Roundup: Wednesday, June 28

I was beginning to think that there wasn't going to be anything worth writing about this week.  Last night saw an explosion of interesting listings, so here we go...

Fender Stratocaster (MIM Squier Series) - $375

It seems that ever since Fender started shifting production of instruments around the globe, starting in the mid-eighties, there has been a pretty steady stream of confusion regarding the how's and why's of certain runs.

The most commonly heard refrain in this respect is some variation of "these are early examples that used Fender USA parts, so you're basically getting a USA Fender for...".  Japanese, Korean, and Mexican versions of the Stratocaster, whether Fender or Squier, seem to have a version of this story at some point in the last 30 years.

More often than not, these theories as to the provenance of certain guitars are proven false. I can recall one instance of Fender themselves coping to move USA bodies and necks down to Mexico for finishing (the California Series), but beyond that there are a myriad of reasons for Fender to absolutely not do this.

Having said all that, it's important to remember that just because these are tall tales doesn't mean the guitars themselves a terrible.  Quite the opposite actually.  You see, I think that folks have an impression of what the quality ceiling is for certain countries.  When the quality of a product exceeds that perception, the user choses to explain it as the result of the inclusion of parts from a country with a superior quality ceiling rather than alter their perception of certain countries.

The flip side to this is when the parts story is true, but has little actual bearing on the quality...

So yeah.  Basically guitar racism. Anyhoo...

Back to this particular guitar, quick research seems to indicate that these were surplus Fender bodies and necks fitted with lesser hardware. How much lesser is questionable, though the look of those tuning keys give me pause - I've had no problem with far-east Ping-style sealed tuners, but Kluson-style has been more hit that miss.

Considering what Squier Classic Vibe Stratocasters sell for used these days, this isn't a terrible price for a guitar from a unique line at a unique time.  Like the MIK Squier I just acquired, I wouldn't buy this as a platform for upgrades, but rather to just appreciate it for what it is.  If you want to drop $300 worth of pickups into it, you're probably better off looking for something in the $600 range on the used market.

Fender ST-57 Stratocaster (MIJ) - $850 w/ case

Well, it isn't $600, but if you were looking at the guitar above and thinking you could upgrade it, you'd be much better off saving your pennies and going with this Made in Japan Stratocaster, complete with Fender Shotgun case.

I'm a huge fan of Fender Japan, and still regret selling my CIJ ST-62TX about ten years ago. This guitar is loaded with a Seymour Duncan Alnico II set, and other than a few minor blemishes, this guitar is in good keep overall.

Strangely enough though, I've seen this guitar listed for the better part of 6 months off and on.  I guarantee that if this were a ST-62 it would be already sold, and I'd have to think that if this seller were motivated we would have seen the price come down over the course of the listing.

Too bad. At $600 without the case I'd probably jump.

Fender Koa Telecaster - $450

Speaking of Seymour Duncan Alnico II pickups, here's a limited edition Telecaster that features Mr. Duncan's Alnico II for Tele pickups, along with an inescapable Fender Custom Shop vibe, thanks to the use of Koa, a Hawaiian species of great looking, uh, wood.

These guitars would made in Korea at the same time as the Light Ash Stratocaster and Telecaster. Funny enough, this particular model was recently mentioned on the 60 Cycle Hum podcast in a Craigslist listing for $600USD.  

This is obviously a much better price, and if it weren't a little too far from me to be reasonable, I'd be selling the Squier Jaguar to accommodate the acquisition of this.  One thing I don't like: Vintage 3 barrel brass saddles combined with modern tuners.  Huh?

Epiphone Faded SG - $125

What a great price.

Though the seller doesn't list it as a faded, we can all tell it is based on the close up shot of the body pictured below. It's really hard to come down on a guitar for so little money, and from the looks of the tuners (grovers?) this is a more recent Epiphone, meaning none of the gremlins that plagued the early 2000's versions.

Seriously... $125 is an insanely good price for this guitar.  For less than a lot of pedals you can can a second, or third, or fourth, guitar.