This is my first time posting here. I just picked up these two guitars the last couple of days from different sellers. I'm usually more of a gibson guy but I've heard good things about the MIJ strats so I thought I'd give them a try.

The first is an 89' or 90' MIJ sunburst Fender Hot Rod 60's Reissue with a floyd rose bridge. It's in pretty good condition for its age. It has plenty of little scratches and dings but nothing major.





More Pictures here:[url="http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f89/sk8247n/Fender Strat MIJ/"]http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f89/sk8247n/Fender Strat MIJ/[/url]

The second is an 84' MIJ white Squier Strat E series with a system 1 tremolo bridge. This one is pretty beat up and even has a crack in the headstock under one of the tuners. It still holds in tune just fine. It also plays and sounds really good. The frets are in great condition. This one also has a non-original pickguard.


More Picture here:MIJ Squier Strat pictures by sk8247n - Photobucket


I've been doing a lot of research and have noticed that the MIJ HRR usually have a dimarzio humbucker in the bridge position. I think they even have a pull knob coil splitter. The pickguard on mine doesn't look original because some of the screw holes don't align which makes me questions the electronics. Can anyone tell if the pickups/pots/electronics are original or what these electronics might be from?

Would a floyd rose cut pickguard fit the tremelo 1 Squier and the HSS?

If anyone can let me know the value of these two guitars it would be much appreciated! Also, if anyone has any other input please share.
Thanks guys!
Nick

The HRRs came with a Dimarzio humbucker. I would say it is highly unlikely the electronics are original. I own two HRRs, one of which I bought new in 91, the other I got off eBay about 5 years ago. They came with two singles and the Dimarzio HBer in the bridge position (HSS), TBX tone pot and push-pull pot to split the HBer. The 60's version pickguard, is, I think, triple ply and the 50's (what I have) is single ply.

I've watched Ebay pretty close for the last several years and from what I have seen, all original 60's versions have been selling in about the $475-625 range. All original 50's versions (maple fretboard) have been selling in about the $600-750 range.

The HRRs served as a template for the Richie Sambora signature models with the growing MOP star inlays.



Fender discontinued the HRR series and replaced them with the USA Floyd Rose Classics in 1992.



In 1998 the Floyd Rose Classics received an overhaul with Atomic DH-1 humbucking pickups and were renamed USA Special Strat HSS & HH with Floyd Rose in 2001. Fender replaced the Atomic with a Diamondback humbucker for a brief period before discontinuing the series in 2003.

I have two HRR's, owned one of them since 1991 so have had an interest in them for 20 years. Every souce I have ever run across had indicated that they were in production for about 5 years, from 1990-1995. Serial number dating that I have seen on eBay over the years seems to support that.

this source says production was 1990-1995:
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.blackman4/hrr.htm

This source also says they were made until 1995:
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... itars.aspx

The write of the premier guitar article says that he was guessing that HRR might stand for hot rodded reissue. It DOES stand for hot rod or hot rodded reissue.

Everything I've ever turned up has also indicated the HRRs ran through 1995 so they overlapped the Floyd Rose Classics for a couple of years. It also seems to me that most of the 1993-1995 HRRs that I ever saw in person had those photoflame finishes.