just wondering if anyone knows anything about the modern day CIJ models. I knwo that they have good reviews for the older models, but what about hte stuff that has been made in the last couple of years? still any good? or is a MIM better value? or how about a highway 1?
I have an '05 CIJ '65 re-issue.
The only thang left on the guitar tha's original is the furniture.
Ever'thang else got the deep-six!
HTH
They make a '65 RI? W/the round-lam board?
BTW, I think the CIJ RI guitars are going to be a cut above the MIM Classic (RI) guitars. That's just my opinion. Better finishes & neck profiles & such.
Ayup......Originally Posted by 71818
I believe this to be a "non-export" model (alder body, bound neck, gold H/W). Under the hood was all crap though -- the seller said the pickups were Texas Specials (they weren't), the pots, switch, an' wiring were the usual chintzy junk, an' it had a pot-metal trem block bolted to a full-size bridge plate with asian-spaced saddles.
I loaded up a new Fender-US white MOP pickguard with Dimarzios, CTS, Oak, tied together with new (correct) cloth push-back wiring, installed a new US trem assembly, an' replaced the tunahs with single-line Kluson repros. The guitar came with fake "aged" plastic parts which I dumped in favor of Fender's parchment set.
Now it's a proper stage-worthy instrument.
CIJs are great. I have an awesome Jaguar that's better than any US reissue I've played (which I'm selling to a friend to make way for a somewhat rarer and older recent addition).
Man, I'm really biting my tongue about this one! TJ knows already but he's sworn to secrecy.
Tommy.
Last edited by ziess; 09-27-2008 at 10:54 AM.
So a US trem assy bolts straight on or do you need to mod the body? What is the neck profile and frets like on this and does it have a Made in Japan logo imbedded under the lacquer like the '90's did? Looks like a very nice guitar.Ayup......
I believe this to be a "non-export" model (alder body, bound neck, gold H/W). Under the hood was all crap though -- the seller said the pickups were Texas Specials (they weren't), the pots, switch, an' wiring were the usual chintzy junk, an' it had a pot-metal trem block bolted to a full-size bridge plate with asian-spaced saddles.
I loaded up a new Fender-US white MOP pickguard with Dimarzios, CTS, Oak, tied together with new (correct) cloth push-back wiring, installed a new US trem assembly, an' replaced the tunahs with single-line Kluson repros. The guitar came with fake "aged" plastic parts which I dumped in favor of Fender's parchment set.
Now it's a proper stage-worthy instrument.
Is this model still made? I tried to find it on the Fender site. What exactly is the model name?
The MIA steel-block trem was a drop-in fit since the guitar was originally equipped with a vintage-sized bridge plate. The neck is a very shallow 'C' -- one of the thinnest I've seen, with vintage frets and 7¼" radius. There is a "CIJ" decal near the heel of the neck.
Of course you KNOW that pickguard screw on the bass side is in the wrong spot
Just kidding- that's a beauty!
"Always with the negative waves, Moriarty!"
You are of course correct, General. The only white MOP 3-ply guards that Fender makes are for either the AmdStd or the '62 re-issue. The AS had the correct 11-screw configuration but didn't have the relief cut for the truss rod nor the counter-sunk holes for the pickup an' switch screws. Ergo I had to make a compromise (which of course also means they's an' extry screw hole in the body where the original MIJ pickguard was mounted).
Call me a heretic......(I promise to do better though!).
I am? What are you talking about? OH! This must be about the...
"...pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field;
that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little,
shriveled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome, insects of the hour."
-Edmund Burke
That guitar just looks killer. The bound fingerboard, gold hardware, & the MOTO guard make it a classy ride. Pimpin'!
depends on the CIJ...the top of the DiMarzio line come with CTS, CRL and Switchcraft electronics, 2 piece center joined bodies and lacquer finishes, so they do make great guitars when they wanna...but that series cost close to $1000.oo, and how many players outside Japan are willing to pay that for a MIJ guitar? The regular productions come with the plastic switch and tiny pots, excluding any shop orders being made which are not in catalogs and little known outside Japan. Had a couple of CIJs and though they had fabuloaus necks, I still prefer my 80s and early 90s custom editions so the CIJs got sold...still have one though, but have quite a few older ones that won`t get sold. Thing with FJ is they keep coming up with new models so it`s hard to keep track or lump them all into one or two catagories.
shoganai ne
I usually dump all the electronics anyhow. The neck profiles & body contours are what count most w/me concerning those guitars. It's all about the furniture, like the P-man says.
I'm tempted to procure one of those '65s, but the thin necks might not be my thing. I could learn to deal w/it, though, if it were a beautiful guitar.
+1! Everything about that guitar is dead sexay.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
I think we sorta got O/T on this discussion (though I appreciate you guys takin' a shine to my '65). Back to Sausage Dawg's question......
Basically, my opinion of the MIJ/CIJ Fender Strats is this:
I think the high-end models have the potential to be developed into exceptionally fine instruments. The lumber on the necks is "grade A" IMO and the body contours look pretty authentic. They seem to respond well to modest "hot-rodding" efforts (assuming one were so inclined) and with a leetle bit of work they can easily rival the MIA or MIM products. Personally, I'm like a lotta guys here on the TFF -- I jus' cain't resist "tinkering", much like St. Leo hisseff -- I'm always wonderin' "what if......?" or "why cain't I......?".
If'n you find one of these guitars that feels good, looks good, plays good, an' is reasonably priced, then I say go for it.
