This is the only real Fender I have---I have a half dozen Squiers (favorites are the Bass VI and my 70's Classic Vibe black-on-black Strat), but never felt inclined to buy a Fender till this JV Modified 60's Stratocaster came out. It's a great mix of classic looks, awesome quality and modern features that add even more flexibility/variety to an already nice instrument. And you can't go wrong with most MIJ Fender products. This one will be in my arsenal for keeps. :)
I just bought one I'm so excited the tone and details on this olympic white JV is just pure perfection, Special thanks once again to Leonard keep rocking ! Cheers from Malaysia
Hey nice playing. I just got the 50’s modified Strat in a trade for a 2001 Ibanez RG570. The fender is new (bought 6 weeks ago). Both guitars are basswood and built in the same factory. The quality from Japan is great. The neck joint is super tight. This is the best playing neck (for my hands) that I ever had , after 20+ guitars. The soft V is not too big, the satin finish is not sticky, the fretboard has a rolled edge and the fret ends are nice. And as you mentioned, the medium jumbo size is perfect. The pickups are good too, especially the bridge humbucker. I really like the guitar. Take it easy
I bought a 59 re issue an adjusted the neck, over te years ago Amit hasn’t moved. Wonderful guitar . Sounds great,just an excellent guitar. You rock, thanks
Excellent review and playing! I've had one of these since they became available here in the UK last year. It's such a great all around strat. I bought into the hype and got a Silver Sky SE when they were very cheap, and when I had the chance to play them back to back the strat just wins. It has so much character and the neck profile is spectacular.
My friend, you have that sweet, sweet touch when you play. Your reviews are great, I've watched a few videos so far and I've really enjoy them.. I think I may have to watch this one over a few dozen times to borrow some of those licks!
I remember back in the 80's playing a friend's Fender JV strat but never thought that much about it. I think the modern updates really make this strat pretty darn attractive. As usual, an excellent demo Leonard!
I didn't know that they were still making Fender's in Japan. I love my 80s E series Jap Strat, but it's hard to pin down the exact model as the range was quite confusing back in the day. No problems here with basswood either and I also appreciate the light weight. I'm glad to hear they're still making quality guitars there.
Fender Japan never stopped, but most models are for the Japanese market and not exported. Of course you can find them online and sometimes, as in this case, Fender USA has had models built by Fender Japan for the western market. Thanks for watching
I got one of these a couple months ago and it is definitely my favorite electric guitar out of my collection, it has such a warm tone, and some twang but not like a tele style tang more snappy, the pickups are amazing in my opinion, they say they are vintage style or vintage voiced but I haven't been able to find out what that means exactly.
Yeah, “vintage style” isn’t very specific, nor can it be. Which vintage we talkin’ about? Early 60s? Mid 60s? Late 60s? Plus, they weren’t very consistent back then. So “vintage style” really just means “traditional Strat sound”, as opposed to a more modern sounding pickup. At the end of the day, if you really enjoy the pickups, that’s all that matters. Thanks so much for watching.
Great review! I've had this guitar for about a year now and it's fabulous. I got it around the same time I got an American Pro II but sold it because the fit, finish, and overall build quality of the JV was a clear winner. Sometimes I think about swapping the trem block and even the pickups but I'm not sure I need to. Have you considered a pickup swap? Curious if something like the 57/62s would be an upgrade or not
The Japanese JV modifieds are very high quality and to me comperable to a high end USA made Fender except that they sell for a resonable price compared to their USA counterparts.
I bought one of the because it reminded me of the guitar I cut my teeth on. It is a superbly crafted. I have a question: Did you replace the trem with a heftier one? Or was that the last sound demo you did, when you said you'd like to see what it would sound like with a beefier block?
No, unfortunately, with my still relatively small channel and limited budget, I had to move it on. I do think it might be interesting to see what affect a more substantial block might have. I found it interesting they chose to go with such a thin block, since the original JV models from the 80s have a vintage sized block (I have one). Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Understood. I don't really thing a bigger block could improve the resonance, but you never know. This guitar is awesome, the JV series gear seems to be much better quality than Fender USA. I also purchased a JV Tele along with the Strat, both guitars are fantastic, awesome quality and they both play much better than my US models.
