Made in Japan vs Crafted in Japan.

[surfergirl]

I'm looking at Japanese Strats on Reverb and wonder what the difference between MIJ and CIJ is.

[Larryz]

Here's a Wiki article on the differences:

 

"Made in Japan" and "Crafted in Japan"

 

 

"MADE IN JAPAN serial number

 

 

Crafted in Japan serial number

"Made in Japan" = FujiGen Gakki

"Crafted in Japan" = Others (TÅkai Gakki, Dyna Gakki)

According to a Fender representative, it was stipulated in the Fender Japan contract that if there was a change of manufacturer from FujiGen Gakki to another guitar factory, the production inscription in the guitar would be changed from "Made in Japan" (MIJ) to "Crafted in Japan" (CIJ). Most of the Japanese-made Fenders up until 1996/1997 were MIJ Fenders.

The first CIJ Fenders started around 1992, when Dyna Gakki took over some of the production requirements of Fender Japan. This resulted in the "Crafted in Japan" inscription appearing on some Japanese Fenders during this period. Dyna took over because FujiGen was expanding its own factory operations.

CIJ was used entirely on Japanese Fenders produced from 1996/1997 until 2015, after TÅkai and Dyna took over the Fender Japan manufacturing contract. The Fender Squier range was also brought in line with the Japanese Fenders at around the same time (1996/1997), with the CIJ inscription being used." Wiki

 

Hopefully Skipclone will chime in and let us know more about quality, price, history, etc., (if any) as he lives in Japan and may have some hands-on knowledge for us?

 

 

 

 

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

Interesting! I was not even aware of "CIJ", as opposed to MIJ, Fender instruments.

 

What's the general consensus on the quality, desirability, supply-and-demand, and market-value of one vs the other?

 

 

Now, I have seen and done clean-up and set-up work on one related rarity- a Made In USA Squier Stratocaster, believe it or not (follow link, below, for the story)...

 

Ever do TOO good of a set-up on a guitar?

[surfergirl]

Thanks for that info Larry. I was wondering if it was like made in the U.S. vs assembled in the U.S.

[Larryz]

[skipclone 1]

Hi

Well Fujigen in particular makes fab guitars under their own label, highly recommended. I considered getting one

before I settled on Killer, another Japanese maker. Tokai also has their own brand. I was told that SRV played

them for a time.

MIJ Strats have always been a fave of mine-if you are here, there are models that come and go with almost no fanfare.

Either you get one while it`s there or you`re out of luck. One year, they put out a Strat and a Tele, both in walnut. I really wanted the Strat

but, the compound radius fretboard just weirded me out. Since then I`ve seen no sign of either. There are also some like the Ritchie Kotzen sig, that are made for the Japan market.

Ishibashi is one of the big chains here, if you want an idea of current prices that`s a good place to look.

https://www.ishibashi.co.jp/eng/

[Caevan O’Shite]

I really wanted the Strat but, the compound radius fretboard just weirded me out.

 

Really? I love how 'the best of both worlds' is there, comfy chording in the lower registers, easy bending without 'fretting-out' in the upper. I think all guitars should have either a 'compound' or a 'conical' fretboard-radius! Warmoth's Compound Radius fretboards with a 10" r at the nut/1st-Fret to a 16" r at the 22nd-Fret are fantastic!

[skipclone 1]

It was the upper register that lost me-in fact we discussed this at the time.

It had a `scalloped ` feel to me, I thought, it`s supposed to be like this? it feels like every guitar

that badly needed a setup. I suppose one could get used to it but, too outer space for me then.