…and The Japanese Jazzmaster
Fender MIJ Trad II late 60s Jazzmaster OTM
If you're an enthusiast in the world of Fender, you don't have to be the ultimate nerd to hear the same phrase time and again: "Fender Japan makes the best guitars there are." But is it true? Let's find out, or at least let me share my take on it.
After I bought the Fender MIM Gold Foil Jazzmaster—which, by the way, I still quite like—I found myself in a predicament. I needed a real "Jazzmaster," and in that sense, a real one means a "Fender USA." After looking around the used market, I didn't see anything appealing and, most importantly, nothing within my budget. After a while, I started to consider Japanese Jazzmasters, and the more I dug into that world, the more I started to like the idea.
By curiosity, I started to look for Japanese Jazzmasters on Thomann and found this Fender MIJ Trad II early '60s Jazzmaster BPL (Black Pearl), a great-looking guitar I just couldn't resist. I bought it, but at that time, there was a notice: "available in 6 to 8 weeks." That time went by, and it didn't happen. Then it got delayed again, and then again (and the guitar is still not available now). But I wasn't in a rush, so I decided to wait. Until one day, I saw this Fender MIJ Trad II late '60s Jazzmaster OTM, and I just couldn't hold back. I contacted Thomann, asked them to cancel the black one, and bought this one instead. Two days went by, and the model was sold out, so I guess that particular model is very sought after.
Before I continue, I should clarify that the main difference between the early '60s and late '60s models comes down to the CBS years of Fender. Both models are inspired by a different time for the company. The early '60s has a normal headstock, dot inlays, and different knobs, but the core characteristics are more or less the same.
Specs: <—click here to read them in Japanese
Body: Basswood
Neck: Maple
Fretboard: Rosewood
Radius: 9.5”
Nut: Bone nut 41mm
Finish: Urethane/Polyester
Tremolo: "Jazzmaster" Japanese version (I'm sure that's what it is)
Pickups: The love-them-or-hate-them Japanese Jazzmaster pickups
Rhythm Circuit: As it should be, it's always there. (If you don't have or don't use it, then it's not the guitar for you, period.)
Case: And the gig bag… well, there's that.
Only by inspecting the guitar is it easy to spot that this is in a different league compared to the MIM. Now, before you start saying, "Sure, but they are in a completely different category in terms of price," I would answer, "Not really." I can't talk about the experience in the USA, but at least here in the EU, the price of the Fender MIM has gone up while the price of the Fender MIJ has pretty much not shifted that much. The price gap is not that big, but the quality is actually very far from each other.
The finishing, fretwork, setup, and details are all in a different league. This guitar came out of the box as perfect as it could possibly be—nothing is perfect, right?
The tremolo and the bridge are the usual suspects. The purist will say that the Japanese Jazzmaster tremolo is not as good as the AVRI. To which I would say, sure, they are not the same, but is one better than the other? Nah. For me, replacing the tremolo on this guitar is just wasted money, but…
The bridge is more or less the same; it works for me with the use I give it and with the intention I play guitar. For others, the experience might be different, but as I always say, sometimes people are just convinced of the modifications they want to do to the guitar even before they start to play it. So, by the time the guitar comes, they have to double down and commit to the modifications that they arguably don't even need.
The pickups/control cavity is painted with conductive paint, and the back of the pickguard has been properly insulated with aluminum shielding. CTS pots are found, but I'm afraid that no vintage cloth wire was used in this guitar's wiring. You know, I'm sure the tone of the guitar won't ever be the same, but hey, I'll try to live with it. That was sarcasm, just in case I needed to be obvious.
The pickups are very typical in these Japanese Jazzmasters. I don't know why there is a difference or why the Japanese market has decided that these are the pickups this guitar is going to get, which, as you can see in the picture, resemble more of a single coil than a Jazzmaster pickup, which should be flatter and wider. But in terms of sound, I love them. They have a sparkly high frequency, they respond well to dynamics, and to be sure, they work excellently with effects, lots of effects, without losing clarity.
The guitar came with a set of 9-42. You know, for those who claim that a Jazzmaster "needs" 11-50 strings to be what they are supposed to be, this guitar is fine with the set of 9s. It just so happens that I don't like 9s, and my plan for this guitar was to have it in D Standard tuning, so I went with a set of 11-56.
The neck is super comfortable. The shape is (insert your own description here) round all the way, with no shoulders; it's super comfortable but glossy, which could be a problem for you. Here, I should talk about whether it gets sticky or not. Well, not for me, but my hands don't sweat anyway, so your experience could be completely different. I thought the vintage frets were going to be a major drawback, but I've gotten used to them and don't mind them at all.
And yeah, the vintage truss rod is a pain in the ass, no doubt. But I have learned to live with it, so at the moment I'm writing this, I don't care much about it, to be honest.
So, are Japanese Fenders as good as they say? Hell yes, and even more than that. They are amazing. With that said, are all Fender USA guitars trash, and only vintage Fenders are worth it? Hell no. People love romance, and vintage guitars will always be the holy grail for some. I personally wouldn't pay 7k€ for a guitar, not even half that, to be honest. I don't think you can find this particular model everywhere, but if you can find it, go for it! Or maybe the Fender MIJ Trad II early '60s Jazzmaster (the white one is sweet). The craftsmanship of this guitar is amazing.
I should go more into the details of this guitar—why it works, what the tone is like, its neck width, weight, and so on. But, truth be told, the guitar is so good that I just can't be bothered to be picky about it. It's like I'm telling you, "It's that good." If the message doesn't translate, me writing more specs here isn't going to change that.
They are that good!
The Fender Japanese Problem
This is the only thing that can’t comprehend, I mean why this cheap crap?
