Home
Background
Serials/Dates
Model Range
Tremolo Units
Links
FAQ's
Buying Tips/Opinions
Guitars for Sale

 

 

'50s Reissues

a) One piece maple neck with 'skunk stripe' was standard. The profile is known as a 'soft v' and is quite chunky.  Note slotted vintage Kluson style tuners. The round string guide denotes this as a '54. A '57 would have a butterfly type  guide. b) Note the 8 screw, single ply pickguard. The sunburst finish is 'two-tone'. I don't on this guitar any more but recall it had a two-piece body (presumably basswood), but I've also owned 50's RI's with three piece bodies. 

c) This guitar has staggered pole pickups and 'Fender' stamped string saddles. It is therefore a fully fledged Reissue model and not one of the economy versions that seem to have been exported and which lacked both features*.

 

These were based on the 1950's pre-CBS '54 and '57models. As far as I can see the only difference is the string tree: round for a '54, butterfly type for a '57. Otherwise the two models have common features;

  1. 8 screw, single-ply scratchplate.
  2. 21 fret maple neck with 'skunk' stripe.
  3. Truss rod adjuster at body end of neck
  4. One string guide; round type for the '54, butterfly type on the '57.
  5. Vintage Kluson style tuners,
  6. Staggered pole pickups (see note below)
  7. String saddles stamped 'Fender' (   "         "  )   

Note: although the originals would have been fitted with a three-position pickup selector switch, Reissues (thankfully) have five-position switches.  

When shopping for a used '50s (or 60's) Reissue note that 'economy' versions were exported with unstamped string saddles and non-staggered pole standard pickups. 

*Bear in mind that this site concentrates on those instruments commonly imported by Fender US into the USA and European markets. Reference to the current Fender Japan site/shop will reveal a mouth watering range of Reissues currently produced but not covered here. 

Are you looking to buy a used Fender Japan guitar? Confused by what you see on Ebay and elsewhere?
 Read my 'buying tips' before commiting yourself. 

..and after doing that go to for the best selection of used non-export Fender Japan 
instruments you will find this side of Tokyo