Fender Japanese Steels - How do I get one?

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 13 Jun 2003 12:14 pm

Found this while surfing:
http://www.apollonmusic.com/c_menu/natsukasi_G/steelguitar.htm

What's the scoop? Who makes em? Only available on the left side of the Pacific?

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 13 Jun 2003 6:50 pm

I wonder if they are really FENDER ? I suspect they are just Guyatones with a Fender name attached....?

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 13 Jun 2003 11:18 pm

I have a Guyatone 8 string steel. It is well made and I love the tone. But how do they compare to the Fenders? And which Fender would be the closest equivalent?

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Peter den Hartogh-Fender Artist S10-Remington U12-Hilton Volume Pedal-Gibson BR4 lapsteel-Guya "Stringmaster" Copy-MusicMan112RP-Peavy Rage158- - My Animation College in South Africa

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 14 Jun 2003 1:22 am

I believe these Fender lap steel guitars are made in Japan under license from the Fender Guitar Co. U.S.A. The S-8 guitar would cost about $1,225.00 not including shipping and the S-6 would cost about $1,098.00 not including shipping. Seems a bit pricy.
I haven't heard if anyone imports them to the U.S.???

Roger

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 14 Jun 2003 3:22 am

It's cheaper to buy the real thing, even on ebay!

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 14 Jun 2003 9:21 am

i'm w: Howard on this one

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Steel what?

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 14 Jun 2003 12:48 pm

Two of my students have Guyatones...I am NOT impressed. All they are, are simply good student guitars which LOOK like Fenders, but there, the resemblance ceases.
Go for the real thing (on eBay) if you can locate one. You won't be sorry.

Steve Honum · Post by **Steve Honum** » 16 Jun 2003 11:23 am

I saw the Japanese Stringmasters included on a poster that Fender produced about 8 years ago showing their complete product line. I was curious about availability. I attended the NAMM show in Anaheim a couple of years ago and asked the guys at the Fender booth about them. No-one knew a thing. It seems, since Fender set up their plant in Ensenada Mexico, that Fender-Japan does its own thing and their products are brought into the US market on a very limited basis.
Haere mai,
Steve H.
S8A6

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 17 Jun 2003 8:41 pm

Musician's Friend has the Artisan model in their online catalog on sale for $79 ... and that's about what they APPEAR to be worth. BUT, a person could call Musician's Friend 24 hour toll free phone number, ask for a guitar salesman, and I feel sure he would be glad to report who makes / distributes the guitar; At least I've always found that to be the case when I've wondered who was manufacturing certain unknown guitars in the catalog. If you tell them you want to make sure you'll get extended warranty after Musician's Friend warranty expires, I would imagine the salesman might even give you contact numbers for them.

Aloha,
Denny T~

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 18 Jun 2003 8:54 pm

Japanese Stringmasters were sold through a Japanese company called Ishibashi.I've kept an eye on their website for awhile.I have seven Japanese reissue Fender guitars which are great for gigging due to their high quality,low cost,and negligible sentimental value.The Japanese Stringmaster disappeared from their site at least four or five years ago.They were at least as expensive as the real vintage models,so I imagine they mostly stayed in Japan.I bet they were great instruments though.They are probably much rarer than the real thing.

Geoff Brown · Post by **Geoff Brown** » 18 Jun 2003 9:19 pm

Steve is right. Fender Japan does very little exporting of their guitars to the U.S. Mexico is the deal now. I can't speak about Fender Japan steels, but I have read a great deal, and spoken to folks about Fender Japan guitars, and what I'm hearing is that the quality of Fenders made in Japan for DOMESTIC sale are of exceptionally high quality. This has been the case since Fender Japan started production in 1982.After things were up and rolling in Japan, some Fender execs went over to see how things were going. They were flabbergasted over the quality and the consistency with which these guitars were being built. Far superior to anything being built here. The Japanese are obsessed (as well as disappointed) with certain aspects of American culture. They love American cars. They now make some of the finest cars in the world. They also love American music and American guitars. I don't have a lot of trouble believing that MIJ Fenders, (for sale to Japanese consumers) are of pretty damned good quality. I've looked at and played USA Fenders lately, and I'm not impressed. So, I'm expecting shipment Friday of a '62 custom re-issue Tele, and a '54 re-issue Strat.Both are used, both appear to be in pristine condition. And both are MIJ guitars that were sold new in Japan. If they are of the quality that I am expecting, I'd say I got a very good deal. We'll see.

