Up for sale, a 2012 Fender Stratocaster ‘72 vintage reissue model ST72 in like-new condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original padded gigbag, hangtags and case candy. This discontinued “Made in Japan” Stratocaster model was produced exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, uncommon outside its country of origin.
The guitar features a basswood body and one-piece maple neck, loaded with a trio of ceramic magnet single coil pickups. The ceramic magnets offer more punch and cutting treble snap than traditional alnico single coils, with a broad range of Strat tonalities via the five-way pickup selector switch. Weighing 8lbs 3oz, this Stratocaster has been 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 medium C-shaped profile carve with round shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .840” deep at the 1st fret and .985” at the 12th. On the 7 1/4" radius fretboard, the slender fretwire is pristine, and this guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The bone nut measures 1.650” (42mm) in width. The large ‘70s-style headstock sports a bullet truss rod nut and block logo, and the Gotoh tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch. The “Made in Japan” text and JD12-prefix serial are present above the three-bolt neck plate.
All of the electronics function as intended, and the chrome-plated hardware all shines like new. The vibrato actuates smoothly and bounces quickly back to pitch, and plastics comprise the trio of knobs and the three-ply pickguard which even retains its protective plastic film, underscoring just how little usage this guitar has seen in the last decade. There’s barely a scratch on the gloss Yellow White finish (a factory yellowed shade of Olympic White), and the smooth gloss on the neck profile is similarly immaculate.
The original Fender-branded padded gigbag is included, along with the factory hangtags and case candy.