Fender '57 Strat, made in Japan 1988, black. This is a very classy item indeed. The famed E-serial period came directly after the legendary JV-serial instruments; they shared most of the same specs and parts and were made by the same meticulous hands. This one feels great: straight away, you can really feel the love that went into it. The neck features some lightly flamed maple, tightly grained and arrow-straight and absolutely superb in the hands. The tone has deep pockets: heaps of natural attack and a fat, rounded bass... perfect for funky stuff with a pronounced percussive quality to it. There's plenty of chime and sparkle on deck too, but even on the bridge pickup this is always sweet and never harsh. The board hints at plenty of play over the years, but this has been pretty well loved and is in great shape for a guitar that's well over thirty. The heavily yellowed plastics and board really make the black finish look classy, it's got that dressed-up-but-streetsmart aesthetic. This is really, really lovely, I really love it.

Model: Fender '57 Reissue Stratocaster (ST57-55)
Made: Japan, Fujigen plant, neck dated 1987 (serial E736448)
Finish: gloss black, 1-ply white guard
Body: basswood
Neck: 1-piece maple, 25.5" scale, 42mm nut, moderate 'D' profile, 7.25" radius
Weight: 3.475kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Fender Japan ST-Vintage single coils 
Case: none

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has a couple of dimples on the end and bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back and some play wear on the edges of the board only. The back has widespread light dimples but no major marks. The sides have a few dimples in the elbow area, near the jack and on the bottom horn, nothing nasty. The front is pretty tidy, just some dimples around the body and play wear on the guard and top horn. Overall: very good condition (8.5/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Frets have some normal wear, they're pretty even in height with no major buzz issues, 7/10 for fret life left. Setup with fresh 10/46 strings.