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1990 Fender STR-680 Pro-Feel SSH Stratocaster Blueberry Burst w/ Floyd Rose, Japan MIJ Fujigen

$1,379.99

+ shipping

Up for sale, a 1990 Fender STR-680 Pro-Feel Series Stratocaster in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order. Part of the short-lived, upper-tier Pro-Feel series, this rare STR-680 model was expertly crafted at the Fujigen factory exclusively for the Japanese domestic market. With a poplar body, Blueberry Burst-finished birdseye maple veneers on the top and back, gold hardware, Floyd Rose Licensed tremolo, contoured neck heel, and SSH pickup array, this guitar sits comfortably in the Super Strat category.

The guitar has a smooth, balanced sound that translates well through the SSH pickup complement. The stock ceramic magnet Hotrod-7S single coils in the neck and middle positions have oversized poles similar to a Duncan Quarter Pounder, offering plenty of sparkle and cut with more authority and punch than alnico magnets, while the Dragster humbucker in the bridge position is designed for higher gain with a thick, powerful sound. The guitar weighs 8lbs 9oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with low action, spot-on intonation, and 9-42 strings.

The maple neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve with well-rounded shoulders and an effortless, fast feel in every register, measuring .810" deep at the 1st fret and .885" at the 12th. The thick slab rosewood fretboard features a 12" radius and original jumbo fretwire. The frets have their full factory height and plenty of meat, showing only light wear under the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-7. The guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The locking nut measures 1.650” (42mm) in width, and the headstock is fitted with a gold string retainer bar and the original “Made in Japan”-stamped Gotoh tuning machines. The "Made in Japan'' text and J-prefix serial number are present above the contoured four-bolt neck plate with micro-tilt adjustment.

The neck heel and pocket retain the factory STR-75 and STR-80 model stamps, reflecting the model designations used for this same instrument in Fender Japan's catalog circa 1988-89 (the pot codes conclusively date the instrument to 1990, when it was rebranded as the STR-680).

All of the electronics function as intended, with a five-way pickup selector switch and Master Volume and Tone controls governing the SSH pickup array. The original full-size Japanese pots are present, dating to March of 1990. The Ex-Trem Floyd Rose Licensed tremolo accentuates easily for deep divebombs or more subtle expressive warbles. The gold hardware has plenty of shine, showing some patina through the plating, particularly on the neck plate and edges of the tremolo. Plastics include the original multi-ply black pickguard which shows some requisite scuffing across the strum path.

The Blueberry Burst gloss finish still presents as a rich shade of purple central to the burst, highlighting the birdseye maple figuring extending across the top and back of the body, especially on the lower bout. Cosmetic wear includes a smattering of minor dings and scratches across the gloss finish, particularly concentrated along the lower bout body edge. There is also a thin line of separation in the birdseye maple top veneer (purely cosmetic) from the bass-side corner of the tremolo route towards the strap button. The satin finish on the neck profile is clean and smooth.

A gigbag is included.