Fender Japan E-Serial: What kind of guitar is it?
Fender Japan’s E-serial guitars have earned high praise both domestically and internationally, making them highly sought-after by collectors worldwide. What kind of guitars were they?
Fuji Stringed Instrument Manufacturing (now Fujigen)
Production period: Approximately 1984–1987
The reason the E-Series is special lies in the link between Fender’s “critical situation” at the time and “Japanese technological prowess.”
Closure of the Original U.S. Factory: In 1985, Fender was sold off by its parent company, CBS. At that time, the U.S. factory became temporarily unusable, leading to a period where Fender guitars worldwide were produced solely in Japan (by Fujigen).
The Legendary “Reversal Phenomenon” An anecdote remains: Fender staff visiting from the U.S. were astonished by the precision of guitars made at Fujigen, reportedly remarking, “These are better than what we made in America…” and even moved to tears.
The Value of “E-Serial” Guitars
Especially E-Serial Strats and Telecasters feature superior wood quality and exceptionally meticulous craftsmanship. Consequently, fans worldwide now praise them, saying, “They sound better than many poorly made current American models.”
The photo shows a guitar I unfortunately parted with: a Fender Japan Stratocaster E-Serial. I bought it over 30 years ago at Ikebe Instruments in Akihabara. I remember being surprised to learn Fender was making guitars in Japan and buying it immediately.
It was so long ago, I don’t even recall the model name. (I don’t think it was an expensive model.) This guitar spent a lot of time stored at the live house, so I got to use it quite often.
It had a basswood body, and the pickup output was on the weaker side (maybe they’d deteriorated). It had a nice crunchy sound that was a bit wild.
The finish on the fingerboard started out with just a little sanding, but the peeling gradually got worse. It felt less like the finish was being scraped off and more like it was cracking and flaking away. Hand oil has soaked in…
Looking back now, this guitar has been with me for a long time. With this guitar, I’ve met all sorts of people, experienced partings, and made new connections… Thinking about it all makes me a bit sentimental (laugh).
Actually, I recently got a Fender Mexico Stratocaster, and it was so good that this one hardly got played anymore.
Then I got sick, money got tight, and I had to let it go. Since this guitar had an E-serial number made by Fujigen, it sold at auction for two or three times what I paid for it. …Not having money sucks (wry smile).
But still, even without money, I’ll keep living a fun musical life~~!
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