Gibson and Fender in Japan

If you do not like the lawsuit-era guitars because they were not licensed by Gibson and Fender, but you cannot afford the US originals, then these are the next best thing.

Fender Japan

Japan was producing good quality replicas that Fender decided to collaborate with the Japanese, resulting in Fenders made in Japan in the early 80s. Early Japan Fenders are marked Made in Japan (MIJ), but a change in the manufacturer resulted in the later guitars to be labelled Crafted in Japan (CIJ).

 

Squire Japan

Fender produced export versions with the Squire label in the early 80s. The Squire JVs (Japanese Vintage) are high quality and meant as low-cost alternatives to Fender models. Note that not all Squires are made in Japan.

Orville by Gibson

Gibson produced guitars that look like their US counterparts for the Japanese market during the late 80s. Those marked as Orville by Gibson use US parts while those marked simply as Orville had local parts.

 

Epiphone Japan

Epiphone models produced for the Japanese market from the late 90s have the open book headstock. They also released their own models, not just copies of the original Gibson.

/royc

* Images are from Tom's Guitar Manila