1982 was the first year of the Fender joint venture with Japanese manufacturers. It was also their first opportunity to reissue two classics; the Blackguard '52 Tele and the '62 Strat. Aparently the quality was astounding. so they opened their own dedicated company in the years to follow. The attention to detail on the JV Blackguard far exceeded anything done in US manufacturing. The neck profile is somewhat slimmer than the 50's necks.