1996 Fender Stratocaster ‘57 Vintage Reissue ST57-65L Left-Handed Black w/ Upgrade USA Pickups, Japan MIJ

Up for sale, a 1996 Fender Stratocaster ‘57 vintage reissue left-handed model ST57-65L in excellent condition and in perfect working order, upgraded with Fender Custom Shop Texas Special pickups and a USA-made wiring harness. This “Made in Japan” Stratocaster was produced for the Japanese domestic market, uncommon outside its country of origin.Tonewoods include a basswood body and a one-piece maple neck, and the upgraded trio of USA-made Fender Custom Shop Texas Special single coil pickups feature black fiber bobbins, staggered alnico magnets and cloth-covered leads. These pickups deliver quintessential Stratocaster sparkle and cut, slightly overwound for additional output and midrange heft. The bridge pickup has a snappy, aggressive twang, the neck pickup is smooth and broad, and the “in-between” positions on the five-way pickup selector switch have plenty of hollow Strat quack. This ST57-65L weighs 7lbs 13oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.The one-piece maple neck has a modestly chunky C-shaped profile carve with generous shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .860” deep at the 1st fret and .990” at the 12th. The fretboard has a vintage-spec 7 1/4“ radius, and the slender fretwire is practically perfect. This guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2” scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the bone nut measures 1.650” (42mm) in width. On the headstock, the Kluson-style tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch. The “Made in Japan” text and N-prefix serial are present above the four-bolt neck plate.All of the electronics function as intended; the Fender Custom Shop Texas Special pickups are wired to a fully upgraded harness with USA-made CTS 250k pots, cloth-covered leads and a five-way switch. The one-ply black pickguard is also a replacement, along with the trio of knobs. The original chrome-plated hardware shines like new, including the jack cup and bridge base, and the vibrato actuates smoothly and bounces quickly back to pitch.Cosmetic wear on the gloss Black finish includes a handful of minor marks on the body as a whole, most prominent along the lower bout perimeter, as well as some very limited buckle rash central to the back. The neck profile retains its smooth ambered gloss.The original Fender-branded gigbag is included.