Yamaha SA-1200s semi hollow, brown sunburst, made in Japan in 1979. Oh boy, this is nice! The 'Super Axe' series were Yamaha's twist on the classic ES335. The most iconic model in the range is the SA2000; this little stunner...
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Guitarchives
Yamaha PB400 Pulser Bass, sunburst, 1979; wearing a Squier MIJ Silver Series neck. This is a bit of a Topshelf-partscaster. We received the Yamaha bass, and unknown to us at the time, the truss rod was broken. The rod can...
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Fender VSP '62 Telecaster, sunburst, made in Japan 2014. This, friends, is proper. The 'Vintage Special Project' models were made for a few years from 2010; they were the absolute 'cream of the crop' from Fender Japan at the time...
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Greco SS63-60 SG, white, made in Korea 1988 approx. Some look better the more beat up they get, and surely the white SG is a prime example. This little punk dates to Greco's short lived partnership with Cor-Tek, made in...
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Epiphone Les Paul Standard, blue sparkle, made in China 2009. That's an eyeful! This little stunner is a 'Custom Shop' model; basically a limited run finish on a standard model subjected to a little extra quality control. It's light and...
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Fender '69 Mustang, made in Japan 1987, faded sonic blue. Somehow, this is a perfect balance of sleek and stanky. The Mustang was discontinued from Fender USA's line in 1982; offsets were not the flavour of the month in the 80s....
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Squier Vista Series Venus, surf green, made in Japan 1997. The 'Vista Series' was a short lived but extremely awesome set of models made by Squier in Japan in 1997; they're certainly some of the coolest and most experimental guitars...
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Fender '62 Strat, vintage white, made in Japan 1986. It's really not necessary to extol the virtues of the white Strat, most players instinctively understand it's many glories. This example is surely a worthy carrier of the title; it's a...
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Yamaha PB400RA bass, made in Japan 1986, black. These are an evolution on the perfectly titled 'Pulser Bass' models from the late 70s; basically Yamaha's take on the classic Precision Bass. You get some nice vintage style appointments you only find on...
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Fender '69 Reissue Mustang, yellowed sonic blue, made in Japan 1993/4. Awwww... cute. This left the factory wearing a shiny coat of sonic, but with a couple of decades of sunning itself it's turned a delightful shade akin to seafoam...
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Fender '69 Reissue Mustang, heavily yellowed sonic blue, made in Japan 1994/5. This is a perfect example of why Mustangs are so loveable: slinky short scale ease of play, super slim neck, lightweight balanced body, cheeky little trem. It all...
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Squier P Bass, vintage white, made in Japan 1993/4. The Silver Series heralded a return to Japanese manufacturing for Squier, and they were met with great acclaim upon arrival owing to their brilliant build quality and classic feel. This one is...
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Orville Firebird, vintage sunburst, made in Japan 1990. Orville was Gibson's adventure into licensed Japanese manufacturing, operating from 1988-1998. The idea was to fill the gap in the local Japanese market between the lower priced Korean made Epiphone models and...
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Fender '62 Strat, black and tort, made in Japan 2008. The black Strat has been the go-to for some pretty noteworthy players, it's surely quite the icon. This one is a twist on the classic look: the dark rosewood board,...
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Fender '57 Strat, crafted in Japan 1997-00, shell pink. My my, that's quite a finish! Shell pink is gorgeous, and with a couple of decades on the clock to yellow and mellow a little, it's all the better. This one...
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Fender '71 Tele, crafted in Japan 2003-4, US blonde. Holy heck, this is so light! A standard weight for a Tele is around 3.7kg; this is a full kilogram lighter at 2.775kg, or 6lb 2oz in the old money... that's...
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Duesenberg DJP-SP Starplayer in sliver sparkle, made in Germany 2002 approx. These were a limited run model for the Japan market only, they never made it to a worldwide audience. Some of the 'bling' from the flagship Starplayer TV is...
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Fender Tele Deluxe, transparent cherry, made in Japan 2010-11. The Mexican-made equivalent of these pops up occasionally, but these MIJ takes on the Tele Deluxe are very scarce. The Deluxe is the third point in the alternative-Tele triangle, alongside the Tele Custom...
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Fender American Deluxe Tele, aged cherry burst, 2008. This is a classy T! The American Deluxe series ran for a long time and went through several minor changes; the 2008 model was noted for a thinner finish than previous years...
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Yamaha SA-50, transparent green, made in Japan 1968. Have I mentioned I love Vintage Yamaha guitars? I love them. This is an SA50, a quirky little model made from 1967-73 approx. It's got some cool little original design features: the...
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Greco F-200 acoustic, made in Japan 1973 approx. This is surely a lovely creature. Greco are mostly known for their electric guitar models, but their lesser known and less common vintage acoustics are absolutely worthy of mention. This one takes it's cues...
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Squier Vista Series Musicmaster bass, made 1997 in Taiwan in shell pink. These were made for one year only, 1997, and were a reissue of Fender's Musicmaster bass that was made 1971-81. It's basically a stripped down version of the...
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Fender '54 Strat, torino red, made in Japan 1990. Here, ladies and gents, we have an example of just how good an MIJ Strat can be. This model is styled after the taste of Eric Clapton;Â it lacks a signature decal...
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Yamaha SB500 Super Bass, brown finish, made in Japan in 1977. These Super Bass models have got to be some of the most underrated vintage basses going around. It's a little bit Jazz Bass-ish, but with a slightly wonky shape...
