'83 JV Squier Stratocaster The earliest Fender Japan instruments can be divided into two basic categories; Squier-branded guitars that were built for export, primarily to the United States, and guitars made under the Fender brand that were intended for the Japanese domestic market. The earliest Japanese Squiers featured a large 'Fender logo' on the instrument headstock in the traditional place and a much smaller 'Squier' logo underneath.

• Fender Jagmaster Review

Squier Venus, Vista Series. Since it's too chilly to surf in canada most of the time, calgary's rambl. Much sought after and hard to get vista series jagmaster, these. Squier Jagmaster Review. I own a 2007 Squier Jagmaster. Squier is owned by Fender as most guitarists know. Every guitar in this price range shares the same.

This arrangement was soon reversed, with subsequent instruments bearing a large 'Squier' logo with a smaller 'Fender' underneath. The first Fender Japan instruments produced for domestic consumption were closely based on Fender instruments of the late 1950s and early 1960s and are commonly known as the, due to their serial numbers beginning with the letters JV. These JV were known for their particularly high quality, often incorporating American-made pickups and offering period-correct details, such as cloth-covered wiring and vintage style tuners. Squier SQ Series The first Squier guitars created for export to the U.K., Europe and U.S. Were actually based on one of Fender’s least popular Stratocaster models, the “three-bolt” style Stratocaster.

'83 Squier Strat with three-bolt system In 1971, Fender modified the way the neck of the Stratocaster attached to the body of the guitar, going from four wood screws and a rectangular plate to a system with a triangular plate and three screws with an additional small hex-key adjustable “micro-tilt” screw, which could be used to control the angle of the neck relative to the body. Although the three-bolt system was innovative and allowed the adjustment of the neck without removing it from the body, the Fender version was never favored by players due to perceived problems with stability and the fit of the neck in the neck cavity. And yet this was the instrument that Fender decided to use as a basis for the first Japanese-made Fenders to be sold in the United States. However, the FujiGen Gakki-made version of the instrument overcame the problems the American original with improved mechanical tolerances and quality control. The Squier three-bolt Stratocaster was based on a 10-year-old design, but it was never conceived of as a 'vintage' instrument in the way that the JV series was. Released at the end of 1983, these Squier Strats were sold in the United Kingdom and Japan as the “Popular Stratocaster,” and priced at an economical $169.

Fender heavily promoted the new instrument, even producing a commercial for the then-new MTV during the 1983 Christmas season. Squier Super Strats: More than Just a Double Whammy If there is one style of electric guitar that defined the ‘80s, it’s the Super Strat. These instruments, first seen in the early 1980s and still popular today, were based on the shape of the Stratocaster, but vary greatly in both construction and electronics. Despite the name, the original Super Strats were not made by Fender but were instead developed by makers such as Jackson, Charvel and Kramer.

Although there were many variations, Super Strats almost always had two defining features. Squier Stagemaster The first defining feature is a humbucking pickup, typically in the bridge position, though Fender instruments are, of course, known for mainly using single coil pickups. The most common configuration was a humbucker and one or two single coils (HSS). But other combinations, such as a single humbucking pickup (H) or two humbucking pickups (HH), also are found on Super Strats.

The second defining feature of a Super Strat is a heavy-duty tremolo system, often modeled on a Kahler or Floyd Rose type, typically with a locking nut. This allowed playing in the “divebomb” fashion popularized by Eddie Van Halen in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

In the mid-1980s, Fender introduced a series of more than 10 new guitar models based on the Super Strat concept. Collectively known as the Contemporary Guitars, these instruments featured 22 fret necks, rather than the 21 traditionally found on a Stratocaster, a variety of pickup combinations, and came with one of three different types of vibratos. Please note that Fender’s terminology regarding the words “vibrato” and “tremolo” has caused confusion for over 50 years; Fender called their vibrato units “tremolo” and their tremolo units on their amplifiers “vibrato.” To be clear, “tremolo” refers to a rapid repeating change in amplitude or volume, while “vibrato” is a repeating variation in pitch. While very different in design and appearance from each other, all three systems featured snap-in control arms of a heavier construction than the traditional screw-in Stratocaster tremolo arm.

