Fender Custom Edition '62 Strat, charcoal blue 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 beauty was a twist on the classic '62 Strat. The charcoal blue finish was achieved by selecting nice streaky pieces of American basswood (not the same as regular Asian basswood) and scorching it with a blow torch, then staining the body blue and adding the clear coats. It's a very cool look; there's an intriguing depth to the body and the gold hardware really makes it pop hard. The neck on this features some gorgeous streaky rosewood and golden hued wide grained maple, it looks lovely. The slim, rounded profile on this is an instant winner; these '62 models have the most universally agreeable neck and this one in particular is just so smooth... yum. Tonally, this is a bright, snappy and rich take on the Strat-spank. Even on the neck pickup, there's a refreshing sparkly treble that really brings your notes to the foreground. It's superbly clear played clean, or paired with Tubescreamer style drive, this will absolutely get the riff party cranking. Don't count on seeing another one anytime soon!

Model: Fender '62 Stratocaster (ST62G-65)
Made: Japan, 1993-4, Fujigen plant, (serial N019037)
Finish: transparent charcoal blue (CCM), 3-ply white guard
Body: American basswood
Neck: maple, rosewood board, slim C profile, 7.25" radius, 25.5" scale
Weight: 3.530kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Fender Japan ST-Vintage single coil x3
Case: basic non original gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has minor marks on the end and bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, just some minor dimples on the back. The back has a couple of light scratches on the top horn and widespread light scuffs; no major marks. The sides have minor dimples on the top horn, elbow area and near the jack. The front is pretty clean, just a few dimples near the jack, behind the bridge and some play wear on the guard and top horn. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Frets have a little wear but are freshly cleaned and pretty even in height; 7/10 for fret life left. Setup with fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.