New short(er) scale Fenders from Japan

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:08 am

Fender Japan's web page has new "medium scale" versions of some of their instruments. Unfortunately they never (at least not in the Babel Fish translation) actually give you a measurement of what "medium scale" means. They do, however, provide a graphic to show you the difference between regluar and medium scaled instruments:

LANK

LANK

I'm guessing medium scale is 24.75" for guitar and 32" for bass, but who knows?

While we're on the subject of Fender Japan, they have new Mustangs:

The 1977 RI now comes in black:

LANK
Too bad they didn't do a poohstang RI!

There's a new version of the '65 RI: This one comes with a "lacquer finish topcoat" (nitro?) in Vintage White and the very non-vintage Caribbean Blue:

LANK

EDIT: My links only seem to work half way, in order to go to the med scale jazz bass select "JB62M" from the side menu, for the med scale strat, select "ST57M-US" or "ST62M-US", for the Mustangs go to "MG77" and "MG65/VSP" respectively.

clarkbar · Post by **clarkbar** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:10 am

i want the medium strat in those colors and that black mustang!

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:15 am

Oh shit, I didn't know there was a '77 reissue!

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:16 am

caribbean blue mustang is too hot

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:17 am

BobArsecake wrote:Oh shit, I didn't know there was a '77 reissue!

Yeah, its been around a couple of years. Up until now it was available only with a clear coated ash body (and maple fingerboard and black pickguard), now they've added a black (still ash) body. Too bad they haven't reissued the more interesting colours of the era, like see-through red or see-through pooh brown.

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:20 am

astro wrote:
BobArsecake wrote:Oh shit, I didn't know there was a '77 reissue!
Yeah, its been around a couple of years. Up until now it was available only with a clear coated ash body (and maple fingerboard and black pickguard), now they've added a black (still ash) body. Too bad they haven't reissued the more interesting colours of the era, like see-through red or see-through pooh brown.

That's crackers, I had absolutely no idea! D:

clarkbar · Post by **clarkbar** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:22 am

i already found the natural '77 reissue on ebay

check it out. http://cgi.ebay.com/USED-FENDER-JAPAN-1 ... 414c954905

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:22 am

BobArsecake wrote:
astro wrote:
BobArsecake wrote:Oh shit, I didn't know there was a '77 reissue!
Yeah, its been around a couple of years. Up until now it was available only with a clear coated ash body (and maple fingerboard and black pickguard), now they've added a black (still ash) body. Too bad they haven't reissued the more interesting colours of the era, like see-through red or see-through pooh brown.
That's crackers, I had absolutely no idea! D:

I don't think it's ever been exported anywhere. I've never even seen one pop up on ebay, I've only ever seen them on Japanese websites.

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:24 am

astro wrote:I don't think it's ever been exported anywhere. I've never even seen one pop up on ebay, I've only ever seen them on Japanese websites.

clarkbar wrote:i already found the natural '77 reissue on ebay

check it out. http://cgi.ebay.com/USED-FENDER-JAPAN-1 ... 414c954905

D'OH!

I've been pwned...

clarkbar · Post by **clarkbar** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:25 am

its worth watching considering they go for like "estimate" $1,000+ new

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:26 am

I'd be curious to know if they have the same pickups as the '65 RI, or if they're crippled by having the pickups from the '69 RI.

James · Post by **James** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:27 am

Medium guitar - 24.75"
Medium bass - 32" (standard being 34" and shortscale being 30")

They list it on there but they give half the measurement for some reason. For example with the bass it says

NECK - MAPLE OVAL TYPE and 432SCALE

432mm = 17"

which is half of standard bass scale, so its a nut to 12th fret number.

clarkbar · Post by **clarkbar** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:28 am

hmm good point. although that natural finish is to die for! it reminds me of my dad's 70's RI strat.
I'd drop single sized humbuckers in it anyways

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:28 am

James wrote:Medium guitar - 24.75"
Medium bass - 32" (standard being 34" and shortscale being 30")

They list it on there but they give half the measurement for some reason. For example with the bass it says

NECK - MAPLE OVAL TYPE and 432SCALE
432mm = 17"

which is half of standard bass scale, so its a nut to 12th fret number.

Thanks, you're sharp for having noticed that!

James · Post by **James** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:35 am

finboy wrote:caribbean blue mustang is too hot

It's California Blue. Here's another pic

But as you mention Carribean, check out Carribean Mist. It has to be one of the best looking 'unknown' Fender colours.

James · Post by **James** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:41 am

And another of CBL I found in amongst the mess of files I have from making the colour chart. Its not very far from Maui Blue, an 'International' series colour used in the first few years of the 80s.

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:49 am

California blue is hot...

When was Caribbean Mist available? I've never seen it, though it too looks hot!

I really don't understand why Fender Japan always has a wide selection of great colours, most from the classic Fender palette of the 50s and 60s while Fender USA/Mexico has such a poor choice (if there is even more than one to choose from). I was looking at the American Standards on the Fender web page the other day, and every colour looks like a different shade of gray or brown

Is the non-japanese Fender market really that boring when it comes to colours?

James · Post by **James** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:52 am

astro wrote:When was Caribbean Mist available? I've never seen it, though it too looks hot!

I'm going from memory but sometime in the 90s. 92 and 97 spring to mind, I'm not sure which is most accurate. I'll take a quick look.

James · Post by **James** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:08 am

87-99 seems to be the period. I think it only came on one type per model. So one strat, one tele etc.

It's not as rare as I thought but you don't come across it that often.

astro · Post by **astro** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:18 am

James wrote:87-99 seems to be the period. I think it only came on one type per model. So one strat, one tele etc.

It's not as rare as I thought but you don't come across it that often.

Cool, thanks. Lovely colour, they should bring it back sometime.

Fender had some interesting original colours in the 90's, Sage Green Metallic and Blue Agave come to mind. Would love to see those colours again, instead of today's beige/gray/brown/candy apple red.