Note to Eli: I'll have the CAR '62 clone finished up tomorrow -- will trine git some pics up then.
removed to abide by forum rules
I think we're not s'posed to discuss retail prices here on the forum, SD......
good advice...took it away...do you have any idea though if what was there was a good price? a yay or neigh would suffice
No idea at this point -- I jus' sent you an e-mail.
just sent you the details that i have
Yep! You know of what I speak. Should have it by the end of next week.I am? What are you talking about? OH! This must be about the...
It's a damn fine looking (and should be sounding too) Fender-made object
Tommy.
All the CIJ stuff I've seen is very nice.
FMIC only imports a few of them to cover various niches that don't warrant a US or Ensenada production run, and those are dumbed down in the electronics department from their sold-in-Japan counterparts.
If you want the best Fender Japan has to offer, albeit used, visit the Ishibashi site.
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
no. very few of the current CIJ line come stock with US made electronics apart from the p`ups, tiny pots and plastic switch are standard, shop orders may differ as they are made to specs for the chains that order them, but the productions I have access to here in Japan come with non US made electronics, again excluding p`ups. The only models I know of that do have the CRL, CTS and Switchcraft are the DiMarzio top ends made at this time...even the lower end DiMarzios don`t have the "good" electronics. I have a strat from the 90s that is stamped US Parts in the neck pocket, which is obvious once you look inside.
Musicland Key is a chain of shops that orders special runs that Ishibashi doesn`t have, or anybody else for that matter, quite common for the large chains to have exclusive models made for them. Big Boss...the ESP chain of stores... had a real nice series of teles made a few years ago that came with Duncan p`ups and were offered in colors not available to anybody else...but had the cheap electronics.
shoganai ne
So I haven't checked in awhile...
Does Ishibashi no longer export to the US of A? I bought a brand-new ST-62 back in '95 from them. Great guitar & a great deal. Then I heard rumors.
yeah I heard em too, read some guys who said they bought em and others guys said they couldn`t...best bet is e-mail them and ask. Doesn`t affect me `cause I`m here so I`m going by what I read on line.
shoganai ne
I believe they export used equipment, but nothing new. Probably FMIC/FJ cracked down on them.
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
I have Canadian friends
I am Canadian.
Rumors abound on line about exactly what has happened, but nobody seems to know for sure and no one here is talking, se we`ll just have to speculate as to why.
shoganai ne
I have seen Ebay sellers selling using some B.S. line along the lines of "This Fender Strat is not 'CRAFTED' in Japan it is 'MADE IN JAPAN' "used as a selling point; as if to say the CIJ are crap and the MIJ are great. Personally I think that is semantics as there should be no difference. I laugh when I see that line in an ebay ad.
Call me abut I've never been able to make the distinction between "MIJ" and "CIJ". They both seem like exceptional lines of instruments to me (the higher-end models anyway). Some of those e-bay egg-spurts make it sound as dramatic as the differ'nce between a hand-massaged John Page Custom Shop re-issue an' some piece of crap Affinity or Bullet.
The only difference I've noticed is the necks. CIJ necks seem to be a little thinner, the transitions a little sharper (from less sanding), & the headstocks look a little atrophied. But that's not all, just a bunch.
Also, the mint green pickguards look more lime than mint, & they newer ones come w/the "yellowed" knobs & stuff. I don't remember ever seeing an MIJ RI w/tinted plastic.
Here's one w/the thinner headstock:
Here's one w/a normal look:
Here's a '54 RI w/a REALLY skinny headstock:
The french curve on the '54 doesn't seem quite right where it meets the ball. Like the radius at the intersection needed to be a skosh tighter.
Hmm......
+1
Not noticed it on my CIJ neck for my red 62 copy I built. I will have to take a closer look at mine..
Yeah, I got two of them CIJ '65 necks with the white binding.
I never examined 'em that closely but regardless, I s'pose I ain' anal enough to order up the RONCO "Strat Headstock Correction Kit" from QVC......yet!
This is my 80's MIJ headstock- (bought in '89 in the UK) I think it's a bit thinner than my USA strat so maybe they've been cutting them smaller for some time?
( I photoshopped the end of the serial out)
When You point your finger 'cause your plan fell through, you've got 3 more fingers pointing back at you.
Yup, the hump should go at least to the end of the "Fender". Still better than the fat ones you see on the Cunettos (great guitars, btw), & other USA Fenders from that era.
I own two new CIJ strats - a 2007 '57 and a 2008 '62 and both are really well built. You'll find that the quality of the body carve and neck wood are of a far higher standard than equivalent MIM models, which to me are a bit too heavy. The body finish seems a bit thinner too - which could be the reason both are much more acoustically resonant than my MIM classic series 60's strat.
The MIM pots, switches and bridge seem to be better than the Japanese ones though - eg. The cij has very low value pots and a plastic pickup selector switch.
The stock pickups (I have texas specials in the 57 and dimarzio collections in the 62) are great though.
Really the only thing stopping them from being unbelievable instruments is the aforementioned switch and pots.
Even so, I got both of mine for a bit over half a grand US each (on the 'bay') which makes the cost of any minor upgrades irrelevant because I had such a low outlay in the first place!
Bear in mind though that this may not apply with the so called "export" CIJ's. My guitars are both "non-export".
"Jemima surrender, that's all you have to do. I'll bring over my Fender and I'll play all night for you"
- Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson
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