Thanks for posting those links guys. I used those sites to find out what on earth it was I'd bought!
I got mine from a shop in Denmark St for £550 last summer (can't remember the name, but they didn't have any in december - apparently they go over in person from time to time, buy a bunch and then sell them in the shop).
My wife waved £500 of her bonus at me and suggested I wanted a new guitar... Little did she know that we'd try 30 strats and reject them all in a marathon shopping expedition. Right at the end of several hours, I found this wall of "Japanese Fenders". I tried the "standard re-issues" (basswood and "US Vintage" pickups) for £450 and the "customs" (alder and Texas Specials) for £550. I fell in love with and bought a 62 custom in Fiesta Red (it's slightly orangey, because it's finished with a yellowed lacquer).
It's the most gorgeous guitar I've ever laid hands on (I've been playing since '75 or so, and I own one of these "JV series" Squier strats).... but I couldn't find out what on earth it was I'd bought until I found those websites a week later and started reading the history of the last 20 years or so, and how the US doesn't want these things sold in the US or Europe because it's unfair competition for their Fender US guitars!
I bought it because it was in my price range and was obviously my guitar on the day. I tried some MIMs, but I was a bit snobbish about them I'm afraid, I and wasn't completely blown away. I tried a Highway 61 (is that right?), cute but no soul. I tried US Standards, etc, etc. My wife couldn't believe I didn't want to spend the money... and then I found this one. I had no idea what the pedigree was except it says Fender on the headstock, it's a 62 type beast, and it's made in Japan (and I already trust "made in Japan"), and it sounded and felt gorgeous.
From what I've heard since, it sounds like they're all pretty good, and you could buy online reasonably safely (not sure I could buy a guitar like that though).
But back to your pickups - I was in the same quandry, I wanted both grit and bell-like. I reasoned that the "grit" I was after would be difficult to put in if it wasn't there, whereas on hotter pickups, all I'd have to do is back off a bit and it would clean up nicely (and bear in mind I was already using "hotter" pickups and getting nice tones). I was aware that the same could be said about "sweet" - if the pickups ain't sweet already, then you can't put it in after. But I was so impressed with everything people were saying here about BKPs in general, I felt that ITs would be sweeter than what I was using already.
For me, it turns out I was right - "grit" is my middle name, and backing off the volume gives my some nice "sweeter" tones. And the ITs are sweeter than the Texas Specials and sweeter than the pickups that were in my Squier (apparently these are meant to be quite good US pickups - but I always found them a bit shrill)
And by the way, although I understand the Apaches break up nicely for blues/etc, I can confirm that you can play Apache with Irish Tours (and one's Dad thinks it sounds like Hank!)
