Up for sale, a 1995 Fender Stratocaster '57 vintage reissue model ST57-53 in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order. Made in Japan at the Fujigen factory, this guitar was offered exclusively in the Japanese domestic market, rarely seen outside its country of origin. The guitar has a lively, balanced natural tone thanks to the one-piece maple neck and basswood body, and the ceramic magnet pickups have more punch and power than the typical alnico design, sounding distinct and clear in all positions on the five-way switch. If you're looking to deliver plenty of Strat power and sparkle, it's hard to beat this particular pickup complement. Weighing 7lbs 8oz, we've had this Strat professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar and strung with fresh 10-46 strings, dialed in for low action and accurate intonation.

The maple neck has a modestly chunky C-shaped profile carve with round shoulders in every register and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .855" deep at the 1st fret and .990" at the 12th. The maple fretboard features dot inlay and original slender frets which retain their full factory height, showing only light wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-4 and virtually no wear further up the fretboard. The guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2" scale length with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut measures 42mm, just a hair over 1 5/8" in width, and the headstock features a traditional small Pre-CBS Strat shape with Kluson-style Gotoh tuning machines that have the correct vintage look, turn smoothly, and hold pitch well. The "Made in Japan" text and N-prefix serial are present above the four-bolt neck plate.

All of the electronics work as they should, and the ceramic magnet pickups are cleanly wired to the stock Japanese harness and five-way pickup selector switch. The vibrato has a large block for great sustain, and the unit is very responsive for smooth surfy warbles and deeper dives, jumping back into tune with ease. The chrome hardware has plenty of shine, and the plastic parts are quite clean, save for pick scuffing across the one-ply white pickguard which extends faintly to the neck pickup cover. Cosmetic wear on the gloss Sunburst finish is limited to a few small nicks on the body as a whole, and some faint finish scratches in the clear coat of the gloss on the lower bout on the back and also behind the bridge on top. The neck profile has a pristine smooth ambered gloss finish with a touch of flame figuring along the bass side of the carve.

 A gigbag is included.