1983 Squier by Fender '57 Stratocaster JV Serial Black w/ Custom Shop Pickups, Japan MIJ Fujigen

Up for sale, a 1983 Squier by Fender JV-serial Stratocaster in good working order, upgraded with a set of brand new Fender Custom Shop Fat 50s pickups. Produced in the second year of Fender Japan production, this rare model was part of the "Japanese Vintage" (JV) line which only lasted from 1982-84. Crafted in the Fujigen factory, this Squier was made with the same quality components and attention to detail as Fender Japan's Fender-branded instruments. Featuring black fiber flatwork, push-back cloth wire, staggered hand-beveled Alnico V magnets and Formvar wire, the Custom Shop Fat 50s pickups are some of Fender's best single coils to date. Reverse wound in the middle position for quintessential Strat quack, the sound is broad and bell-like at the neck, and able to deliver chewy sparkle and cut at the bridge. The guitar weighs 7lbs 6oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.The maple neck has a slender C profile carve with round shoulders and rolled fretboard edges, measuring .815" deep at the 1st fret and .915" at the 12th. The original slender frets are intact, with decent grooves beneath the plain strings on frets 1-9, extending beneath the B and High E to the end of the fretboard. The neck is straight, and the guitar plays easily in every register with a responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The scale length is 25 1/2", and the nut measures 1 5/8" in width. The headstock has a small Pre-CBS-style Strat shape with a block logo and set of chrome sealed Japanese tuning machines. On the neck heel, the original 12-27-83 pencil date is intact, and the four-bolt neck plate has a JV-prefix serial number.All of the electronics function as intended, with the trio of Fender Custom Shop pickups wired to full-size pots and a five-way pickup selector switch. The original plastic parts are all accounted for including the white one-ply guard and uniformly aged pickup covers and knobs. The vibrato actuates easily, showing some surface patina on the bridge saddles. The gloss Black finish exhibits two notable indentations in the top on the bass-side lower bout, loosely resembling the letter “C.” There are various scuffs, nicks, and minor battle scars across the body, mostly concentrated on the back, and one small split in the pickguard at the neck pickup mounting screw that doesn’t affect functionality. The neck shows wear through the gloss on the fretboard from frets 1-8, with palm wear along the fretboard edges and a few scattered shallow marks on the profile length.This JV-serial Stratocaster is simply a ripping, straightforward, punchy sounding Fender with an easy-playing neck and a professional setup from our techs here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar.