# Fender Stratocaster



## kous (Apr 12, 2007)

While my other project is on hold, I decided to put together a guitar that I had in pieces. I want to share some information because it is something that I haven't come across too often. 

The guitar is a mid-80's Fender Japan Stratocaster. It is the STR75 model off the Pro-Feel series. The body is poplar with a bird's eye maple top. The 324 scale neck is maple with a 305R (12") rosewood fingerboard and pearl dots. The licensed bridge is a Fender Ex-Trem, same as a Takeuchi TRS-101. The pickups are Fender Original Hotrod 7S single coils and Dragster 8H humbuckers. Everything is dressed in gold hardware.

I've kept everything stock but I've replaced the pickups with Fender vintage coils and a Dimarzio. I've also disconnected both tone knobs. What can I say, this guitar is absolutely astonishing. The single coils are clean and glassy, keeping its Fender qualities. And the humbucker is powerful without being over the top. The bridge is comfortable and stays perfectly in tune. The neck is very comfortable and the finish is just fantastic. The only negative thing is the 9s I've installed. They feel like rubber bands compared to 12s.

Anyway, here she is.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

VERY nice man, very similar to mine. One note i discovered, the top is a picture..heeh..NOT maple. no MIJ or CIJ fenders ever used actuall maple. None the less, sill looks awsome.


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## Stratocaster (Feb 2, 2006)

Wow what a beauty


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

al3d said:


> VERY nice man, very similar to mine. One note i discovered, the top is a picture..heeh..NOT maple. no MIJ or CIJ fenders ever used actuall maple. None the less, sill looks awsome.


Actually...I am pretty sure that the 'picture' technology was not around in the 1980s. I am not 100% on that but I'm up there in the high 90% area.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

smorgdonkey said:


> Actually...I am pretty sure that the 'picture' technology was not around in the 1980s. I am not 100% on that but I'm up there in the high 90% area.


hum..could be. but i have doubt as to Japanesse makers getting their hands on some of the most expensive wood in North America..imagine the cost of shipping that to Japan.


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## Archer (Aug 29, 2006)

al3d said:


> hum..could be. but i have doubt as to Japanesse makers getting their hands on some of the most expensive wood in North America..imagine the cost of shipping that to Japan.



Lots of Japanese Makers use maple. Going all the way back to Yamaha's early guitars you had lots of nice maple used in the instruments. Japan that is just as rich as canada or america. They can afford to import wood, and since those Fujigen Gakki made Fenders are made on contract to Fender at Fender spec Maple is not a thing that should surprise you.

Also, photoflame first appeared on MIJ Fenders in 1991.


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## cdub66 (Dec 13, 2007)

I've never seen a string "tree" like that one...is it fairly uncommon or do I need to get out more?


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

That's a standard string tree for floyd rose nuts unless the headstock is angled

Andy


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## cdub66 (Dec 13, 2007)

sysexguy said:


> That's a standard string tree for floyd rose nuts unless the headstock is angled
> 
> Andy


Thanks! I'm now smarter...(doesn't take much) :smile:


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

cdub66 said:


> I've never seen a string "tree" like that one...is it fairly uncommon or do I need to get out more?


I'd string right over top of that if it were me...that seems more an annoyance than anything else...just string with the ball ends at the tuner like this:








I used the string tree in that case because it doesn't cause or require that extreme string angle. No worries about fancy knots and such at the post either.


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## overdriver (Jul 24, 2008)

smorgdonkey said:


> Actually...I am pretty sure that the 'picture' technology was not around in the 1980s. I am not 100% on that but I'm up there in the high 90% area.


Weren't all those photo flame things out in the 80s pretty sure they where. I remember looking at em in the late 80s


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I could not function with tone pots disconnected. I never played with them maxed out. In position 4, the tone in usually 3-5, sometimes, I roll it right off.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Archer said:


> Lots of Japanese Makers use maple. Going all the way back to Yamaha's early guitars you had lots of nice maple used in the instruments. Japan that is just as rich as canada or america. They can afford to import wood, and since those Fujigen Gakki made Fenders are made on contract to Fender at Fender spec Maple is not a thing that should surprise you.
> 
> Also, photoflame first appeared on MIJ Fenders in 1991.


well....i've learn something new then today..


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## kous (Apr 12, 2007)

This is correct. This is real maple. The Fotoflame series started in the 90's. There are two easy ways to figure out whether its Fotoflame or not. One is that there is no depth in the figure, and the other is that the colour fades very quickly due to the photographic nature of the image. 
The Pro-Feel series were high-end models and as far as I know the latest production date on them was 1993(?) so it does overlap with the Fotoflame series. The highest grade I've heard of is the STR120 (I want lofu). 



Robert1950 said:


> I could not function with tone pots disconnected. I never played with them maxed out. In position 4, the tone in usually 3-5, sometimes, I roll it right off.


I agree with you. But I've heard that if you take the tone pots out of the circuit the pickups become hotter (or in other words retain its original value). I wanted to test this out and I must say I am not disappointed. But then again I have no reference to compare it to either. Since I already have two stock guitars, I wanted something raw, and since it has a locking trem, I figured this can be my "rock out" guitar :smile:!

Here she is with the rest of the Fender family.











Speaking of Fotoflame, here's something else that I hope to complete before the summer ends. 
I think al3d has something similar, if not the same.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

yep..mine's red doh..


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## Canadian Charlie (Apr 30, 2008)

I really love the colour of your Strat, thats awesome. 

I also see your a Strat man, I got one myself and love it. Light weight and nice to hold:smilie_flagge17:


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