Up for sale, a 1983 Fender Stratocaster ‘57 vintage reissue model ST57-85 in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Produced at the Fujigen factory in the second year of Fender Japan production, this rare, upper-tiered “Japanese Vintage” (JV) model features the same pickups and steel trem block used on the Fender USA Fullerton factory reissues from the same year.

Featuring an alder body and a one-piece maple neck, this Strat has a lively acoustic response. The original Fullerton-made Fender single coils in the neck and middle position have all the hallmarks '50s production, with black fiber bobbins, cloth-covered leads and staggered alnico magnets. These pickups are round and full-sounding cutting through with sparkling detail and midrange punch. The bridge position is a replacement Seymour Duncan SSL-1, offering plenty of treble spank and sweetness This ST57-85 weighs 7lbs 11oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Maple
• Shape: Medium C, measuring .850” 1st fret, .945” 12th fret
• Fretboard: Maple, 7 1/4” vintage-spec radius
• Frets: Slender, leveled and crowned, faint wear on frets 1-3
• Scale Length: 25 1/2”
• Nut: 1.650” (42mm), bone
• Tuners: Kluson-style, Gotoh
• Serialization: “Made in Japan” (peghead face), JV-prefix (neck plate)
• Factory Markings: Neck heel pencil dated 4-17-83, “B” stamp in pocket denotes model tier

Body Specs:

• Wood: Alder
• Pickups: USA-made Fullerton single coil x2, Seymour Duncan SSL-1 (replacement, bridge)
• Harness: Full-size Japanese pots date to March, 1983
• Hardware: Six-point vibrato (USA-made steel block)
• Plastics: One-ply pickguard (replacement), aged knobs and pickup covers (yellowed bridge cover)

The alder body has been routed in the bridge position for a Tele-style pickup, and the thin gloss Black finish is purportedly nitro lacquer according to the Fender factory literature for this model tier/year. The guitar exhibits mild pick scuffing on top, faint buckle rash central to the back, and some dings on the body as a whole, largely on the perimeter. The ambered gloss on the neck profile shows some shallow nicks along the profile length that are not distracting to the palm while fretting, and there is a small cigarette burn on the peghead face.

A faux leather gigbag is included.