Hi everyone! New user here. :p

I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge about this one? It's a rear loaded 1 hum MIJ Stratocaster with Gotoh Floyd, nut and tuners, jumbo frets with an alder body and a Dimarzio SD. The model number is supposedly ST-80S Type LA (ST-57 1H). It was Made in Japan in 2010 and is not on any website. I have seen one other like it searching around so I know it's not a one-off. I figure someone here would probably know. I was just curious to know if it's a discontinued model, an artist sig or limited run of some sort.

Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!




And HI! to anyone who knows me from the Jackson forums.

thats nice looking, very unusual.

im not sure about the guitar, but know that fender japan seem like a law unto themselves with regards to what they make. a lot of MIJ guitars are never seen in fender US/europe catalogues, from what ive found. heres the japan website, some truely mega guitars on there. shame fender US/europe arent as adventurous...........

http://fenderjapan.co.jp/tn72g-ftmh.html

Thanks! Yeah, I got all excited when I saw it and then I did a double take and I got suspicious. I ended up finding pictures of another one that had a creme pickup ring, but otherwise identical. So I took the gamble and bought it. I've seen a few rear loaded MIJ Strats, but never something so Charvel-like. It was expensive, but judging from prices on MIJ Strats with OFRs, I paid a fair retail price for it.

My first guitar was a MIJ Strat dual hum. It had that horrible Fender 1? trem. I traded it for a MIJ Charvel back then. The Strat was great, well built, great neck, but the trem was so bad I couldn't take it. Plus I was a kid and wanted a pointy guitar too. So I couldn't find that guitar anywhere and stumbled across this one. Yesterday I see the identical guitar I had when I was a kid, but I just bought this and have two custom orders I've already submitted, one for ESP and the other for a Jackson. lol So my childhood guitar probably won't materialize, but this will do just fine.

So I saw this and had to get it. I figure someone here might know more about it and everyone here would want to at least scoff at it.

Scoff, scoff!

Okay, it's not too bad.

_________________
Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Heh. I almost posted it in the 'when is a strat no longer a strat' thread.

Apparently the model is ST-57 1H.

Anyone know what the other number means?

Ok, the guitar plays like crap. I'm not happy with it at all. The previous owner buggered up the truss rod screw slightly. It's obvious that they didn't know how to set up a floating tremolo because when I got it, it was set up incorrectly and the action was way too high and they set the base of the trem so it was not level with the body and to lower the action the wrong way.

So I took it apart, took the picture I posted above. Trem wouldn't sit flush with body, so I added a shim in the neck pocket. I restrung it... now the action was way too low, so I moved it up a touch and now the action is perfect for me. I was hoping the neck would be thin like Charvel, but no, it's standard fat neck Fender profile. Oh well. It does play so much better after performing a setup.

I generally love the Dimarzio SD, but in this case it sounds kinda crappy with the maple/alder. Whomever owned it before had it about 2mm from the strings, so I backed it off to about 1/4" and it sounds much better, but still not what I'm accustomed to. I'll probably change it to an EMG 85, but I've never had a Maple/Alder combo. I'm usually a poplar or mahogany guy and generally like ebony or rosewood.

Oh well, looks like it's a work in progress, but a correct setup made a world of difference.

It's practically brand new. The plastic protection is still on the electronics cover. A couple of micro scratches, but no pick swirl either. It's heavy as hell, but that's ok.

To me it looks like someone stuck a MIJ neck on a strat aftermarket body,
or Jackson, Charvel...ect. MIJ's did not come with Floyds as original trems.
this looks mid 90's.. but i'm just guessing.

_________________
1986 Kramer Baretta
1989 Samick "The Samick" Les Paul
2007 Fender Strat MIM Deluxe / 1985 MIJ neck
1990 Epiphone Strat
Marshall JCM 2000 DLS 50 watt / Marshall 1960a 4x12

https://soundcloud.com/jim-slimjim-cassi

To me, it cannot be a Super Strat without 24-30 frets.
Maybe a partscaster?

_________________

I think I just proved it's 100% legit factory Fender.

It's a limited run guitar made for a major music retailer with multiple outlets in Japan.

Anyone here read Japanese? Maybe you can better translate it.

http://ameblo.jp/keyshibuya/entry-10558570042.html

Main website: http://www.musicland.co.jp/store/shibuya/

Translated:
Hello, is upstream of Shibuya.
Today I will introduce (ST57 1H) Fender Japan ST-80'S Type LA.
Models KEY SPECIAL ORDER, this guitar humbucker is the specification of the LA metal gracious with one based on locking arm! !

We manufacture an image of a Strat 80s heyday handset if they can just imagine the sound image.

With Gotoh Double Lock Tremolo Unit GE1996T to Fender50's small head!
The pickups are angry select strain of Tao, and a DiMarzio Super Distortion Double Cream! I will produce a strong sound distortion.

Adoption satin finish maple neck, 22 Specifications fret out saliva, jumbo frets, adopt a body shape special only edge slightly as you can see, not a specification No pickguard simple, body shape concerns over the detail further I have to show.

Specification so far and is able to fully demonstrate guitar sound straight people should not hide anything in do not see.

In order to effectively use the double locking tremolo, deep counterbore to increase the expressive power of arming, setting spring (spring pre-prepare a separate one) was covered in two of the figure-eight.

Alder body combination, with the super distortion DP100FCR is a combination that can cope with crying phrases.

I tried to play crazy gracefully. Try to check it all means shop! !

----------

Oh, and after tweaking with the setup some more... the guitar plays insanely well. It does need a slight truss tweak, but not enough for me to bother taking the neck off again. I'll wait till the next string change.

The build quality, quite frankly, makes a Charvel Pro-Mod feel like it's made in India.

Oh, searching the site, I saw a bunch of other special order guitars, here are a couple:
http://www.musicland.co.jp/shop/itemdet ... 6/20/3325/
http://www.musicland.co.jp/shop/itemdet ... 6/20/3325/

So I'm not that special after all. lol

Cool. An original unique guitar.
Factory Fresh!
New to America.
Maybe easily found overseas.

_________________

This is why every guitar player should know how to set up a guitar. WTG man.

_________________
...I for one, sure would appreciate the return of intelligent conversation, spirit of assistance and the simple yet effective ignoring of those who can't seem to hang with that...
Best regards,
rob

Thanks! I just emailed Fender Japan asking how many of these were made, if I get an answer I'll post it here.




Thanks! Whoever owned it before me had absolutely no clue and just made things absolutely horrible. Then it probably sat for 2 years until he decided to trade it in or something.


After a proper setup and 30 minutes or so of playing and tweaking it, I just can't put it down now. I keep going back to pick it up. It resonates so loudly. I can already say I'm not going to sell it. I'm having a hard time deciding which is #2. I have 6 guitars right now, but these three are the only true 'keepers'

This is my Holy Trinity:
#1 '89 Jackson Strathead Dinky (I've had it for about 12 years now)
#x '05 ESP Korina Flying V
#x '10 MIJ Fender 1 Hum

_________________

For me, it is


I can now present, The Three Amigos!