Your
you're absolutely right, I just didn’t have much knowledge on that matter.. I sure as hell do now
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MIJ v CIJ... and a prospective purchase
- Thread starter kangarupe
- Start date
I don’t know I think highway 1 Basses are always hovering around MIJ Fender pricing. There’s a lot of features that are polarizing on the Highway 1s. Can’t even say they have better hardware or anything.
OPs bass appears to be a 60s reissue themed model to me. I’d probably rather have it than a highway 1.
Now I’d go American Standard over that but then prices keep climbing.
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Thx. But for what it’s worth I’ll confess I’m not that a big negotiator when it comes to buying gear these days. I was at one time. And pretty good at it too. But I never enjoyed haggling - or “sports shopping” as my friend Barbara calls it. So now I mostly just pass on anything I think is too expensive (if it’s not a “unicorn”) and move on to something else. Otherwise I just say “done” and buy it.
There’s so much good gear out there at all price points that it’s not like I’m losing out by doing the “walk on by.” I’ve found that if you’re patient you can almost always find what you want at a price you’re willing to pay. You just need to have the cash banked and be ready to move fast when you do find something.
Oh…yeah…I also agree with the others here that said $700 seems high for that bass. I’d be happier at the $575-$600 someone suggested earlier.
The funny thing is that some Highway Ones have Graphite reinforcement rods. Some American Standards do not(99% sure of this). No MIJ's have them AFIK. So for me that put the Highway one's ahead of the pack.
I also would change the MIJ tuners because I have had trouble with them. The Hwy 1's tuners are pretty much the same as the MIM's which I never had an issue with.
We all have our little things that push is toward different basses but I have owned 100's of Fenders and American Hwy 1's would be my pick in the 700-800 range. Or possibly an American Special. and of course the right MIJ but it would have to be the right one.
From there, I would go American Professional. I have had a few and they are phenomenal.
Also AV '63's are fantastic. The newer AO 60's are hit or miss.
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100s huh? What would allow someone to have amassed such a collection? Lol. The AV ‘63s LOOK cool as hell, what’s with (what I assume) would regularly be considered a thumb rest all the way down below the frets? Excuse my ignorance. If one were to freely spend 1,000 what would your pick be?
I started buying and selling fenders shortly after Ebay 1st started. not for profit but I just would buy one, play a gig or two and then sell it. I have built ~103 Fender parts basses.
The lower thumb rest is a "Tug Bar" for playing Thumb style.
Back in 1982-1983, I built my 1st Jazz bass. I wish I could have it back but it's probably trashed by now.
Spending other people’s money is fun!
You know, I have three lovely sunburst and rosewood Fender Precisions and at least one really needs to go. One is an American Standard. I have come to dislike the GZR pickup that is in it (too gnarly) but that’s an easy fix. Solid as can be and plays great. The second is an MIJ PB62. Every time I think of selling, I pick it up and play it. It is just so organic and easy to play, and sounds so sweetly thunderous, I can’t let go. The third is a ‘62 AVRI from the final year of production. The neck is too darn wide. But the appearance is gorgeous, the tone is fabulous, and the aroma of the nitro finish smells to me like music.
So...I dunno.
FWIW, I owned a couple of Made for Japan Market Fenders. I sold one here on Talkbass. I remember it being absolutely fantastic. I am sure I could find the old listing but the pics are probably lost to the Photobucket fiasco.
While not exactly relevant to the thread, here are photos of the Fender Markings from a 1984 MIJ
Japanese Fenders are where it's at I have an E series MIJ and a 00's CIJ and they are both keepers!
Judging by the dust laying on the body where the heel of the neck meets it, I feel like you could have offered him a little less!
Judging by the dust laying on the body where the heel of the neck meets it, I feel like you could have offered him a little less!
I have a CIJ and an MIJ . . . Neary identical JB75-94US OTM/R models. One is from 2005, and the other is a 2010 iirc. Overhyped, mebbe, but they are my main players and I have a sh!+ton from which to choose, including my '69 which I've owned for more than 40 years, a ltd.ed. Adam Clayton , a pre-CBS I've owned since the very early 80's and others. I'll put them up against any other Fenders I've played as far as tone, fit, finish, and playability.
Now that I think of it, I have a Japanese '51 reissue as well, which is a rather nice and very resonant instrument if you're into that sort of thing.
