Katana Korner

Fender Katana

Fender Katana #B122800

This is the Japanese-built version of the guitar designed by Bill Schultz to compete with other futuristic guitars of the 80s, such as Jackson's Randy Rhoads model. It incorporates many features that are unusual for Fender, such as a tilt-back peg head, a set neck and dual humbucking pickups. This model also features a locking nut and vibrato with micro-tuners. Later versions of this model were built in Korea with the more Fenderish bolt-on necks and flat head stock. The finish on this one is metallic yellow from stem to stern, with tiny shark-fin inlays on the bound rosewood fretboard. Most guitar books largely ignore Fender models of the 80s. One book that doesn't is The Fender Book by Tony Bacon and Paul Day. (Here's a pic of `Rique's old copy; the new version was released in April, 1999.) Katana Fingerboard Inlay

Sixty-three full-color pages tell the story of Fender musical instruments and describe many models that are ignored elsewhere. More than thirty additional pages of appendices contain an invaluable identification guide for Fender instruments, as well as a guide to dating Fender guitars. I have found no other book that covers Fender guitars of the 80's as well as The Fender Book.

`Rique gets more mail about Katanas than any other instrument in the Guitar Museum! For the benefit of all of you Katana fans, here's what `Rique's old copy of The Fender Book has to say about the Katana:

Fender (Japan) Katana

• Production Dates: 1985-1986
• Maple glued-in neck with rosewood fingerboard; 24.75-inch scale, 22 frets; truss-rod adjuster at headstock end; string clamp; angled headstock and neck matches body color.
• Beveled-edge body; various colors.
• Two black coverless humbucker pickups.
• Two controls (volume, tone) on body; side-mounted jack socket.
• Redesigned six-saddle bridge/vibrato unit.

SQUIER (Japan) Katana

• Production Dates: 1985-1986
• Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard; 24.75-inch scale, 21 frets; truss-rod adjuster at body end; two string guides.
• Beveled-edge body; black or white.
• One black coverless humbucker pickup.
• One control (volume) on body; side-mounted jack socket.
• Six-saddle bridge/vibrato unit.

Concerning serial numbers:

Here are some of the serial number formats that were used by Fender-Japan during the period that the Katana was in production: Katana Peghead For more Katanas, check out Klub Katana.

Format Dates Used E + 6 digits 1984-1987 A + 6 digits 1985-1986 B + 6 digits 1985-1986 C + 6 digits 1985-1986 F + 6 digits 1986-1987