(ARCHIVE) Fender Japan '54 Stratocaster ST54-95LS Fiesta Red 1994
- Description
- Guitarchives
Fender ST54-95LS Strat, fiesta red, made in Japan circa 1994. There's not many guitar players who cast a shadow as large as Eric Clapton, and he was especially enormous in Japan. He had a signature model Strat with some fun appointments: soft V neck, maple board, '54 style decals. Lace Sensor Gold single coil pickups and an active midrange boost on the second tone knob. This is not an Eric signature, it's a production Fender Japan model, but... it got all those features listed above as a little nod to Sir Eric. It's a great combo: the neck is comfy and intuitive, especially if you're a thumb-overhanger, and the pickups are eloquent and honest with a brimming clarity and effervescent top end. The boost is nice: I like it set low at around three or four, just fattening things up a little and making sure my amp is paying attention. Or, max it, and you can do those nasty legato bends with the singing sustain. Now friend, go on and guess the most common finish on this model? Yes, correct, it's black! There's quite a lot of black ones around, as they were made for a number of years. The fiesta red, though, is a pretty fun and unusual treat. It looks awesome with three decades of yellowing on the clock and a golden maple board to round out the look. It's been too long since we had one of these, and it sure is nice to have this one on the wall. Strats are the best <3
Model: Fender Stratocaster ST54-95LS
Made: Japan, 1994 approx, Fujigen Gakki factory
Serial: Q000685
Finish: fiesta red, gloss poly
Body: alder
Neck: maple, maple fretboard, 25.5" scale, 7.25" radius, soft V shape
Weight: 3.655kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Lace Sensor Gold single coil x3, active mid-boost on second tone control
Accessories: basic gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some scuffs on the end and some dimples on the bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, there's some minor dimples and rub wear on the back only. The fretboard has some wear on it, some of which appears to be deliberate relic wear when viewed up close, although I'd wager some is genuine play wear too. The back of the body has dimples along the belly carve and bottom edge and some scuffs in the elbow area, back edge and bottom horn, as well as some scratches on the neck plate. The sides have minor scuffs on the both horns and some dimples near the jack. The front has scuffs in the elbow area and some dimples near the jack and on the back edge, as well as some play wear on the guard and horns.
Overall: very good condition (7.5/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 10/46 strings.
Fret life: 8/10, minor wear only.
This listing is an archived entry. We love to look back and remember fondly what characters we've had through the store, so we keep them around for reference.