what the deuce?

paul_

when did fender make this? a 50's spec strat with modern string trees and logo?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Stratocast ... dZViewItem

seller describes it as a 60's style but it's obviously 50's, it's got a 50's 8-hole single ply pickguard and 21-fret maple neck with body-end truss rod adjustment. i've never seen anything quite like it, though i don't know the history of strats past 1981 that well. could be a mongrel of course, a 50's re-issue with a more recent standard strat neck stuck on, but when did post-smith-strats have no truss rod adjustment at the head?

stratcollector.com have to say of the 1987 standard strat:

it features 22 frets, a 9.5 fingerboard radius, "swimming pool route" to accomodate after-market modifications, and a re-designed bridge/tremolo unit)

so that's out of the question.

it's japanese so maybe the first japanese re-issues had modern headstock designs?

Lou

maybe it's just the photo but I really like the finish on that guitar.

point of reference

50's reissue................new pickguard though

Lou

oh, this one is from about 1991 maybe

BanditGuitarist1

i like that Black with that Pickguard its snazzy!

LIFE

My roomates MIJ '52 Tele reissue is a bit like that. Same tuners, modern label, etc. It's a really crappy guitar, far from the quality I tend to expect from Japanese Fenders.

Dillon

It's a late 80s Standard Strat. They were made in Japan before Fender's Mexico factory opened up. These guitars tend to be hit or miss as far as quality goes...

Edit: Actually I might be wrong about that. I can't remember what year the Mexico factory opened up. In retrospect I don't think Fender of Japan was exporting MIJ Strats in the late 80s. Which means that this is just an MIJ Strat, not part of the US or European Strat line. Anyway, check this page out if you're interested:

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.blackman4/index.htm