1991 Fender HM Strat HST-558 HSH Superstrat Blackstone w/ Dimarzio & Floyd Rose, Japan MIJ Fujigen

Up for sale, a 1991 Fender HM Stratocaster model HST-558 in exceptional condition and in perfect working order. An uncommon “Made in Japan” offering, the HM Strats were Fender’s answer to the Superstrats dominating the guitar market in the ‘80s (HM stood for “Heavy Metal”); they were produced from 1988-92, with a bevy of shred-ready features. This HST-558 has an HSH pickup complement with DiMarzio H1 and H3 humbuckers, a Floyd Rose “Pro” tremolo, 17” fretboard radius with jumbo fretwire, Jackson-esque headstock with a unique logo, and a gloss Blackstone finish.Tonewoods include a basswood body, maple neck, and thick slab rosewood fretboard, and this guitar has a neutral, clear acoustic response. The DiMarzio H humbuckers were produced exclusively for Fender; the H1 in the bridge position is built for gain, metering at a whopping 19.7k ohms, with a complex, aggressive sound with a snarling cut. The H3 at the neck meters 11.9k ohms, delivering a bell-like fullness and and punch, and the single coil pickup in the middle position is an excellent counterpoint to the powerful humbuckers, offering sparkle and shimmer. The center-detent TBX Master Tone control has further (subtle) thickness and boost. This HST-558 weighs 7lbs 13oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, slinky action, and spot-on intonation.The maple neck has a very slender D-shaped profile carve with generous shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .735” deep at the 1st fret and .830” at the 12th. The thick slab rosewood fretboard has a 17” radius, and the jumbo fretwire is nigh flawless, only exhibiting a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-3. This guitar plays cleanly up the 25.1“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the locking nut measures 1 11/16” in width. The headstock has a sleek shape that invokes a Jackson or Kramer, with a graffiti-style Fender logo that could only have come out of the ‘80s, and the black Gotoh tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch. The “Made in Japan” text and L-prefix serial are present above the four-bolt, “Fender USA”-embossed neck plate with micro-tilt adjustment, and the neck heel is contoured for optimal access to the upper frets.All of the electronics function as intended, with the pickups governed by a five-way selector switch and Master Volume and TBX Tone controls, and the original harness has full-size Japanese pots that date to June, 1991. The Tone knob features Fender's patented TBX circuitry, a center-detent control that acts like a standard Tone control from 0 to 5. Dialed up past 5, the control decreases the resistance, which allows more bass, treble, presence, and output to flow to the amp. The genuine Floyd Rose “Pro” tremolo actuates smoothly and bounces quickly back to pitch from even the deepest dives.The gloss Blackstone finish features flecks of gold atop a black basecoat, resulting in a subtle-yet-eye-catching effect that looks akin to streaks of ore running through bedrock, and cosmetic wear on the finish is limited to just a scant few tiny dings and faint scratches in the clear coat on the body as a whole. The smooth ambered gloss on the neck profile is pristine.A Gator-brand gigbag is included.