This reflected their intended use for the heavy “divebomb” style of playing then in fashion. Although the System 1 and System 3 both bore strong resemblances to contemporaneous vibrato units made by Floyd Rose and Kahler, all of these vibratos were in fact made by Schaller. RELATED ARTICLE. Fender System 1 Tremolo System Via The System 1 Tremolo was, in essence, a simplified version of a Floyd Rose tremolo. Although it looked very different, in practice it functioned in a manner similar to a Gibson Tune-o-matic style bridge in that it was possible to intonate each string individually, but not to individually adjust the string heights as was typical on traditional Stratocaster vibratos. A behind-the-nut string-locking mechanism was mounted behind the bridge to help keep the guitar in tune. Fender System 2 Tremolo System.

Fender System 2 Tremolo System The System 2 actually was the first of the three systems to be developed. This was originally marketed as the 'FreeFlyte' tremolo and was used on the American-made “Elite” series of Stratocasters and Telecasters in 1983 and 1984. Japanese-made guitars with a System 2 tremolo typically did not come with a locking nut. Although the System 2 was not very popular with players — as it developed a reputation for metal fatigue at the fulcrum point — it had some very good design features. One in particular was that it could be set so that the cast-metal block of the unit sat firmly against the top of the guitar when the unit was not being depressed, which helped to promote tuning stability and sustain.

Interestingly, the first Stratocasters were set up in a similar way: with the bridge played lying flat against the top of the guitar rather than “floating” when the unit was at rest. Fender System 3 Tremolo System Via This version, which was something of a hybrid of a Floyd Rose and a Kahler vibrato, was the most deluxe model offered on the Contemporary series.

It was also the most complex of the three; its included included 14 pages of detailed setup instructions. One interesting feature of the System 3 was that it was designed to be quickly locked down and function as a fixed-tailpiece instrument. The behind-the-nut locking mechanism had a very clever clamp-operated quick-release mechanism. The Squier Katana and Performer. Squier Katana Designed by Fender marketing director Dan Smith, the is in some respects the most unusual guitar the company ever produced. It featured some very un-Fender-like elements, such as a set-neck construction, two humbucking pickups and a striking wedge-shaped body very much inspired by Charvel/Jackson “shark fin” guitars popular in the 1980s. Although only a small number of the Fender version of this guitar were made, Squier produced a bolt on neck version of this instrument and a matching bass that sold reasonably well.

Created by Fender’s in-house designer John Page, who designed the Bullet line of instruments detailed below, the styling of the Performer guitar and bass was influenced by the angular design of guitars by BC Rich and Jackson that were finding favor amongst metal guitarists of the early-to-mid 1980s. Although the Performer was a departure from typical Fender design, the guitar still drew from its Fender predecessors. The instrument bears more than a passing resemblance to the Fender Swinger guitars, which were built from unused parts meant for other instrument models, of the late 1960s.

Both the Katana and Performer models were very short lived, each being released in 1985 and discontinued by 1987. Squier Bullets. Squier Bullet Stratocaster - Sunburst Despite Fender’s success with Fender Japan, in 1988 the company added production capability in Korea, which had lower labor costs, and launched the of instruments, which was aimed at the student market. The Bullets were far from Fender’s first foray into low-cost instruments — Fender had worked this territory before with models such as the Duo-Sonic in the ‘50s and the Mustang and Musicmaster in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Although the vast majority of Bullet guitars and basses were made in Korea, the line was designed in the United States by Fender employee John Page and originally was built in Fender’s Fullerton plant. What makes the Bullet instruments unique is that every aspect of the design was intended to reduce manufacturing costs while still delivering a high-quality instrument. A good example of the design philosophy employed in the Bullet is its metal pickguard, which provided electronics shielding and also doubled as an anchor for the bridge saddles. Two versions of Bullet bass guitars were also made, a long- and a short- scale instrument.

