If you've ever fancied a reissue 1957 Fender Stratocaster but can't afford one, this is the next best guitar you can possibly buy.

My 50s reissue was made in Japan and was probably one of the last batches before Fender moved production of this (and some other collectable models) to its Mexico factory starting from 1998. I've always admired the V-necked vintage Stratocaster from the fifties. Since a U.S. reissue, '57 Strat was out of my financial reach, I happily settled for a candy apple red 50s reissue Strat. This is one guitar that will be with me for a lifetime! Fender Japan could have used alder wood for the body but as basswood is a lot cheaper and readily available in Asia, the latter seemed more logical for an inexpensive reissue. Of course, Fender purists will balk at the use of basswood instead of the traditional alder or ash, but players who love Ibanez guitars won't have any qualms since Ibanez uses basswood on their products.

Bear in mind that the 50s Strat doesn't represent a particular year at all; rather it combines elements from a 1954 and a 1957 Strat. From my understanding, the round string tree on this guitar is typical of a '54, while the soft V-shaped neck represents a '57 Stratocaster. You also get a 5-way pickup toggle switch instead of a 3-way found on a U.S. '57 reissue.

Let's cut to the chase:

[Specifications]
- Made in Japan
- Basswood body (my guitar's color is a cool Candy Apple Red)
- Maple neck with 7.25 inch radius, maple fingerboard with lacquer finish. 21 vintage frets.
- Cyclovac nut.
- Vintage single coil pickups with aged covers.
- Vintage tremolo bridge with round string retainer at headstock.
- Five-way toggle switch with aged look tip.
- Master volume control, passive tone controls for middle and rear pickups, aged look.
- Single ply, 8-hole white pickguard.
- Kluson vintage tuners

[Construction]
I was very impressed with the shape of the 50s Strat. The headstock and body routing conformed truly to the vintage Strat of the fifties. It's as though Fender Japan faithfully reproduced these guitars from the original blueprints! The curve at the back of the guitar seemed to be a bit sharp; not as rounded as my other Strat models that I own. Weight wise, it seems slightly heavy for a basswood Stratocaster. Perhaps the thick metallic finish and layers of polyurethane added some weight to it. The finish was flawless. The sturdy all-maple neck is lacquered and gives a yellowish tint appearance. I also noticed some lacquer overspray on the higher frets but it gradually disappeared after a year of playing. The "aged look" pickup covers, control knobs and pickup selector switch lends a bit of authenticity of a Strat that had been lying around for forty years. Cool!


[Electronics]
If there's something to nitpick about the 50's reissue Strat, it's the robustness of the volume and tone controls. On my first week of using the guitar, one of the tone knobs broke apart! Apparently the potentiometer wasn't up to task. I had it replaced free of charge and the guitar technician told me that the Japanese reissues used smaller 250k Ohm pots. He had to cannibalize one from another 50's reissue guitar, since the spare potentiometers meant for the American Std Strats which he had were totally incompatible with my guitar. Looks like I have to be careful with the controls after this incident!

[Sound]
Pickup output was rather on the weak side and not too bright sounding, unlike Texas Specials pickups found on American Strats. I don't know how a vintage 50's Strat sounds like but I guess this sounds pretty close to the Real McCoy! Keep this guitar away from fluorescent lights and especially computers if you don't like hum. Otherwise, consider replacing the pickups with better ones from DiMarzio, Fender or Seymour Duncan. I figure the stock pickups are good for Mark Knopfler/classic Eric Clapton sounds but it won't give you screaming lead sounds. Cranking up the amp's gain and using distortion pedals serve to amplify noise too. Don't expect it to sound like a genuine U.S. made reissue (which uses thinner, nitrocellulose finish) because the thick polyurethane coating on the body tends to muffle the sustain and tone of the guitar. Guess it would take twenty years or so before the guitar's finish starts to wear thin and allow the wood to "breathe".

[Playability]
The neck felt very chunky and strange when I first played it. Obviously I wasn't used to V-shaped necks after years of playing ultra flat-necked Ibanez and Yamaha electrics. The rounded fretboard and thin vintage-style frets don't help much in the string bending department. You don't want to have a very low action since that would made bending strings a lot harder. However, as I grew accustomed to the V-neck I found it was lovely for playing chords. After six months of playing this guitar and I fell in love with the neck!

The vintage tremolo performed flawlessly like it was supposed to, but it also means no crazy "dive bombs" with the tremolo arm. This is not a Floyd Rose! The guitar goes a little off-pitch after overuse of the tremolo arm, but manageable nonetheless. Yank the trem sharply (or bend a few strings without playing them) and you're back in business. Still, I would not recommend severe tremolo tricks unless you've mastered the fine art of string stretch tuning and balancing the tremolo springs.

[In Short]
This is a very nice guitar given the relatively low price tag. Fender Japan paid the fullest attention to construction and quality for such an inexpensive instrument. I would say the 50s reissue Strat would certainly appeal to collectors and experienced players. Beginners may find the thick V-neck, small frets and 7.25 inch radius unappealing, unless they're willing to adapt. If you're looking for the heavy metal Fender look and sound, this isn't the Stratocaster for you. But if you've always wanted a 50's reissue but can't afford the U.S. '57 reissue, I can't think of anything else that gives better value for your money!


Recommended: Yes