Jackson 2021

[jacksonplayer]

I agree, and I wonder who's doing the contract work? Given the history, I'm betting these are FujiGen. Which is just fine, their work is quite good.

Yep, I've got four FujiGens sitting in my studio right now that attest to that. Fender's relationship with FujiGen goes back to the '70s, so that would be the most likely source.

I was just musing wildly in thinking that FMIC would do something with Fender. That's a much more iconically "American" brand, so it's a trickier marketing move to pull off. What I could see happening for both brands, to preserve that American reputation, is this:

--low end guitars in Mexico and Indonesia (China for the ultra-cheapies)
--Nicer guitars made by World Guitars in Korea. Jackson already has these.
--"Professional" level guitars made by FujiGen
--USA production series (mostly as a legacy preserver), but jacked-up prices and limited production. This goes away ASAP.
--Expanded US-made semi-custom options
--Full US customs for the bored law partners and doctors out there.

Gibson's Nashville production-line employees better hope that their leadership doesn't figure out that the company could sell a boatload of rebranded Tokais in place of Standard-level Les Pauls and SGs.

[Iron1]

I'm betting these are FujiGen. Which is just fine, their work is quite good.

As sweet as my Fujigen Ibanez is, I'd so love to get my hands on an FJ Soloist... just not a 2021 version.

[Mike]

As sweet as my Fujigen Ibanez is, I'd so love to get my hands on an FJ Soloist... just not a 2021 version.

These are the first to be made there, to my knowledge. All the prior Japanese Jacksons were made by Chushin.

However, if you want a Japanese Soloist, you could do worse than this:

https://reverb.com/item/28462146-jackson-soloist-std-pm

[Iron1]

These are the first to be made there, to my knowledge. All the prior Japanese Jacksons were made by Chushin.

However, if you want a Japanese Soloist, you could do worse than this:

https://reverb.com/item/28462146-jackson-soloist-std-pm

Well, good thing that's not insanely sweet.

[jacksonplayer]

These are the first to be made there, to my knowledge. All the prior Japanese Jacksons were made by Chushin.

However, if you want a Japanese Soloist, you could do worse than this:

https://reverb.com/item/28462146-jackson-soloist-std-pm

You can get that guitar way cheaper on Ishibashi's site: https://www.ishibashi-music.jp/categ...lect/pid/11986

Not that I've been looking at it regularly for months with an itchy trigger finger or anything...

[Venator]

I've yet to play any Japanese made guitar as good as an Ibanez MIJ Modern, ESP MIJ or Caparison MIJ aside from the one's made in the 90's.

I worked in a guitar shop for a while and our Japanese Fender's were not that appealing to me. I don't think it's the location as much as it is where they decide who is going to build what to whatever quality level.

I wouldn't pay anything more than a $1000 for any Japanese Fender, Jackson by today's standards. Though that being said, the Kotzen is good by Fender but it still could be so much better for that price of $1500.

[Mike]

I wouldn't pay anything more than a $1000 for any Japanese Fender, Jackson by today's standards. Though that being said, the Kotzen is good by Fender but it still could be so much better for that price of $1500.

Those are made by Dyna. I suspect the Fujigen Jacksons will be considerably better.

[Mike]

You can get that guitar way cheaper on Ishibashi's site: https://www.ishibashi-music.jp/categ...lect/pid/11986

Not that I've been looking at it regularly for months with an itchy trigger finger or anything...

No, not at all.