Guitar Nerds Anonymous

My MIJ Fender Jag is my absolute favourite guitar, it just feels and plays beautifully, agree that pupgrades (👺) make a big difference...

Is there anywhere that stocks MIJ in the UK or is it always a case of importing?

I always thought you couldn't get them in the UK, did I imagine seeing them for sale at Anderton's?

EDIT: They've got a few in stock, but not cheap...

CIJ stuff is generally only for the Japanese domestic market, AIUI, with occasional special models that are released worldwide.

Is that really what the difference between CIJ and MUIJ is? I had no idea...

I wasn’t aware there was a difference either! Just googled it - internet wisdom suggests that CIJ = JDM only, and MIJ = export models.

I had no idea either. I haven't bought a new guitar in yeeeeears. This is teh sex tho: https://www.andertons.co.uk/fender-mij-traditional-late-60s-stratocaster-3-colour-sunburst

I think it was originally a way that you could identify which Japanese factory they had come from (and IIRC CIJ was considered superior) but more recently I think the MIJ = export and CIJ = JDM theory seems right. My P90 offset Tele was sold here officially and is MIJ.

But my Squier Jazzmaster is 'Crafted in Indonesia'! IDM? 🤔🤣

Those prices are eye-opening. It used to be that C/MIJ was ‘US quality at MIM prices’, but that seems to have changed…

That’s just all Fender prices going up though, eg:

https://www.andertons.co.uk/fender-vintera-60s-strat-modified-burgundy-mist-metallic

MIM for £919 and you still get pau ferro, not rosewood. On the Japanese models you get rosewood for your extra hundred quid or so.

Also there are a bunch of MIMs breaking a grand now, eg special editions, relics and artist models.

Innit! It is a lovely looking thing but £1,200, basswood body, gloss poly finish, no fancy pickups and you only get a gig bag. New Fenders feel well expensive to me these days.

Was talking to a mate about this last night, in the context that I was looking new Strats and him picking up a sweet 1967 Gretch 6117 for Eu:2,000 yesterday.

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My MIJ came with the crappiest thinnest gig bag. They actually called it out in the Andertons demo video as being really poor for the money you’re spending.

I decided to get a vintage-style Fender hard case for it, it turned up and was terrible quality, sent it back, ordered the deluxe version and I thought that was shit as well, that also went back… the quality/price ratio compared to other consumer goods feels pretty out of whack to me sometimes.

If i had a grand to spend on a strat right now...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133906175186?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=133906175186&targetid=1281240839185&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1007076&poi=&campaignid=12126078237&mkgroupid=117862863250&rlsatarget=pla-1281240839185&abcId=9300480&merchantid=6995734&gclid=CjwKCAiAm7OMBhAQEiwArvGi3KESVDAsOb6u6Pv2t85AifCYhK_YQpXw8mYbbl-KlFPtcnw-4ffL_hoClv4QAvD_BwE

My Jazz Bass came with a cardboard box in 2006, not even a gig bag. But it did only cost £500 after import fees. It’s a white JDM-only Aerodyne model like the one in photo below.

I really like Gator stuff for cases and gig bags, always been happy with it.

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Nice, been eyeing the candy apple red P/J Aerodynes, I like how they look. They aren’t £500 anymore though…

The good thing about getting a crappy gig bag with your guitar is you can buy a Hiscox case and be done with it...

That is super nice. Is the neck more P or J?

I think all of my guitars have hard cases. It's a bit of a pain to store them all tbh.

My cases have always lived under my bed...

It’s a J neck, very skinny at the top. Had a nice satin finish, but I’ve worn it smooth.

Cases are more bother than they’re worth, unless you’re taking it somewhere by air. Decent quality gig-bag does the job otherwise.

The good thing about getting a crappy gig bag with your guitar is you can buy a Mono gig bag and be done with it...

FTFY

I like cases. I like opening them and beholding the inhabitant displayed like a jewel.

tidy.

is it just me or is there something iffy going with that a-string around the nut?

Yeah, looks like it popped out of the slot. It’s not mine, just a photo I swiped off Reverb that’s the same colour.

I need a gig bag upgrade and this is definitely happening at some point... 🙃