[font=trebuchet ms]It's too bad Jap-strats aren't being made anymore, they're wonderful instruments. I don't know what kind of wood the body of my 1986 MIJ '62 re-issue was made of - I just know that it was the best strat I've ever played. That's why I bought it. I had to sell it in '91 to pay my rent, but I still miss it. That seems to be a fairly common experience. Every strat player I've talked to who has owned one of those guitars either still owns it, or wishes they still had it. The only complaint I've ever heard is that the electronics are not as good as the Am-strats. Well [u]none[/u] of the major manufacturers use good controls, and after-market pickups are plentiful. None of the major companies do a proper job of sheilding the internals either, so they all need some work.

YMMV[/font]