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Greco RB650N, natural maple finish, made in Japan 1976. These vintage MIJ takes on the classic Rickenbacker 4001 bass are in increasing demand; it's easy to see why. This is a beautifully built instrument; the quality of wood used and the...
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Fender '62 Jazz, sunburst, crafted in Japan 1997-00. This will do nicely. The '62 version of the Jazz Bass has a perfectly slim round neck; combined with the light weight body it's an effortless player that'll happily switch between flashy technical...
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LTD Viper 407, matte black, made in Korea 2006. This guitar would look pretty good on the front seat of the Batmobile. LTD guitars have generally been regarded well for build quality, and these earlier Korean-made models deservedly attract some...
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Fender '72 Tele, crafted in Japan 1999-02, sunburst. Oh boy, check out that flame! There's a little bit of mystery on this one: this model usually comes in blonde or black with a basswood body. This one is sporting the...
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Epiphone Firebird V, made in Korea 2007, vintage sunburst. The Firebird has got to be one of the coolest guitar shapes going around: pointy but smooth, bold offset curves, wacky headstock, two-level body.... it's got an instant swagger that surely...
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Fender '62 Tele, bound ice blue metallic, made in Japan 2013, with mods. This is surely a very delightful item. Of all the Fender Japan Telecaster models, the double bound '62 style has got to be the one we get...
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Yamaha Mike Stern Pacifica, made in Taiwan 1999, trans orange. The Pacifica has taken many forms over the years, but this Tele-esque take has got to be the most iconic of them all. Mike Stern has an enviable resume, playing alongside...
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Yamaha SA1000 in brown, made in Japan 1978. I'll never get bored of extolling the virtues of these vintage Yamaha Super Axe series guitars; they're just so good. The SA1000 is blessed with a silky smooth ebony board; it feels fantastic under...
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Fender '69 Mustang, rebel yellow, made in Japan 2010/11. Oh boy, that's very yellow. Very very yellow indeed... I think Fender found a way to bottle the actual sun and spray it onto a guitar. Rebel yellow was a non-catalog...
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Fender Jaguar, candy apple red, crafted in Japan 1999-02. The Jag is a well loved classic, and rightly so. The slim neck, 24" scale and super comfy offset body make it an absolute breeze to play. Add in the famous...
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Fender Mini Strat, flame sunburst, made in Japan 1993. Awwww... so cute. This is a basically a Fender Japan Strat, made in the legendary Fujigen factory, in miniature. The standard model of this was the MST32; this has the 'Fender...
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Yamaha SG-RR Standard, made in Japan 1989, wine red. This is a quirkly little anomaly; a short-lived Yamaha twist on the Gibson Les Paul Special. You get some Gibson flavoured appointments: two P-90 style pickups, a 24.75" scale, basic electronics, the double...
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Yamaha Studio Lord SL500, red sunburst. The Studio Lords were made from 1976-1980 approx; they're some of the best quality and value Gibson-style guitars going around. This one dates to 1979, although it's in pretty shiny condition and could easily be four...
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Yamaha SG500, made in Japan 1976, black. This is a very cool guitar indeed. The Yamaha SG series made some serious waves in the 70s and 80s; they were famously played by Carlos Santana among others. The body shape only sort-of...
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Aria Pro II ES700 335-style, walnut finish, made in Japan 1978. Vintage Matsumoku Aria guitars enjoy a cult following; those who love them burn with a devoted fire of enthusiasm for their exceptional build quality and golden-era MIJ swagger. This...
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Fender '69 Reissue Mustang, heavily yellowed sonic blue, made in Japan 1994/5. This is a perfect example of why Mustangs are so loveable: slinky short scale ease of play, super slim neck, lightweight balanced body, cheeky little trem. It all...
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Gibson LP Melody Maker, 2014 model, satin charcoal finish. Gibson have messed around with their MM models, and this (short-lived) 120th anniversary example has got to be one of the best ones they've done! Two P-90s, super thin matte nitro finish,...
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Fender '62 Strat, rebel yellow, crafted in Japan 1997-00. What do you get if you cross Big Bird, a bunch of bananas, the core of the sun, and a Stratocaster? This, obviously. Rebel yellow is one of those weird finishes...
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Fender MIJ Trad Series Thinline Tele, surf green, 2018. Whoa, this is nice! When this arrived it still had the plastic on the pickguard, as well as the original warranty docs and a not a scratch on it. It really could...
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Fender Strat Plus, made in USA 1993, natural gloss over ash. This, friends, is spectacular. The Strat Plus model debuted in 1987; the same year the very first guitars from Fender's shiny new Corona CA factory opened. The model was...
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Fender '54 Strat, made in Japan 1986-7, vintage white. The white Strat is always a good idea, and add in a very worn maple board, some tasty natural checking and a stack of vintage MIJ-awesomeness, and you're definitely onto a...
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Fender '72 Strat, black on black, crafted in Japan 2002-4. The large CBS-style headstock on Strats like this caused plenty of controversy in the 60s and 70s, but these days, it's generally regarded to look cool. Paired with the always...
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Fender '57 Strat, ocean turquoise, crafted in Japan 1997-00. This a tasty little friend. In the late 90s, this was the top-of-the-line '57 style Strat, so it managed to leave the factory with an alder body and a set of delicious...
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Fender Jag, candy apple, crafted in Japan 1999-02. Not many guitars look better on stage than a candy apple Jag. This one wears the colour well; the decades have put a few marks here and there, but that only adds to...
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