Need a japanese reader for body wood
- Thread starter FunkyGum
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It's fender Japan ST72-55 from the 1985 catalog, they have it online but I can't read japanese, I want to know if they used alder body on some models, because later years they used basswood. It indicates the quality and the efforts put in the eighties by the japanese because for 70 000 yen you had an instrument with alder and a few year later they had to use basswood for the same price due the the rising of the costs I guess. Anyway someone who knows perfectly the japanese catalog has really something in his hand and I want to be that person because the market of 80's japanese instrument is going to improve with the years, and for a reason. A japanese guitar made with alder body is a perfect alternative to the american ones.
Google Lens translation of the text in your catalog shot.
It is phonetic, so closest to alder but obviously not an exact match.
It seems like something is off about the 1985 catalog description.
It is phonetic, so closest to alder but obviously not an exact match.
It seems like something is off about the 1985 catalog description.
I was wrong it is not the st72-55 it's the tl72-55 the model I'm sellin right now, a telecaster, it's confusing all these models when you can't read japanese, where have you found the english board ? Is there any one for the other guitar models ?
Look here if you have not already.
https://guitar-catalog.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/1985/en_index.html
https://guitar-catalog.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/1985/en_03.html
https://guitar-catalog.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/1985/en_index.html
https://guitar-catalog.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/1985/en_03.html
Could be a fault of traduction. I think it means sen body, a kind of japanese ash they could have for a very cheap price, it's almost as good as ash and better than basswood. Then in 1986 they probably changed for ash or basswood. Translators sometimes have difficulties with the rare japanese words I've observed this too.
Can you look for me please for the TL62B ? For 1985 and 1986 and 1987, these catalogs are online. Can you confirm me that you see that it's alder or basswood proposed ? Because later years it was only basswood, I believe that the budget was tighter and tighter year after year because they kept the same price out of the factory and prices were improving. It depends also of the color of the body since sunburst is used a lot it's cheaper, thus with sunburst finition they proposed a better wood. They were doing so much models it's astonishing all they proposed for customers and if a better quality for the price was possible they gave it. I'm sure that in the same situation fender usa would have proposed basswood for all the finitions of the budget models.
Can you look for me please for the TL62B ? For 1985 and 1986 and 1987, these catalogs are online. Can you confirm me that you see that it's alder or basswood proposed ? Because later years it was only basswood, I believe that the budget was tighter and tighter year after year because they kept the same price out of the factory and prices were improving. It depends also of the color of the body since sunburst is used a lot it's cheaper, thus with sunburst finition they proposed a better wood. They were doing so much models it's astonishing all they proposed for customers and if a better quality for the price was possible they gave it. I'm sure that in the same situation fender usa would have proposed basswood for all the finitions of the budget models.
Sen is actually not inexpensive. It was used on natural & stained guitars because of the interesting grain patterns. I have never seen it painted. Painted guitars usually are tight grained woods like alder, basswood, etc.
Amazing, it means that not only the JV serial (1982-1984) had alder but also the A serial (1985) and the E serial (1987), that's a great new for musicians and for my work of course. These TL62B telecaster are extremely looked after.
Glad that was helpful. Probably still need more data points to have a good idea of what you have.
Painted guitars usually get the less expensive, even-grained woods like alder, basswood, etc.
I am not a Fender collector, so I don't really pay attention to the Fender specs. In looking at the tables, what jumped out at me was the use of polyester as a finish. Tokai almost never used polyester, and only did for a short period on lower priced models that Fujigen may have in fact made for them in 1980/81. Tokai would use a thin coat of polyurethane instead. So that is interesting to me.
Painted guitars usually get the less expensive, even-grained woods like alder, basswood, etc.
I am not a Fender collector, so I don't really pay attention to the Fender specs. In looking at the tables, what jumped out at me was the use of polyester as a finish. Tokai almost never used polyester, and only did for a short period on lower priced models that Fujigen may have in fact made for them in 1980/81. Tokai would use a thin coat of polyurethane instead. So that is interesting to me.
That's a good point and that's why I have been quite disappointed with a st57-70 jv I've received, the finition was not extraordinary quite plastic like and it seems to be the reason, but the high end of fender japan might be better than its american counter part. Give them the american budget and they make you fender guitars like Leo Fender and his team, I'm sure of this. I have owned a tokai st60 springy sound, and this was on of the best stratocaster model I ever played, the finition was fantastic. There was a grain on it, a true gem, they might have done better than fender yes, except maybe for the 85 000 yen and 115 000 yen models.
HAMAMATSU
Well-known member
栓 is called SEN in Japanese and it’s the Japanese ash.
