Dear Rick,

Thank you for your e-mail. This is Noriko from internet sales department of
Ishibashi Musical Instruments.
I am afraid to let you know this but Fender Japan does not sell the Fender Japan machine heads for Deluxe 8 Steel guitar seperately, sorry.....

If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thank you very much.

Best regards,
Noriko Sada
International Sales Agent/Ishibashi WEB SHOP
web-shop@ishibashi.co.jp
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to which I replied:

Dear Noriko,
Thank you for your prompt reply. Can you please tell me if the Deluxe 8 Steel Guitar is available and how much it would cost? Is there a picture of it on an internet page?
Thank You,
Rick Alexander http://www.rickalexander.com

here is the reply to that:

Dear Rick,

Thank you for your reply. This is Noriko from Ishibashi.
We deal with the Fender Japan DLX-8.
Here is my offer on the item.

Fender Japan
DLX-8---144,000 yen
Shipping fee---17,000 yen(insurance fee included)
---------------------------
The total---161,000 yen

Any tax is not required in Japan, however, you will have to pay import duty in your country.
I guess that you should pay the customs; 5-10% per the price.
However, I do not sure it, please ask the customs at your end.

We accept payment by a credit card ( VISA, Master and AMEX ) and by bank wire.
Bank wire fee 3,000 Yen will be required in addition if you choose bank wire payment.
When your order is firm, we will give you detailed information about payment.

Here is the site for the picture on the Fender Japan DLX-8.
http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/fender/e_guitar_bass/steel_guitar.htm

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And if you follow the link you will see a brand new Deluxe 8 and a brand new Deluxe 6. That's a lotta yen . . Will the D8s, T8s and Quadnecks follow?? I should ask my friend Noriko!

If I was looking, I'd buy an original while they are still in that price range.

Joey, I agree with your calculation on the price. It would be about $1500 plus import duties which could be in the hundreds of dollars.

[This message was edited by Tom Olson on 02 September 2004 at 10:58 AM.]

If Fender Japan made a Deluxe8 for under $1000.00, I would buy it. Just to support new Fender steels being made(remember, before the new American '62 Tele Custom's and '62 Jaguars where being reissued, they where made in Japan), and so I could have a guitar I didn't care about to take on the road(I'd much rather play an outdoor gig in the rain with a new Japanese guitar than with a 1954 Fender).