Made in Japan!!! Guitars...

yel911 · yel911's Garage

I'm picking up a used guitar today and have learned alot over the last 2 weeks.
I'm having a hard time believing that a "Made in Japan" guitar is the best. According to "Jemsite" the early 80's-90's guitars made in Japan are the best.
I love Gibson guitars, awesome quality, but about to enter a new world.
Here it is.... Jem555 (the cheaper Jem)

Nostril Cheese · 04-06-2015, 05:52 AM

Modern Gibsons and Fenders arent anywhere near the quality of Japanese ESP or Ibanez.

yazhound · yazhound's Garage

I have a 1981 SG600 that I purchased in Toyko that same year. In states were marketed as SBGs. Lower end version of Santana's guitar at that time. Plays great and very well made.

LWJ · 04-06-2015, 05:57 AM

My 84 62 reissue MIJ strat was perfection. Long gone and missed.

Larry

yel911 · yel911's Garage

After reading what I posted, my point was that the best Ibanez guitars were made in Japan. I wasn't saying they were better than Gibson/Fender. Ibanez guitars were made in Japan then Korea, now Indonesia. Quality went from good to not so good.

Nostril Cheese · 04-06-2015, 06:01 AM

Here's mine. 1981 Yamaha SA2000. I'll put it up against any 335. It does jazz as easily as metal.

Korea has come along way as well. ESP's LTD brand makes astonishingly good stuff for not much money. I have a LTD Viper that came stock with a set neck, binding and inlays, all mahogany, Grovers and EMGs. Think it was $400 new.

I was in GC recently and was kinda shocked how much a Les Paul Standard goes for now. You could see orange peel in the finish, cheap binding, etc.. Although it does tune itself. That was cool.

yel911 · yel911's Garage

Nostril Cheese, SG to the right???

Nostril Cheese · 04-06-2015, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yazhound

I have a 1981 SG600 that I purchased in Toyko that same year. In states were marketed as SBGs. Lower end version of Santana's guitar at that time. Plays great and very well made.

Friend of mine had the SG1000. Fantastic guitars.

Nostril Cheese · 04-06-2015, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yel911

Nostril Cheese, SG to the right???

Yep. With Wolfe's Marshallheads in it.

yazhound · yazhound's Garage

Just bought a 1999 DeArmond (Fender/Guild)Starfire Special . Made in Korea but absolutely well made and nice far beyond its price tag. Pickups made in USA DeArmond's and really nice P90ish sound!

Rapewta · 04-06-2015, 06:40 AM

Ibanez... i.e. "I've been had."
Not true anymore.
Japan electronics, automobiles, optics (Nikon) are some of the finest.
Why not musical instruments?

yazhound · yazhound's Garage

Yamaha known for motorcycles mostly, but their symbol is tuning forks...

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

My latest - an EVH Wolfgang Special, though not sure if made in Japan or China. They recently moved production from Japan to China and quality control improved in China. I had it professionally repainted in BMW Atlantic blue and also put Wolfe's Marshallheads in it. LOVE IT.

Nostril Cheese · 04-06-2015, 06:50 AM

I played one of the striped EVH's at GC and wasnt very impressed. The biggest thing i noticed were the frets jutting out past the sides of the neck. And they wanted $800 for it.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

The striped series are totally different, but I think also MIC now. The MIJ guitars really had QC issues. I got one on a blowout sale at GC for $499 and it was new. They normally go for $1350. The headstock ended up cracking about two weeks after I got it and Fender told me it was my fault and to pound sand. GC warrantied it and did a great repair. I sold it. This latest one I got for $599 and it really is perfect in every way.

yazhound · yazhound's Garage

Wow! Nice, some ampage! Use both during shows?

yazhound · yazhound's Garage

So how you like the K12? A friend of mine did that initial rider reports / testing for BMW Owners mag. Jim Roche, aka Dr. Curve. Perhaps you know him ?

oldE · 04-06-2015, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yazhound

Yamaha known for motorcycles mostly, but their symbol is tuning forks...

Yamaha has been a builder of quality instruments (pianos, etc.) for quite a while, hence the tuning forks. Motorized vehicles came later.

I have a Yamaha FG 580 which was purchased in the early '70s by a fellow who played dances. It was basically played hard for twenty years before I got it. It was a semi handmade copy of a Martin with a few tweaks. Mine was the bottom of the line of the semi-custom series and has no fancy inlays, but I love the sound of the old thing. I keep it strung with D'Addario extra light strings and it is my go to guitar. If I need more volume, I stick the Markley pick up in the sound hole.

Best
Les

yazhound · yazhound's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldE

Yamaha has been a builder of quality instruments (pianos, etc.) for quite a while, hence the tuning forks. Motorized vehicles came later.

I have a Yamaha FG 580 which was purchased in the early '70s by a fellow who played dances. It was basically played hard for twenty years before I got it. It was a semi handmade copy of a Martin with a few tweaks. Mine was the bottom of the line of the semi-custom series and has no fancy inlays, but I love the sound of the old thing. I keep it strung with D'Addario extra light strings and it is my go to guitar. If I need more volume, I stick the Markley pick up in the sound hole.

Best
Les

Do you have to do any humidifying up there in the Great White North?

BlueSkyJaunte · 04-06-2015, 10:06 AM

I had a JEM77FP that I traded for a Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod - one Japanese guitar for another. The JEM was awesome in the 90's...but then I cut my hair and stopped wearing leather pants.

The Gretsch better fits my slacker/minimalist approach to guitar playing anyway. One switch, one knob, two pickups. And no damned Floyd Rose trem.