Well, I wish I could speak to that, but I haven’t, as yet, played the MIM Jimi. Funny enough, it is on my list. If there’s interest, I’ll review that model. Thanks so much for watching.
I want to ask your opinion about stratocaster vintera 2 70s maple neck made in mexico if its at the same level as the jv modified 60s i live in israel and we dont have the jv at the shop only the vintera 2
I guess the short answer is the quality of the JV is great as well. I think your choice will be more about which feel and specs you prefer, because they are quite different. The neck shapes are very different, with the JV having a fuller, soft V shape and the Vintera II 70s having a slim 70s U shape. The body woods, pickups, and fingerboard radius are all different. Also, the JV has a push-pull pot that allows for a couple of extra pickup configurations. I hope this is of some help and thanks for watching.
How would you rate it against an American Pro ii? I'm a lefty and was thinking of getting this and restringing it, I love the old headstock. Great review cheers!
Well, unfortunately I haven’t gotten to the American Pro II yet, but I will. I’m too small for sponsors so I have to buy and sell to bring you content. I will say I’ve had a number of American Strats, and this MIJ model hangs with them just fine. Thanks for watching.
Never liked those locking tuners, but that’s an easy fix. What’s the material of the block? What’s the weight exactly and is like to see it from the back (contours).
Well, that was nearly a year ago and that guitar is long gone, but I can tell you what I remember. I mentioned in the video it has a thin block, which I found a bit surprising, though it didn’t seem to suffer from it. I don’t remember ever knowing what the material was. I did record the weight so that’s easy, 7 lbs., 4 oz. You can find good photos from all angles on Sweetwater’s site. Thanks for watching.
Hey, you have my guitar how did that happen? :-) I bought mine in March of 2022. After owing it for a while I would always buy a Japanese Strat before I'd buy a made in Mexico Strat. Just my opinion but the fit, finish and attention to detail is much better than the made in Mexico Strats. Only thing I wish is the made in Japan Strats had a larger selection of Strats to choose from! Since it's a JV Modified I'd like to have one with a Rosewood finger board but it's not offered. I'm really thinking about getting the Japanese Tele since it's offered in a Rosewood finger board. Have you tried the Telecaster? Good video, thanks.
Thanks for watching. Really happy you enjoyed the video. Yes, the MIJ Fenders I’ve played have been mostly impressive. Some of the 90s and early 2000s models had some weaknesses, but the bones have always been really good. There are quite a few models made only for the Japanese market which I’d love to try and those do come up for sale on Reverb and eBay. Also, check Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar in Washington (no affiliation whatsoever and I’ve never purchased from them) as they seem to somewhat specialize in MIJ Fenders and always have some in stock. I’ve not tried the JV modified Teles but hope to devote a video to one in the future.
Well, there’ve been a lot of great left handed players playing flipped over guitars. Still, it’d be nice if there were left handed versions of everything.
In terms of quality, little to nothing. In fact Fender Japan offers consistently clean build quality. Otherwise it’s model by model. They usually feature different electronics and very often different woods and finish materials. For instance this model has a basswood body which you don’t typically see on USA models. Thanks for watching.
Actually, I covered that in the video. It’s a fairly hefty soft V. For specific measurements watch again and be sure you get to at least 3:45 or so. Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 oh man, I'm sorry. Can't believe I missed that lol. I got quite a few guitars. From custom shops to overseas models. I don't own a US PRS Silver Sky but I do have the SE model and it's by far my favorite neck profile. I'm still searching for a Fender Strat with a similar profile. I have an American Pro II Strat. This neck isn't as thin as the Player Series but it's still a tad thin for me. My Gibson Les Paul Std 50s goldtop had a baseball bat neck. I can make it work but it's a tad too thick. I'd rather thicker over thinner (let the jokes begin lol). Seriously though, I'm desperately looking for a Strat with a neck profile like the Silver Sky that's reasonably priced. Any suggestions? I'm looking into the Eric Clapton Strat but it's pricey. By the way, I'm new to your channel, but I love it! Subscribed!
@@BostonWhoFan515 Oh don’t give it a thought. Who remembers everything? The JV Modded and SE SS neck profiles are pretty different. The SE SS is thinner at the first fret and thicker at the 12th. The JV is pretty evenly thick all the way up. It’s also more of a soft V rather than the rounded 60s feel of the SS. Nice neck. Just different. I can’t think of any reasonably priced Fenders with that thicker 60s profile. The old “Hot Rod 60s” model was probably close, but those go for a couple thousand on the used market. I wish I could be more help. Thanks so much for subscribing. If I come across something I’ll let you know.
This would have been an outstanding guitar, as it checks most of the boxes i.e. soft V, 9.5 radius, nice color and vintage style hardware (I would up grade the bridge with a steel block and stainless steel saddles). However, the Basswood used in the body of this guitar is super cheap wood (as well as poplar, barrel wood or candle wood etc...) and it gives off a very unpleasant and dull tone. Why not just use an alder body Fender, and charge a little more? Greed has taken over common sense in this industry and well maybe everywhere. Just my 2 cents worth. Peace
Well, to be fair, Fender Japan has used basswood since it's inception in the 80s, and these guitars are intended to revive the vintage reissues from that era, so probably not greed in this case. Thanks so much for watching.
This is the only real Fender I have---I have a half dozen Squiers (favorites are the Bass VI and my 70's Classic Vibe black-on-black Strat), but never felt inclined to buy a Fender till this JV Modified 60's Stratocaster came out. It's a great mix of classic looks, awesome quality and modern features that add even more flexibility/variety to an already nice instrument. And you can't go wrong with most MIJ Fender products. This one will be in my arsenal for keeps. :)
It’s a winner for sure. Enjoy it and thanks so much for watching.
I just bought one I'm so excited the tone and details on this olympic white JV is just pure perfection,
Special thanks once again to Leonard keep rocking ! Cheers from Malaysia
That’s great. Thanks so much.
Hey nice playing. I just got the 50’s modified Strat in a trade for a 2001 Ibanez RG570. The fender is new (bought 6 weeks ago). Both guitars are basswood and built in the same factory. The quality from Japan is great. The neck joint is super tight. This is the best playing neck (for my hands) that I ever had , after 20+ guitars. The soft V is not too big, the satin finish is not sticky, the fretboard has a rolled edge and the fret ends are nice. And as you mentioned, the medium jumbo size is perfect. The pickups are good too, especially the bridge humbucker. I really like the guitar. Take it easy
That’s great to hear. Thanks so much for watching.
I bought a 59 re issue an adjusted the neck, over te years ago Amit hasn’t moved. Wonderful guitar . Sounds great,just an excellent guitar. You rock, thanks
Thank you so much.
Not only a great review, regarding a very interesting guitar, but awesome bluesy playing too! Keep rocking sir. Cheers from Greece!
Thank you my friend. Great to hear from Greece, a country I never did manage to visit.
Excellent review and playing! I've had one of these since they became available here in the UK last year. It's such a great all around strat. I bought into the hype and got a Silver Sky SE when they were very cheap, and when I had the chance to play them back to back the strat just wins. It has so much character and the neck profile is spectacular.
Indeed. I really enjoyed that one. Great neck and the pickups exceeded my expectations.
Thanks so much for watching.
My friend, you have that sweet, sweet touch when you play. Your reviews are great, I've watched a few videos so far and I've really enjoy them.. I think I may have to watch this one over a few dozen times to borrow some of those licks!
Thanks so much. Very happy you’re enjoying my channel.
I remember back in the 80's playing a friend's Fender JV strat but never thought that much about it. I think the modern updates really make this strat pretty darn attractive. As usual, an excellent demo Leonard!
Thank you my friend.
Excellent video again dude!!! Thank you!!!
And thanks so much for watching.
Good demo brother you really showed how the guitar sound it
Thank you my friend.
Another great video. Thanks for posting.
Thank you my friend.
Man, once again you’ve come up with a winner!!! Sounds Great! Your playing does it Complete Justice!! Keeper???
Thanks my friend. I wish I could keep the ones I like, but as I’ve said, I’d run out of space and go broke.
I didn't know that they were still making Fender's in Japan. I love my 80s E series Jap Strat, but it's hard to pin down the exact model as the range was quite confusing back in the day. No problems here with basswood either and I also appreciate the light weight. I'm glad to hear they're still making quality guitars there.
