1994 Fender Strat Ultra – Mystic Black – One Owner Since New

I purchased this Fender Strat Ultra new from Guitar Showcase in San Jose, California, in 1994 and have been its only owner.

This guitar has a story. I didn’t buy the Ultra because I was looking for a collectible Fender. I bought it because I was writing and recording original music and needed a Strat that could give me the feel and rhythmic response I loved while being much more versatile in a professional recording studio.

Guitar Information

• Serial Number: N3152123
• Model: 0109800819
• Fender Description: STRAT ULTRA MYB W/DC
• Manufactured: January 1994
• Made in USA
• Mystic Black finish
• Ebony fingerboard
• Lace Sensor pickup configuration
• Dually bridge pickup
• Roller nut
• Locking tuners
• Fender/Floyd Rose tremolo

Body Color/Finish: Mystic Black (MYB): Under normal lighting, the guitar appears deep gloss black. Under strong directional light at an angle, the subtle blue/green pearl speckling becomes visible. I have included two close-up photos to help show the effect; it is considerably easier to see in person than to photograph.

Condition Note: During a close inspection while preparing the guitar for sale, I noticed several small areas along the fingerboard edge and near the nut where the finish appears cloudy or shows some separation. These areas are documented in the close-up “Finish Detail” photos. They have not affected the guitar’s function or playability, and I have made no attempt to repair or refinish them.

Why I Bought This Strat Ultra

Before buying the Ultra, I played a conventional single-coil Stratocaster. I loved the way a Strat responded to my playing style, which was heavily rhythmic. Live, it worked beautifully.

In 1993 I recorded a song with that Strat that came out very well, but getting the sounds I wanted in the studio required a lot of experimenting with the guitar, tuning, amplifier settings and setup.

I also worked with a Gibson Les Paul. It was a wonderfully tight and powerful guitar, but for my rhythmic playing style it didn’t give me the same feel and response I got from a Strat.

I wanted something that could bridge those worlds.

I spent months visiting Guitar Showcase in San Jose, trying different guitars and talking with their staff about what I was trying to accomplish. At that point we weren’t performing live very often. We were primarily songwriters creating original music and capturing it in recording studios.

Their staff introduced me to the Strat Ultra.

I kept going back and playing it. At the time I didn’t have much money, so purchasing a guitar at this level was a significant decision for me. Eventually I took the chance and bought it.

It turned out to be exactly what I had been looking for.

A Wonderful Studio Guitar

The Lace Sensor configuration gave me the Strat feel and rhythmic response I liked while providing a remarkably useful range of recording sounds.

For rhythm and distorted guitar I often used the single-coil positions. For softer clean passages I could move to the neck pickup. When I wanted a stronger lead voice, I generally moved to the Dually.

The guitar became my primary studio instrument.

One of the professional recording engineers and guitarists I worked with, Peter Stanley, particularly loved this Strat. Peter was a considerably more technically accomplished guitarist than I was, and hearing what he could get out of my guitar helped me appreciate just how versatile it was.

He liked the guitar enough that he repeatedly asked me to leave it at the studio so he could use it on other recording sessions.

I always took it home.

The Original Recordings Still Exist

One unusual part of this guitar’s history is that I still have several of the original professional studio recordings made with this exact instrument.

They demonstrate four very different sides of the guitar:

“I Did It Daddy” – Raw Studio Cut

This may be the best example of the guitar in a relatively raw recording environment.

The song came together spontaneously late one night in the studio. Our backup singer shared some words she had written about her strained relationship with her father. I had a guitar progression that had never found the right words or emotion to accompany it. Something clicked, and within roughly an hour we had constructed the song.

We ran through it only a couple of times, and I asked the engineer to record another pass so we wouldn’t forget what we’d created.

The recording is essentially a live band take, no additional guitar layers, no overdubbed guitar solo and no attempt to go back and perfect the guitar performance. We were simply capturing the song and having fun.

The Strat is using the Dually through a Fender Bassman tube amplifier and Marshall 4x12 cabinet. I particularly loved the warmth of that combination.

“Camella” – Clean / Melodic

This recording demonstrates a completely different personality of the guitar. I used the neck Lace Sensor for the softer clean passages and moved to the Dually for lead work.

“Kira” – Rhythm / Rock

This demonstrates the Strat in a more energetic rhythmic rock setting, the type of playing where the feel and response of a Strat always worked particularly well for me.

“Help the Healer” – Studio / Lead

This is a slower, more emotionally driven rock song.

I played the guitar throughout the recording, but the featured guitar solo was played by professional guitarist and recording engineer Peter Stanley, using this same Strat Ultra.

I had my own solo, but Peter had been experimenting with some sounds and asked if he could try it. He incorporated some faster scaling techniques that sounded great, so we used his take.

Hearing this guitar in the hands of a much more technically accomplished player was another demonstration to me of just how capable and versatile it was.

These original recordings remain part of the documented history of the guitar.

Condition

I have owned this guitar continuously since purchasing it new in 1994 and have taken very good care of it.

It has been played and professionally recorded, so I am not representing it as mint. It shows minor evidence of careful use consistent with its age. Please examine all of the photographs closely, as they are part of my description of its cosmetic condition.

The guitar has been carefully stored and maintained throughout my ownership.

Original-Era Case

The hardshell case shown in the photographs is the case I purchased new from Guitar Showcase on the same day I purchased the guitar in 1994.

It has remained with the Strat ever since and has also been exceptionally well cared for.

I am not representing it as the factory-supplied Strat Ultra case. It is simply the case that has protected this guitar since the day I brought it home.

Why I’m Selling

After more than 30 years, I’ve decided it’s time for someone else to own and play it.

I bought this guitar new, wrote songs with it, recorded with it, learned what it could do from musicians who were better technical players than I was, and cared for it for more than three decades.

I’d rather see it go to someone who understands what it is and will make more music with it than simply continue keeping it in its case.