Do all Japanese Fenders have MIJ or CIJ on them?

[Mr. Crow]

I recently bought a Fender Stratocaster with a serial number of E820629. It has a locking nut and a Kahler Spyder trem system. It has 3 single coil pick-ups. It does not have a humbucker in the bridge.

Funny thing is, it does not say Made in Japan on it. I'm assuming if it was a USA guitar it would say Made in the USA, but I've never seem this model as a USA guitar, and I have seen versions of this as a MIJ guitar. Yet, no county designation.

I'm sure it's original, it's not some kind of parts guitar. Were there any Japanese Fender guitars that had no country listing on them? I'm thinking that if perhaps this was made for Japanese sale only, non-export, that perhaps they did not put MIJ on them.

Thanks for any help.

[whitehall]

If the serial number is at the heel it is probably a MIJ. That looks like an MIJ serial. I forget what year E corresponds to. You can also see these guys...www.japanaxe.com

[Jimi D]

I had a couple of the old Kahler-equipped "Strats" out of Japan - I'm pretty sure neither had "MiJ" on them, but both were Japanese guitars. They were great shredders, too! Too bad it's near impossible to get parts for those old Kahler trems any more...

[John C]

I think those were made toward the end of the MIJ "Contemporary" run - maybe the final versions of these. They were either MIJ without any identifier, or I have seen posts over on the Fender Forum where some people think these might have been assembled in the US from MIJ parts. I've also heard this said about some years/models of the Fender HM Strat as well (MIJ parts with final assembly here in the USA)

[Mr. Crow]

Thanks very much to all you guys. Great info that I simply could not find anywhere. I really appreciate it.