Be patient and keep an eagle eye out ... an inexpensive one will turn up eventually. I've gotten several in that price range including a simply to die for 2013 jade pearl alder/rosewood American Standard P floor model that I got offa eBay for $725/shipped/PayPal'd that included the original case and all the associated candy. The 2008 - 2016 MIA Ps and Js (particularly the 2013 - 2016 ones that are loaded with el-supremo Fender Custom Shop pickups) are among the best basses Fender has ever produced, IMHO.
Must love that color!
It's become a favorite. And the matching headstock is a must.
I’d pay $700 for an alder MIJ if I otherwise liked it (color, weight) and it was in great shape, which from just looking at that one picture, it looks like it might be.
Truss rod access can be an issue, but it’s the same issue with fancy US vintage reproductions, not to mention actual vintage basses - it’s just that with the MIJ, you don’t have to pay so much extra for the inconvenience
Basically, if I liked that bass a lot, I’d buy it. Yeah, the price isn’t the "deal of the century", but it’s not exactly "crazy expensive" either. At $700, price wouldn’t be the deciding factor for me; I’d be moving on to weight, neck, condition, tone and overall impression to decide. If necessary, $650 would remove any remaining price qualms. YMMV
Truss rod access can be an issue, but it’s the same issue with fancy US vintage reproductions, not to mention actual vintage basses - it’s just that with the MIJ, you don’t have to pay so much extra for the inconvenience
Basically, if I liked that bass a lot, I’d buy it. Yeah, the price isn’t the "deal of the century", but it’s not exactly "crazy expensive" either. At $700, price wouldn’t be the deciding factor for me; I’d be moving on to weight, neck, condition, tone and overall impression to decide. If necessary, $650 would remove any remaining price qualms. YMMV
I had a MIJ jazz and it was nice. Not on par with the few MIA P orJ basses I have owned, but still nice. It did not seem that much better than the couple MIM's I have had. There is a 2014 USA P in my local Facebook marketplace for $725 in great shape, and it has been there for at least a month, so the deals are out there. Anyone in my area attempting to sell a MIM "anything" for more than $350 never gets it sold, just sits forever. If you love the bass then go for it, even if you end up down $100 or $150 in value. I would agree with the others, real world value on a MIJ jazz or p is probably around $550 to $600.
Here is one on Reverb at $725 that has been listed for several weeks, so not a hot item at that price point.
Fender Precision bass 1988-89 Tobacco burst | Lancaster Customs | Reverb
Here is one on Reverb at $725 that has been listed for several weeks, so not a hot item at that price point.
Fender Precision bass 1988-89 Tobacco burst | Lancaster Customs | Reverb
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Not all Fender Japan instruments are equal. I lived in Tokyo from 1982-88 and Kyoto from 2002-06, a Fender Japan P was my first good instrument, and I have owned several others over the years. In Japan they put them out at various quality/price points. The highest had USA pickups, the middle ones had Japanese pickups (and probably other differences) and they made really cheap ones too. Mine were always middle grade, none were perfect but I loved them. I used to have a mid-range Jazz from about 1988 and my luthier said he thought it was great.
A lot of the ones that were sold here were kind of special editions, like the early Geddy Lee basses. I have a Donald Duck Dunn Signature P-Bass, the mid/late '90s Bass VI reissue, and the '70s P-Bass from around 2008. Things changed a few years after that (2008) and they stopped selling Fender Japan stuff here in the States for a while, but I've noticed that they've been putting out limited batches like the ones at CME that the OP mentioned. I have a soft spot for them, with my experience with them and also living there and being half-Japanese, but they aren't miraculous or anything. I would say don't get your hopes up - it could be anywhere from decent to great, but no guarantees - try before you buy if possible!
Here's a pic of two of mine - the DDD is stock, I Alembicized the '70s and put a Baddass II bridge I had laying around in order to really '70s-ize it.:
A lot of the ones that were sold here were kind of special editions, like the early Geddy Lee basses. I have a Donald Duck Dunn Signature P-Bass, the mid/late '90s Bass VI reissue, and the '70s P-Bass from around 2008. Things changed a few years after that (2008) and they stopped selling Fender Japan stuff here in the States for a while, but I've noticed that they've been putting out limited batches like the ones at CME that the OP mentioned. I have a soft spot for them, with my experience with them and also living there and being half-Japanese, but they aren't miraculous or anything. I would say don't get your hopes up - it could be anywhere from decent to great, but no guarantees - try before you buy if possible!
Here's a pic of two of mine - the DDD is stock, I Alembicized the '70s and put a Baddass II bridge I had laying around in order to really '70s-ize it.:
