Whitstable Guitars
A selection of good quality, used guitars and specialising in imports from Japan since 2008
1988 Fender Japan ST-57-55 Reissue Stratocaster. Lake Placid Blue & new hard case
£809.00 + shipping
JAPAN IMPORT
Here's a vintage Japanese Stratocaster that doesn't come up very often. "E" series Fenders were made between 1984 & 1988 (for the domestic market) & this Fender Japan '57 Reissue Stratocaster is in good condition for the year. This model has the standard Japanese Fender Vintage pickups & a solid Basswood Body. This one is in the very popular Lake Placid Blue which can actually appear green in certain lights. It also has a Maple fretboard & like most vintage Fenders, a 7.25" (184mm) fretboard radius and an 8 hole single ply scratchplate. All in all a good example of a '57 reissue.
There are some scratches & chips on the guitar. The overall condition is assessed as follows:
There are some paint chips on the fingerboard from the 4th to 7th frets and at the 21st fret.
Paint is lifted at the 7th, 9th, and 11th to 12th frets, but it does not affect playability.
The pickup covers and control knobs are discolored from age, and there are some minor scratches and dents scattered throughout.
Truss Rod: No problem, rod is fine, checked up to 60 degrees to the left and right.
Fret Remaining: No problem, there is enough fret height
Nut width: 42.5mm
Neck thickness near 1st fret: 21.7mm
Neck thickness near 12th fret: 24.3mm
Scale: 648mm (25.5")
RADIUS: 184mm (7.25")
Strings for setup: ERNIE BALL 2223 / .009-.042 set
Repair and maintenance
Cleaning, string replacement, rod adjustment, octave adjustment, string height adjustment, fret adjustment
The neck joint on the first string side has a paint chip, and metal parts are dull. Although there is a slight sense of use, each part has been maintained and cleaned at the Japanese repair center, and playability is good.. There are no indents on the frets which have probably 70% of their life left. The tremolo arm is not original & has been replaced with an aftermarket one
Fender Japan ST-57-55 Stratocaster Lake Placid Blue
Specifications
BODY
Body Material Basswood Body
Finish Polyester
Body Shape Stratocaster®
Weight 3.54 kg
NECK
Neck Material Maple
Neck Finish Aged polyester gloss
Neck Shape Slim "C" Shape
Scale Length 25.5 "(648 mm)
Fingerboard Material Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius 7.25 "(184.1 mm)
Number of Frets twenty one
Fret Size Vintage Style
Nut Material Synthetic Bone
Nut Width 1.650 "(42 mm)
Position Inlays White Dots
ELECTRONICS
Bridge pickup: Fender Japan Vintage
Middle pickup: Fender Japan Vintage
Neck Pickup: Fender Japan Vintage
Controls Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Switching 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup Configuration SSS
HARDWARE
Bridge 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo
Hardware Finish Chrome
Tuning Machines: MHG-SD91
Pickguard Single Ply White
Control Knobs Aged White Plastic
Switch Tip White
Neck Plate 4-Bolt Chrome
Comes with Gear4Music/Thomann Black Hard Case
Hard Case Policy
As said many times, all my guitars come shipped in a new black hard case which is included in the price. I find this is the safest way to avoid damage in transit. Alternatively, if you are collecting the guitar and, like some buyers have cases coming out of their ears, that's no problem, I'll adjust the price (usually around a £50 discount) and I can usually find you an old gigbag to take the guitar away in. The only hard and fast rule I have is that I won't ship a guitar in a gigbag.
If you are further interested in this guitar, you can either email me with any queries & I'll do my best to get back to you within 24 hours.
Or, you can buy quickly and safely using the PayPal "buy now" button and I will ship to most UK addresses the next working day. Highlands and Islands can be slightly dearer but I'll keep the cost as low as I can.
I can accept credit card payments by phone and will also offer a small discount to purchasers using bank transfer payments.
Overseas customers are very welcome but please email me first for shipping quotes.