Geoff Brown · Post by **Geoff Brown** » 18 Jun 2003 9:27 pm

Adam, you posted while I was still typing

I have been keeping an eye on Isihbashi for a while as well. Some very nice guitars can be found there. Even with shipping, their prices make them a solid value, for all the reasons you mentioned. Hopefully, I'll be able to say the same for mine. I've only emailed them a couple of times, but recieved prompt replies (in English) that answered my questions.[This message was edited by Geoff Brown on 18 June 2003 at 10:29 PM.]

Paul Osbty · Post by **Paul Osbty** » 20 Jun 2003 10:35 am

Americans can't make good Fenders? Speak to yourselves and not for me. Let me know the companies you work for and I will surely recommend anyone to buy from your overseas competitors, regardless of your house payment. Live in the street for all I care.

I will ONLY play American made Fenders and Gibsons. I do find the quality much better.

Any Fender or Gibson employees on this forum that find yourselves inferior to overseas copies?

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 20 Jun 2003 9:55 pm

edited to remove my comments from this discussion.[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 21 June 2003 at 02:25 PM.]

Adam · Post by **Adam** » 21 Jun 2003 9:26 am

Sorry folks but buying a US made Fender is out of the question for me.U.S reissues are TRIPLE the price of a Japanese reissue.Nobody here has tried to claim that the Japanese models are better or that "Americans can't make a good Fender".If Fender felt that they were losing out to "overseas competitors"(They are NOT competitors.Remember this is a licensing deal,not a competing company)I'm sure they would not license their guitars to a Japanese company.Your "house payment" analogy is hilarious to me.It shows how out of touch you are with some people's economic realities.I'm 35 and have worked full time since I was seventeen years old and will NEVER be able to buy a house.That's the reality of it.I will never be able to afford to have a child.I am always about half a paycheck away from homelessness.Some people don't have the luxury of making the same choices that you are allowed to make.You raise a good point that people should buy American when they can,but you should think twice before you declare,like a misinformed Frenchwoman,"let them eat cake".

Chris Scruggs · Post by **Chris Scruggs** » 21 Jun 2003 10:15 am

I would first like to say I understand both sides of this discussion, and I mean no disrespect to anyone's opinion.

I own American fender guitars and Fender steels. However I also own a Japanese Precision Bass reissue.

For the little amount of electric bass jobs I play, that makes since for me.

Buying a Japanese Fender is just as bad for a Fender employee's job as buying a USED American Fender. In both cases, it doesn't make that workers paycheck.

I would love to see Fender USA reissue a Stringmaster, or a Dual Professional.

Buying one from Japan (whether you think it is a "real" Fender or not) is voting with your back pocket. Five years ago, the Telecaster Custom and Jaguar reissues where made in Japan. They wher so successful now they are made in America.

If there is a right or wrong, I would say it is a pre-CBS Fender over a post CBS fender.
In my opinion, a Mexican standard Telecaster is just as "Fender" as an American standard Telecaster. However, niether is "as Fender" as a 1949 Custom, or a 1960 Jazzmaster.

Would I own a Japanese Deluxe 8? Yes.
Why? Simply because I would not respect it as much as my 1954 Dual Professional.
There is nothing I hate more than handing my beloved 50 year old Fenders over to some airline employee who is going to throw it on a plane and maybe get it lost. I also hate playing them at festivals outside in the rain. I would love to have a small Japanese single 8 for both of those situatuins.

I love American made instruments, do you guys see what I mean?

Chris Scruggs