OffsetGuitars.com

Coming from Fender Japan to the rest of the world:


https://www.thomannmusic.com/fender_tra ... hc_lpb.htm

Ohhhh man, I really didn't need to see this... Nice find!

I'm loving that some of the Fender Japan offsets have U-shape necks.

Looking great until I read:

40mm nut width.

And

Basswood body.

Yeah, I think I was too infatuated with the neck...then I read about the basswood body - I'll pass on it for that price...still, nice looking Jag, though! I might end up going for a Mod Shop build in any case when feasible.

Basswood's bad reputation is undeserved, in my opinion. My purple Mascis was Basswood and it was a sweet guitar. It was very resonant and loud unplugged. Fantastic guitar.
Boutique bass builders use it on $10K instruments.
It's generally light. Sure, it looks bad on clear and opaque instruments, as the grain is boring and plain, but with a solid colour there are few actual negatives.
It's soft and dents easy. That's the only negative I can think of to really be an issue for some users.
Unless you just want alder for vintage correctness.

OMG!
Japan have really stepped up!

Honestly BoringPostcards's got the right of it -- el cheapo basswood like you find in a budget guitar is pretty ratty, but so is any wood at that price point.

The really nice basswood like Ibanez/Fujigen and Fender Japan use is about as sturdy as alder, and weighs about as much as a lighter piece of swamp ash, which is great for bigger-bodied guitars. I'll take ash or pine for a clear finish, mostly for the more interesting grain, but other than visuals there's really no downside as long as the wood itself is good quality.

Basswood is too soft. It dents too easily. That's what I hate about it.

And do any of you have a guitar with a 40mm nut width (Standard Fender size is 42mm)? I find that unplayable near the nut. It's like an A neck from the 60s.

I'm suprised about the 40mm nut. My CVJM has a 42mm nut and that is about as small as I reckon I could go. My Tele is 1-1.5mm wider and you definitely feel the difference.

Another source suggests 41.02mm, not far from vintage Fender (1-5/8"; 41.28mm). Although others also confirm 1.578" (40.08 mm). Modern is usually 1-11/16"; 42.86mm). The U shape is thick which is as much of an issue for me.
https://alfasoni.com/guitarras-electric ... c-lpb.html
https://www.theguitarshop.com.au/produc ... lacid-blue

I had a foto flame Jaguar in the '90s and I missed it so much! It had basswood body and I think most of Japanese production in the "golden age" used this kind of wood. My first electric guitar, a LPB Japanese Stratocaster, had basswood body.

What would people go for, this or an OTM Vintera for a bit cheaper?

matbard wrote: ↑

Sun May 09, 2021 11:09 pm

I had a foto flame Jaguar in the '90s and I missed it so much! It had basswood body and I think most of Japanese production in the "golden age" used this kind of wood. My first electric guitar, a LPB Japanese Stratocaster, had basswood body.

My MIJ Jazzmaster is basswood (under solid CAR), and it has always been a great guitar. The poly is also pretty tough(!) so denting hasn't been a significant issue. It's also no heavier than my MIA Johnny Marr Jag.

I don't think I'd care for the 40mm nut though, if that is what it is.

I didn't know about the varying qualities of basswood - good to know, thanks. If these MIJ basswood bodies are of decent quality, that's good enough for me.

My basswood body guitars - MIC Squier J Mascis Sig JM, MII Squier VM Mustang, and MII Squier VM Jag - have all held up fairly well over the years; having owned the J Mascis JM the longest. Having only been aware of the soft and denty cheaper quality, that, combined with the price point of this new model initially put me off.

I still prefer the U-Shape neck on this model even though the nut width does sound a bit narrow for me. Hopefully, someone on here will snap one up when they're released and provide a review.

Are we really sure about the specs? It says 25,5” scale length.. that I find difficult to believe.