Fender Jagmaster Review

The short-scale instrument, with its low price and easier-to-handle string length, was particularly popular with guitarists for use in their home studios. The introduction of inexpensive cassette-based four track recorders, such as the Fostex X-15 multitracker, was making home recording studios popular, and many short-scale Bullet basses were bought by guitarists wanting to expand their arsenals. Squier Vista Series In 1996 Squier introduced the Vista Series, which unlike previous Squiers, were not created as budget guitars and were largely original designs. Three Vista models were produced; the Jagmaster, the Super Sonic, and the Venus six- and 12-string guitars. The Squier Jagmaster The Jagmaster is loosely based on the Fender Jaguar and Jazzmaster, but with Gibson-style humbucking pickups, a Stratocaster-style vibrato, simplified electronics and, on the Vista series version, a short-scale neck (24 inches, the same as on a Jaguar). Launched in 1996, the was built for only two years. The earliest Japanese Jagmasters employed a truss rod that is adjusted from the bottom of the neck, while later guitars have a 1970s-style bullet truss rod, which is adjusted at the headstock.

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The earliest guitars sometimes feature a “Fender 50th Anniversary” decal on the back of the headstock. Due to Japan’s economic crisis during the late 1990s, Fender closed the Japanese plants in which the Jagmaster was produced.

However, in 2000 a Chinese-built version with a 25-1/2 inch scale neck was released. In 2005, that version was discontinued and replaced with the Jagmaster II, which reverted to the short-scale neck. The Squier Jagmaster in the Squier Vista Series catalog. The Squier Super-Sonic Probably the most visually striking Squier Vista design was the Super-Sonic, which was essentially Jagmaster with a reversed body shape. This creation of a new guitar by turning the body 'upside down' is highly reminiscent of what Gibson did in the 1960s with their two styles of Firebird guitars and Thunderbird bases – both of which were inspired by the offset body shapes of the Fender Jaguar and Jazzmaster guitars and Jazz bass, thuds making the design of the Super-Sonic somewhat tongue in cheek. The Super-Sonic had no tone controls but instead utilized two volume controls and a three-way toggle switch for pickup selection. The Squier Super-Sonic in the Squier Vista Series catalog.

Squier Venus Six- and 12-string Guitars The Venus was designed as a quasi-signature model for Courtney Love, then the rhythm guitarist in the band Hole. The shape and configuration of the guitar was based on a personal instrument of Love's, a 'Mercury' model created by Atlanta, Georgia-based luthiers Danny Babbitt and Tim George. Although visually similar to the Mercury, the Venus was significantly different in construction, having a bolt on neck and the standard Fender six-in-line tuning machines as opposed to the Mercury's set-neck construction with three-a-side tuners. Notably, the Venus has a rounded headstock very similar in shape to that used on Fender's acoustic guitars and Coronado electrics of the 1960s and early 1970s. The Venus was also available in a 12-string version, which employed bifurcated pickups similar to those used on the Fender Electric twelve string model of the 1960s.

Squier Hello Kitty Strat A good example of this is the series of Stratocasters and Telecasters produced in 2006 with graphics designed by street artist Shepard Fairey based on his 'Obey' series of artworks. At the more light-hearted end of the spectrum, in the same year Squire released a series of models of Stratocaster based on Sanrio's 'Hello Kitty' character.

Although these were aimed at young female players, they were ironically and enthusiastically adopted by rock guitarists such as Slash and Dave Navarro. The story of Squier and Fender Japan represents an important chapter in the history of one of the most important makers of electric guitars. What started out as a stop-gap measure to fight foreign competition and keep production of Fender instruments going while the company transitioned to new premises and management (as told in part one), has since become one of the biggest musical instrument manufacturing success stories of the last 50 years. While Squier may have started out as a budget brand, their high quality yet economical instruments continue to find many fans. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Matthew W. Hill Matthew W. Hill is a native of Los Angeles who has been mostly resident in Scotland since 1994.

He holds a BMus (Hons, 1st class) in composition from Napier University and a MMus and PhD in organology, the study of musical instruments, from the University of Edinburgh. A founding curator of the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, he is also curator of the John C. Hall collection of musical instruments in Santa Ana, California. His book “The Rise of the Electric Guitar, 1740-1939,” will be published in 2016 by the University Press of Mississippi. Besides academic pursuits, he has enjoyed a varied musical life that includes being a Nashville session player, art music composer, double bassist and guitarist.