Fender Custom Edition '57 Strat, charcoal green finish with gold hardware, made in Japan 1993-4. The Custom Edition was the spicy section of the mid 90s catalog, featuring some previously unseen shapes and setups and some bold finishes on classic models. This twist on the '57 Strat has a body made from American Basswood, a different species from the standard basswood seen on many MIJ models, selected for it's delightfully streaky grain. To get the tonal variation into the finish, the luthiers would singe the body with a blow torch, just like the famed 'charcoal burst' finish of a year or two before. The trans green finish makes a feature of the grain lines; it's definitely got a certain 90s bling about it, but with that gold hardware... dang, it's cool, right? The neck on this is a chunky D shape profile: there's heaps of maple on deck, which adds a heap of punch and sparkle to the tone and feels very natural. The thicker shape is conducive to picking your notes a little more carefully, which really doesn't hurt... I find my playing generally sounds better on a neck like this. The noiseless pickups deliver a pretty scooped, shiny take on the classic Strat-spank; there's a lot to like. The bridge pickup especially cranks pretty hard; it's got a tasty creamy anger to it that's very satisfying into a dirty amp. Plus, the noise... what noise? It's been ages since we had one of these, and they always turn heads, so hey: you need a green and gold Strat, right?

Model: Fender '57 Stratocaster (ST57G-65)
Made: Japan, 1993-4, Fujigen plant, (serial N010965)
Finish: transparent charcoal green (CCG), 1-ply white guard
Body: American basswood
Neck: 1-piece maple w/ skunk stripe, 7.25" radius, 25.5" scale
Weight: 3.465kg
Mods: pickups and second tone pot and knob replaced
Pickups: Fender USA Gen 3 Noiseless single coils
Case: none

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has minor scuffs on the end. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, no major marks. The back has a few dimples on the bottom edge and near the cavity cover, plus a few light scuffs; nothing nasty. The sides have a few scuffs and dimples in the elbow area, near the jack and on the bottom horn. The front is pretty tidy, just some dimples and scuffs behind the bridge, near the jack, in the elbow area and on the top horn, plus the standard play wear on the guard and top horn. Overall: very good condition (7.5/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Frets have minor wear only, 8/10 for fret life left. Setup with fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.