Fender '72 Strat, olympic white, made in Japan 1985-6. White Strats need a beating to look their best, and you're in luck: this one has seen a few things and has the scars to show for it. The finish has faded, yellowed and scuffed, and oh boy... it looks dang terrific for it. The previous owner was perhaps a Malmsteen fan, so it's had a pair of Duncan YJM singles installed in the neck and bridge. On arrival it had a hole where the middle pickup ought be, so we added a Fender Japan stock single coil and a five way to return this closer to a factory setup. The neck, as you'd expect on an A-serial example from the mids 80s, is a dream. It's a slim, round profile akin to a '62 model, so it's easy to move on and feels very natural and features some gorgeous grain in both the maple and rosewood. The pickups deliver a hot, low-noise Strat-spank masterclass: heaps of attack and chime, balanced by a certain punchiness and heft.

Model: Fender '72 Reissue Stratocaster (ST72-55)
Made: Japan, Fujigen plant, 1985-6 (serial A006071)
Finish: olympic white (OWH), 3-ply white guard
Body: basswood
Weight: 3.430
Neck: maple with rosewood board, slim C profile, 7.25" radius, 25.5" scale
Mods: pickups and switch replaced, Gotoh tuners installed, knobs replaced
Pickups: Seymour Duncan YJM Fury stacked noiseless single coil (neck, bridge) Fender Japan ST-Current single coil (middle)
Case: none

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. Headstock has some marks on the end and bottom edge and some holes from former tuners. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, but there's minor dimples on the back. The sides and back have minor scuffs, scratches and dimples basically covering the whole guitar, as well as a pair of chips on the bottom horn and near the jack. The front has small scuffs and dimples all over the body, plus a sanded-smooth chip in the elbow area and a dent behind the bridge. Overall: good condition (6.5/10)

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have a little wear but no major buzz issues and plenty of height, 7/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.