Vintage Fresher Mustang

[MattK]

I'm visiting Kyoto for work and dropped in to Miki Gakki in Osaka - nothing interesting in the used section until I saw a Fresher Mercury in the rack for cheap, I figured it must be a made in China reissue since it looked brand new. But nope, to the best of my ability to figure, this is an early-mid 1970s Matsumoku Fresher made in Japan, and very nicely made too, aside from some tuning stability issues I look forward to fixing. It looks literally new out of the box apart from a few slight scratches on the back. Beautiful smoky blue finish not unlike old LPB. And they had discounted it by a third from its used price. What could I do but buy it?
Trainspotter notes - has body contours like a '69, but the body is the same thickness as a Strat etc rather than the standard Mustang bodies.

[MechaBulletBill]

Awesome. I love seeing lawsuit mustangs (and anything that isn't a strat/tele/LP, really). Great find.

[Mad-Mike]

Those Fresher Mustangs actually came in 2 variants......the Fresher FMT-series and the Mercury Series

The FMT Series were also Japanese made, but had a Jaguar/Jazzmaster style vibrato, used Teisco style Pickups and hardware and looked like this....




I Think the FMT series was Teisco made while the Mercury was Matsamoku built.

[BoringPostcards]

That looks solid. Good score.
I mustangs

[MattK]

Thanks Mad Mike - nice info. Mine looks the same as the one listed here: http://www.music-trade.co.jp/80000642carte.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
which agrees with you about the maker etc. Anyway - it's a nice quality Mustang for stupid cheap (¥ 19 000) so I feel pretty happy. Got to get some 12s to suit my heavy hands and caveman chording chops - no lyrical solos from me.

[MattK]

One more:

[dylanafghjkl]

Wow, nice find. Looks great!
Makes me even more excited for my trip to Japan in September.

Did you have any issues getting it back into Aus with CITES and stuff?

[simonhpieman]

Wow, nice find. Looks great!
Makes me even more excited for my trip to Japan in September.

Did you have any issues getting it back into Aus with CITES and stuff?

I had exactly the same thoughts after reading the first paragraph! Hopefully it's already safely home and not sat in an airport somewhere never to be played again... keep having nightmares about that sort of thing happening!

[MattK]

Well I'm still in Kyoto and won't return until April 30, so the drama is yet to unfold.
One possible blessing - I forgot to take my passport on the day I got it, so although I spent 8% extra without the duty-free, I won't have a tag in my passport mentioning that I am taking a guitar out of the country. So I guess I will see what happens, and with the neck off, maybe they will just take that (which would be a crime, but I can use the body for another project).
Also Fresher no longer make guitars so I guess that "proves" it couldn't have been made while the new CITES treaty was in force. It's clearly Indian RW anyway.
At any rate this is probably the cheapest test possible - I will make sure I report back.

[MattK]

Made it to Australia, no issues. Neck and body in my suitcase; no questions or issues leaving Japan, checked the "wooden items" option on the Customs form at immigration, but they were only interested in the fact we had been in contact with a stream on Takaosan, didn't even ask about the wooden stuff (guitar and some boxes etc).

[Pacafeliz]

nice!
i see the cheap looking version of these quite often here... don't like them.
yours, on the other hand, looks wonderful!!!

[memeow]

Nice looking replica. It's the first time I heard of this Fresher brand

[MattK]

nice!
i see the cheap looking version of these quite often here... don't like them.
yours, on the other hand, looks wonderful!!!

Thanks Pat - it's not perfect, even though the woodwork and finish are 9/10 and it feels beautiful (even with a 9.5 radius), the pickups are cheap ceramics and the pots are also cheap. A few tuning issues too. I'm looking forward to getting a solid set of 12s on it, including a wound G, and setting up from there. Pickups may be keepers, it sounded quite good in the store while it stayed in tune. Still, a Japanese Mustang at that price, I'm not going to complain!
I also have a friend here who likes the idea of a Mustang, plays a lot better than I do, and whose family circumstances mean no new guitars for the foreseeable future ... maybe Mr Fresher can go visiting.

[MattK]

Update - picked out a mix-n-match set of 12-49 with a 22w G string - it all intonates and plays nicely at last. Will need some nut work because the heavier strings are sticking a little but it's basically sorted out now.

[simonhpieman]

I feel this is very much an all's well that ends well story, well done!

Even more so if you lend it to your pal, though you're a far more trusting man than I! I've been burned far too many times lending things to people I thought I could trust...!