Shreveport, LA, United States
About this listing
1994–1995 Fender Japan '62 Reissue "Foto Flame" Stratocaster (model ST62DTD)This guitar looks great and most importantly plays and sounds great.Now for the details...Decoding the Neck Pocket Label... (please see the photo of the label.)The red "N" stamped in the neck pocket/body cavity is an internal factory code used by FujiGen Gakki (the prominent Japanese manufacturer building Fenders at the time). It typically signified: Natural/Non-standard Finish, used by painters to mark the body for a specific finish route. Model Leveling: Identifying the specific tier or trim of the Stratocaster body (e.g., standard vs. collectible reissue) during assembly lines.The label tells us this guitar is a highly collectible 1994–1995 Fender Japan '62 Reissue "Foto Flame" Stratocaster (specifically model ST62DTD). It was built during the legendary golden era of Japanese craftsmanship at the FujiGen Gakki factory. ST62 means it is a 1962 Stratocaster Reissue, with 11-screw pickguard configuration, period-correct spaghetti logo font, and rosewood slab fretboard. DTD stands for Domestic Tiger Deluxe, indicating it was originally built primarily for the high-end Japanese domestic market rather than standard export. FNT is the color code for Flame Natural Top. J NO. 8/. 30: is a production routing schedule stamp from the factory floor, confirming a mid-1994 build timeline.The striking top on this guitar isn’t actual curly maple. Developed by Fender Japan in collaboration with a Japanese photographic film company (likely Fuji), the "Foto Flame" process used a specialized high-definition, heat-activated plastic film printed with a digital image of highly figured wood grain. This film was vacuum-pressed onto a thin basswood cap layered over a solid alder back. This specific Domestic Tiger Deluxe (ST62DTD) domestic-market variation features a solid maple neck with no film applied to it. This is actually a huge win for a player or collector for two major reasons:The Peeling Problem: The film on Foto Flame necks was known to sometimes crack and peel under a player's thumb because of friction, sweat, and temperature changes. A solid wood neck means this neck will never crack or peel.True Solid Wood Feel: This guitar has the gorgeous aesthetic of the "Flame Natural Top" on the body, paired with the organic, smooth feel of genuine maple in your hands.What makes this particular guitar so special:The "Excellent" Condition Body: This is the single biggest factor. According to research I've done on the internet, the photographic film used on the Foto Flame series was known to sometimes crack, blister and peel when exposed to big humidity or temperature changes for long periods of time. Finding a pristine body with zero finish cracks after 30+ years is exceptionally rare and highly sought after by collectors. A NOTE ON THE FINISH: This is 100% true... I have owned this guitar for 2 years and until this summer when I decided to sell it, I always thought it was a real maple flame top!! I swear, it looks that beautiful and real, especially when the light catches it in a certain way. IT IS FREAKING GORGEOUS. It was only when I started researching the particulars of this guitar, removed the neck and looked up the factory codes on the guitar and on the label in the "Neck Pocket" that I learned about the "Foto Flame" series. AS FAR AS DURABILITY...I live in Louisiana which is VERY hot and humid and the guitar is still in excellent/perfect condition, just like it was the day I bought it. I expect the "Foto Flame" finish to remain in it's present shape indefinitely as long as it's not abused... like leaving the guitar locked up in a hot car for hours at a time, etc... something most NORMAL people would never do anyway. It can certainly be gigged with and played like any normal Stratocaster outdoors or indoors.The Solid Wood Neck: Because this guitar is a domestic "DTD" model, it features a standard solid wood neck instead of a wrapped Foto Flame neck. Players heavily favor this combination because the solid wood neck completely bypasses the peeling issues that ruined many standard export Foto Flame necks.Alder Back: Many standard Japanese models from this era used basswood. Having the traditional, weightier solid alder back adds desirable vintage-correct tone and value.Essentially this guitar has the ultimate combination: the striking, rare "Flame Natural Top" aesthetic on the body, but none of the fragile, peeling film issues on the neck. It is a true player's piece in pristine collector's condition.CHANGES/UPGRADES that I have made to this guitar: (PLEASE NOTE: While I have done many things to this guitar which I consider "upgrades," I kept the original parts I replaced and am including them with the sale, they're shown in the last 3 photos. THEY ARE IN ZIPLOC BAGS IN THE SHIPPING BOX, NOT IN THE CASE ITSELF!)PICKUPS: I removed the stock Japanese single coils and installed real Fender "Fat 50" Single Coils that used to be in my American Standard Stratocaster. I replaced the adjusting springs at this time too on these pickups with ToneShapers Conical Single-Coil Springs. I also installed a ToneShaper Treble Bleed network for Single-Coil pickups, this is a capacitor on the volume pot that makes the guitar sound the same at lower volumes as it does at higher volumes.POTS: old pots were replaced with CTS 500k Split Shaft Audio/Log Pots.5-WAY PICKUP SELECTOR SWITCH: I removed the stock Japanese switch and installed the Free-Way Blade 10 Position Switch for SSS and HSS Guitars 5b5-01. Description from the web: "The 5B5-01 model delivers 10-position Free-Way switching in a Blade format which is directly interchangeable with conventional 5-way selectors. The lower bank of 5 positions delivers all the familiar pickup combinations just as normal - but the upper bank contains the missing parallel combinations (neck + bridge) and (neck + middle + bridge) together with three 'in series' combinations to provide higher output tones which you may not expect to hear from single coil pickups and which greatly expands the tonal range of any three pickup guitar. Visually undetectable when fitted, the 5B5-01 delivers incredible tonal flexibility in a completely intuitive, familiar package."TREMOLO BRIDGE: I removed the stock Japanese tremolo bridge and put in a chrome Hipshot 6 String US Contour Tremolo Bridge. From the Hipshot website: "The Hipshot US Contour bridge is unlike any tremolo system out there. Hardened steel pivot pins inserted into a machined brass top plate give the US Contour a bell like tonal quality and silky smooth whammy action! Coupled with a solid machined steel tremolo block, the US Contour can achieve tremendous sustain and volume. Best of all, it is designed to retrofit any guitar using the American Standard tremolo routing convention. No additional routing required."TUNING MACHINES: I removed the stock Japanese tuning machines and replaced them with Gotoh Locking Vintage Oval Knob 6-In-Line Tuners I purchased from StewMac.PICKGUARD & BACKPLATE: The stock cheap white ones were replaced with a beautiful foil shielded 11-Hole, Aged White Pearloid 3 layer Fender Stratocaster Pickguard and matching back plate.NECK PLATE: I replaced the generic looking, plain plate with a Genuine Fender "F" Chrome Neck Plate.STRAP LUGS: I replaced the originals with Schaller locking strap lugs. Also including the part for the strap.This comes with the original soft Fender gig bag case. (AGAIN...PLEASE NOTE: While I have done many things to this guitar which I consider "upgrades," I kept the original parts I replaced and am including them with the sale, they're shown in the last 3 photos. THEY ARE IN ZIPLOC BAGS IN THE SHIPPING BOX, NOT IN THE CASE ITSELF!)Attached is a YouTube video of this exact guitar before I owned it, made in 2024 by the Japanese Reverb seller that I bought this guitar from in Japan.THIS GUITAR will be carefully and properly padded & packed in a guitar shipping box and will be covered 100% by Reverb's shipping guarantee.Thank you for your interest, your time and consideration.
Price$1,152
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