Japan (Marcus Miller 4 string, Aerodyne basses, Geddy Lee, etc) are made by another factory than the one that makes the basses only for the Japanese market? Or is there another division somewhere?
 
#6
Basdyret said:
Really? Do you know what the factories are called?

I heard that Tokai and Fender started a cooperation 1-2 years ago, which ended Tokai's line of Fender copies and had them produce actual Fenders instead - but I would love to get my stories straight, if I'm wrong :)

Are you saying that the MIJ line that is also sold outside if Japan (Marcus Miller 4 string, Aerodyne basses, Geddy Lee, etc) are made by another factory than the one that makes the basses only for the Japanese market? Or is there another division somewhere?
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Fujigen Gakki went out of the guitar business in the 1990s, so FJ needed to contract with someone else.

According to the Japanese sources I had with FJ a couple of years ago (and this may have changed since), most Japanese home-market Fenders were being made by Kasuga ("Tokai") and the exports for FMIC were made by Dyna.

Consequently, some of the Japanese versions of FMIC's Japanese imports (follow that?) cost more in Japan than FMIC's versions did here.

There is a big, big difference in the quality of FMIC's CIJ imports and the home-market FJs.

BTW, I'm more of an obsessive gearhead than a player and I have absolutely NEVER seen an American-built production Fender that approached the build quality of a home-market Japanese Fender.

This is at least most of the reason FMIC has a fit over Ishibashi selling Japanese market Fenders to US buyers and has succeeded in stopping them a couple of times, I understand.
 
#7
Bongolation said:
Fujigen Gakki went out of the guitar business in the 1990s, so FJ needed to contract with someone else.

According to the Japanese sources I had with FJ a couple of years ago (and this may have changed since), most Japanese home-market Fenders were being made by Kasuga ("Tokai") and the exports for FMIC were made by Dyna.

Consequently, some of the Japanese versions of FMIC's Japanese imports (follow that?) cost more in Japan than FMIC's versions did here.

There is a big, big difference in the quality of FMIC's CIJ imports and the home-market FJs.

BTW, I'm more of an obsessive gearhead than a player and I have absolutely NEVER seen an American-built production Fender that approached the build quality of a home-market Japanese Fender.

This is at least most of the reason FMIC has a fit over Ishibashi selling Japanese market Fenders to US buyers and has succeeded in stopping them a couple of times, I understand.
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Thanks for the info...! :)

I really need to find some stores and test a lot of these basses next time I'm in Japan (hopefully this coming January).

But I know you're right about Fender not being happy about Japanese market basses being exported - I remember when you could buy 3 kinds of almost all basses in stores in Denmark; MIA, MIJ, or MIM. But then suddenly, in the mid-late 90's, all MIJ's disappeared, and the story was that Fender did this because they were knocking the MIA line out of the competition - same or better quality at half the price tag.
 
#9
Speaking of high-end Japanese guitar-making, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]of the Terada factory where they're turning out $4300 Gretsch "White Falcons." This is where my "Tennessee Rose" came from.

Honestly, have you even seen such a Dickensian firetrap and rat's nest? :eek:
 
#11
Mind Eroded said:
has anyone from the US recently purchased anything off ishibashi in the last year?
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Yes, another Greco(solid body, unique factory finish, Greco humbuckers, VERY low price).
GrecoVBHoriz.jpg


GrecoVB.jpg


Add $115 to $135 shipping depending on size/weight.
That should go down eventually since oil fell a LOT since I bought.

All I did was email asking if the item I was interested in was still available, if it was then hold it for me, AND email me back a total price. Payment method is your choice. I've used bank wire transfers although they cost going both ways(to send and then Ishi charges you for them receiving an incoming wire) they are the most convenient and safe in my case.

Within a week, US Postal has a box for you to sign for and take home.
 
#12
I just bought a "used" CIJ 75 RI Jazz from them. Used, but still had the plastic film on the PG!

They can't sell new Fender, Fender has cracked down on them for the last year. The transaction was easy, like someone above said, e-mail your questions / request, they will get back to you (usually takes a day due to time differences). When you decide what you want, send the payment info on secure site, 3 to 5 days later, bass shows up.

Take a look at their used stuff, most is "as new" and they will give you a detailed description of the bass via e-mail.

I have purchased 3 basses from them with no problems what so ever.
 
#16
Thanks for the info, Johnny Crab and RCCollins. Am i correct to assume that Fender America has put a complete halt on Fender Japan to export its stuff which was meant for the Japanese market?

I have seen those Jazz bass reissues with the matching headstocks and pearl inlays on a rosewood fretboard, and they look to die for.
 
#17
Mind Eroded said:
Am i correct to assume that Fender America has put a complete halt on Fender Japan to export its stuff which was meant for the Japanese market?
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That has always been the agreement with Fender Japan, an independent company in which FMIC is only a minority shareholder, BTW.

FMIC has constantly tried to keep independent Japanese retailers such as Ishibashi (a Japanese music store chain) from exporting FJ home product to other countries, particularly the US. They've never been very successful, for which we can be glad.
 

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