Up for sale, a 2023 Fender Takashi Kato Stratocaster in showroom-clean condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original padded gigbag and hangtags. Takashi Kato is the rhythm guitarist for Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, and this upper tiered “Made in Japan” Strat is replete with premium features, modeled after Kato's main instrument, a 1965 Strat affectionately called “Ryuboku” (driftwood). Features include Custom Wired Vintage Style pickups, a satin-finished neck profile, and a satin nitro lacquer body finish unique to the model coined Paradise Blue, designed to match the dark, well-aged Lake Placid Blue on the “Ryuboku” Strat.
The tonewood complement comprises an alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fretboard. The Custom Wired Vintage Style single coil pickups are wound specifically to match the hand-wound pickups from Kato’s Strat, designed to produce rich overtones and edge. These pickups deliver a notably smooth, full midrange quality in all pickup positions, with more focused bite at the bridge and a full, bell-like tone with great clarity at the neck. This Kato Strat weighs 7lbs 8oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Shape: 1965 C (slender, modeled on Kato's 1965 “Ryuboku” Strat), measuring .800” 1st fret, .985” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, 7 1/4” vintage-spec radius
-Frets: Narrow/tall, pristine
-Scale Length: 25 1/2”
-Nut: 1.615” (41.02mm), bone
-Tuners: Pure Vintage Fender (Kluson-style)
-Serialization: “Made in Japan,” JD23-prefix
Body Specs:
-Wood: Alder
-Pickups: Custom Wired Vintage Style single coil x3
-Harness: CTS pots, ceramic tone cap, cloth-covered leads
-Hardware: Pure Vintage synchronized tremolo (chrome-plated)
-Plastics: Three-ply parchment pickguard, cream knobs/pickup covers
The custom color satin Paradise Blue nitro lacquer finish is dark and rich with subtle metalflake, and cosmetic wear is extremely restrained, with only a touch of pick scuffing and a couple tiny marks on the body as a whole. The satin finish on the neck profile is immaculate.
The original Fender-branded gigbag is included, along with the hangtags.