Fender Japan never stopped, but most models are for the Japanese market and not exported. Of course you can find them online and sometimes, as in this case, Fender USA has had models built by Fender Japan for the western market.
Thanks for watching
I got one of these a couple months ago and it is definitely my favorite electric guitar out of my collection, it has such a warm tone, and some twang but not like a tele style tang more snappy, the pickups are amazing in my opinion, they say they are vintage style or vintage voiced but I haven't been able to find out what that means exactly.
Yeah, “vintage style” isn’t very specific, nor can it be. Which vintage we talkin’ about? Early 60s? Mid 60s? Late 60s? Plus, they weren’t very consistent back then. So “vintage style” really just means “traditional Strat sound”, as opposed to a more modern sounding pickup. At the end of the day, if you really enjoy the pickups, that’s all that matters.
Thanks so much for watching.
@leonardgriffieblues5845 It was a great review and actually inspired me to buy the guitar, been tough to put it down since.
Great review! I've had this guitar for about a year now and it's fabulous. I got it around the same time I got an American Pro II but sold it because the fit, finish, and overall build quality of the JV was a clear winner. Sometimes I think about swapping the trem block and even the pickups but I'm not sure I need to. Have you considered a pickup swap? Curious if something like the 57/62s would be an upgrade or not
Thanks so much. Check out my video on the Fralins, my favorite Strat pickups. ua-cam.com/video/XI_YnieckHk/v-deo.html
The Japanese JV modifieds are very high quality and to me comperable to a high end USA made Fender except that they sell for a resonable price compared to their USA counterparts.
I agree they’re very well built Fenders. Thanks for watching.
I bought one of the because it reminded me of the guitar I cut my teeth on. It is a superbly crafted.
I have a question: Did you replace the trem with a heftier one? Or was that the last sound demo you did, when you said you'd like to see what it would sound like with a beefier block?
No, unfortunately, with my still relatively small channel and limited budget, I had to move it on. I do think it might be interesting to see what affect a more substantial block might have. I found it interesting they chose to go with such a thin block, since the original JV models from the 80s have a vintage sized block (I have one). Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Understood. I don't really thing a bigger block could improve the resonance, but you never know. This guitar is awesome, the JV series gear seems to be much better quality than Fender USA. I also purchased a JV Tele along with the Strat, both guitars are fantastic, awesome quality and they both play much better than my US models.
Hi, how would you compared it with the mexican Jimi Hendrix model? Can't decide between those two. Thks
Well, I wish I could speak to that, but I haven’t, as yet, played the MIM Jimi. Funny enough, it is on my list. If there’s interest, I’ll review that model. Thanks so much for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 ok nevermind, thanks for the reply.
Ur awesome leonard
Thanks so much. You’re too kind.
I want to ask your opinion about stratocaster vintera 2 70s maple neck made in mexico if its at the same level as the jv modified 60s i live in israel and we dont have the jv at the shop only the vintera 2
I guess the short answer is the quality of the JV is great as well. I think your choice will be more about which feel and specs you prefer, because they are quite different. The neck shapes are very different, with the JV having a fuller, soft V shape and the Vintera II 70s having a slim 70s U shape. The body woods, pickups, and fingerboard radius are all different. Also, the JV has a push-pull pot that allows for a couple of extra pickup configurations. I hope this is of some help and thanks for watching.
How would you rate it against an American Pro ii? I'm a lefty and was thinking of getting this and restringing it, I love the old headstock. Great review cheers!
Well, unfortunately I haven’t gotten to the American Pro II yet, but I will. I’m too small for sponsors so I have to buy and sell to bring you content. I will say I’ve had a number of American Strats, and this MIJ model hangs with them just fine. Thanks for watching.
Never liked those locking tuners, but that’s an easy fix. What’s the material of the block? What’s the weight exactly and is like to see it from the back (contours).
Well, that was nearly a year ago and that guitar is long gone, but I can tell you what I remember. I mentioned in the video it has a thin block, which I found a bit surprising, though it didn’t seem to suffer from it. I don’t remember ever knowing what the material was. I did record the weight so that’s easy, 7 lbs., 4 oz. You can find good photos from all angles on Sweetwater’s site.
Thanks for watching.
