Fender Japan '54 Stratocaster ST54-115 Candy Apple Red 1987
Fender '54 Strat, candy apple red, made in Japan 1986-7. Oh golly oh gosh oh dang, what a looker. This little legend dates to the mid 80s and hails from the legendary Fujigen factory. As is the case on many of these early MIJ Fenders, the wood selection and build quality is top notch. This model was a higher end offering in the catalog, featuring an ash body, USA pickups, a nice steel block bridge... nice appointments. This one arrived with frets in a very sorry state, so we sent it off to our local ninja luthier for a full re-fret. It's now wearing brand new medium frets and playing superbly. The board still shows the signs of all that play though; this has the mojo of a very well gigged instrument. Tone-wise, the ash body and USA pickups deliver a spanky, sparkly take on the classic Strat attack with a really tasty warmth and fullness through the mids to keep it classy. This will easily keep up with all but the fanciest of USA options; it's an absolute monster Strat with a whole bag of stories to tell.
Model: Fender '54 Reissue Stratocaster (ST54-115)
Made: Japan, 1986-7, Fujigen plant (serial F002330)
Finish: candy apple red (CAR), 1-ply white guard
Body: white ash
Neck: maple 1 piece inc board, soft-V profile, 25.5" scale, 7.25" radius
Weight: 3.375kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Fender USA ST-Vintage singles coils
Case: basic non-original gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: moderate cosmetic wear. Headstock has some marks on the end and bottom edge. Neck has a few dimples on the back and some significant play wear on the board as per photos, but still feels smooth in the hands. The back has a lot of minor 'buckle rash' scratches and dimples, mostly concentrated around the cavity and belly carve, but no major marks. Back plate is missing. The sides have a few things to note: minor chips on the top horn, some dents and scratches on the top horn, some notable chips and dents near the jack and up to the rear strap pin, plus a couple of dimples on the bottom horn. The front is fairly clean, just a few dents and dimples near the jack, behind the bridge and on the shoulder, plus some small dents on the top horn and play wea on the guard. Overall: good condition (7/10).
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. Electronics tested and all working properly. Frets are brand new as noted above, 10/10 for fret life left.. Wearing fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.
Description
Fender '54 Strat, candy apple red, made in Japan 1986-7. Oh golly oh gosh oh dang, what a looker. This little legend dates to the mid 80s and hails from the legendary Fujigen factory. As is the case on many of these early MIJ Fenders, the wood selection and build quality is top notch. This model was a higher end offering in the catalog, featuring an ash body, USA pickups, a nice steel block bridge... nice appointments. This one arrived with frets in a very sorry state, so we sent it off to our local ninja luthier for a full re-fret. It's now wearing brand new medium frets and playing superbly. The board still shows the signs of all that play though; this has the mojo of a very well gigged instrument. Tone-wise, the ash body and USA pickups deliver a spanky, sparkly take on the classic Strat attack with a really tasty warmth and fullness through the mids to keep it classy. This will easily keep up with all but the fanciest of USA options; it's an absolute monster Strat with a whole bag of stories to tell.
Model: Fender '54 Reissue Stratocaster (ST54-115)
Made: Japan, 1986-7, Fujigen plant (serial F002330)
Finish: candy apple red (CAR), 1-ply white guard
Body: white ash
Neck: maple 1 piece inc board, soft-V profile, 25.5" scale, 7.25" radius
Weight: 3.375kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Fender USA ST-Vintage singles coils
Case: basic non-original gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: moderate cosmetic wear. Headstock has some marks on the end and bottom edge. Neck has a few dimples on the back and some significant play wear on the board as per photos, but still feels smooth in the hands. The back has a lot of minor 'buckle rash' scratches and dimples, mostly concentrated around the cavity and belly carve, but no major marks. Back plate is missing. The sides have a few things to note: minor chips on the top horn, some dents and scratches on the top horn, some notable chips and dents near the jack and up to the rear strap pin, plus a couple of dimples on the bottom horn. The front is fairly clean, just a few dents and dimples near the jack, behind the bridge and on the shoulder, plus some small dents on the top horn and play wea on the guard. Overall: good condition (7/10).
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. Electronics tested and all working properly. Frets are brand new as noted above, 10/10 for fret life left.. Wearing fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.
