(SOLD) Fender Japan '57 Stratocaster ST57-53 Satin Bubblegum Pink 1993
Fender '57 Strat, bubblegum pink, made in Japan 1993-4. This gorgeous creature arrived in a sorry state, wearing a badly applied coat of some variant of blonde that wasn't sealed properly and was kinda sticky. But, even before we did anything, it sounded great. We sent it to our local guitar finishes specialist and he stripped it back to the wood (which appeared to be sen ash once it was nude) and blessed it with a glorious coat of bubblegum pink with a satin topcoat. We added a new gold anodized guard by Herad Audio in Adelaide and had our local pro luthier do a fret dress and put a new nut on it, and oh boy... what a machine. The finish is nice and thin and designed to wear in quickly, so with a few dozen hours of play on the clock, this will only look better and better. The neck is awesome: moderate and comfy in shape, straight and agreeable and wearing new frets, so despite the obvious play wear, it's amazing in the hands. The pickups were replaced at some point and they're unlabelled, but they're voiced in the 50s style so they're fat, juicy and full to the ear. It's a great sounding Strat: equal parts thick and rich and sparkly and crisp. Guitars that look this good seldom last long, so make friends with this little partymachine quicksmart!
Model: Fender '57 Stratocaster (ST57-53)
Made: Japan, Fujigen plant, 1993-4 (serial N034093)
Finish: bubblegum pink, satin poly
Body: basswood
Weight: 3.320kg
Neck: one piece maple, 7.25" radius, 25.5" scale, 42mm nut, mild D profile
Mods: body refinished, guard replaced, knobs replaced, pickups replaced, frets replaced and dressed, new nut installed
Pickup: alnico 50s voiced single coils x3, not sure exact model but not original
Case: basic original gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has a few minor marks on the end as well as checking lines on the front and back. The neck has minor dimples and rub wear on the back as well as some decent play wear on the board. The back has some dimples near the cavity and in the elbow area. The sides have some minor dimples in the elbow area and near the knobs. The front is pretty tidy, just some dimples near the jack and on the top horn. Note the body is refinished with a new guard, so we left some of the original dimples and marks visible in the new finish. Overall: very good condition (8/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets are looking great, they were recently replaced and are freshly levelled and dressed; 9/10 for fret life left. Set up with fresh 10/46 strings.