Hey, you have my guitar how did that happen? :-) I bought mine in March of 2022. After owing it for a while I would always buy a Japanese Strat before I'd buy a made in Mexico Strat. Just my opinion but the fit, finish and attention to detail is much better than the made in Mexico Strats. Only thing I wish is the made in Japan Strats had a larger selection of Strats to choose from! Since it's a JV Modified I'd like to have one with a Rosewood finger board but it's not offered. I'm really thinking about getting the Japanese Tele since it's offered in a Rosewood finger board. Have you tried the Telecaster? Good video, thanks.
Thanks for watching. Really happy you enjoyed the video. Yes, the MIJ Fenders I’ve played have been mostly impressive. Some of the 90s and early 2000s models had some weaknesses, but the bones have always been really good. There are quite a few models made only for the Japanese market which I’d love to try and those do come up for sale on Reverb and eBay. Also, check Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar in Washington (no affiliation whatsoever and I’ve never purchased from them) as they seem to somewhat specialize in MIJ Fenders and always have some in stock.
I’ve not tried the JV modified Teles but hope to devote a video to one in the future.
Hendrix would like that and also would happy to jam with you
That’s very nice of you to say. Thanks so much.
Cool!! How's the Tonemaster working out?
Thanks. The Tone Master is performing perfectly.
Shame they dont come in a left handed configuration, guess its time to go Hendrix style 😂
Well, there’ve been a lot of great left handed players playing flipped over guitars. Still, it’d be nice if there were left handed versions of everything.
what is the difference between a japanese and american fender?
In terms of quality, little to nothing. In fact Fender Japan offers consistently clean build quality. Otherwise it’s model by model. They usually feature different electronics and very often different woods and finish materials. For instance this model has a basswood body which you don’t typically see on USA models.
Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 tks man
Neck profile?
Actually, I covered that in the video. It’s a fairly hefty soft V. For specific measurements watch again and be sure you get to at least 3:45 or so. Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 oh man, I'm sorry. Can't believe I missed that lol. I got quite a few guitars. From custom shops to overseas models. I don't own a US PRS Silver Sky but I do have the SE model and it's by far my favorite neck profile. I'm still searching for a Fender Strat with a similar profile. I have an American Pro II Strat. This neck isn't as thin as the Player Series but it's still a tad thin for me. My Gibson Les Paul Std 50s goldtop had a baseball bat neck. I can make it work but it's a tad too thick. I'd rather thicker over thinner (let the jokes begin lol). Seriously though, I'm desperately looking for a Strat with a neck profile like the Silver Sky that's reasonably priced. Any suggestions? I'm looking into the Eric Clapton Strat but it's pricey. By the way, I'm new to your channel, but I love it! Subscribed!
@@BostonWhoFan515 Oh don’t give it a thought. Who remembers everything?
The JV Modded and SE SS neck profiles are pretty different. The SE SS is thinner at the first fret and thicker at the 12th. The JV is pretty evenly thick all the way up. It’s also more of a soft V rather than the rounded 60s feel of the SS. Nice neck. Just different.
I can’t think of any reasonably priced Fenders with that thicker 60s profile. The old “Hot Rod 60s” model was probably close, but those go for a couple thousand on the used market. I wish I could be more help.
Thanks so much for subscribing. If I come across something I’ll let you know.
@leonardgriffieblues5845 thanks. Ueah it's a hard neck to find elsewhere. I've heard about the Hot Rods. I may have to grab one.
That truss rod adjustment being on the headstock end ruins this guitar for me.
It does slightly spoil the vintage look. At least it’s more subtle than many and you can’t fault the utility of it. Thanks for watching.
This would have been an outstanding guitar, as it checks most of the boxes i.e. soft V, 9.5 radius, nice color and vintage style hardware (I would up grade the bridge with a steel block and stainless steel saddles).
However, the Basswood used in the body of this guitar is super cheap wood (as well as poplar, barrel wood or candle wood etc...) and it gives off a very unpleasant and dull tone. Why not just use an alder body Fender, and charge a little more? Greed has taken over common sense in this industry and well maybe everywhere. Just my 2 cents worth. Peace
Well, to be fair, Fender Japan has used basswood since it's inception in the 80s, and these guitars are intended to revive the vintage reissues from that era, so probably not greed in this case. Thanks so much for watching.