Fender Japan has celebrated 40 years of guitar-making in 2022 - and every year more guitarists turn into devoted Fender Japan fans and collectors, mostly because of the broad variety of unique and innovative models and unsurpassed craftsmanship.
This Stratocaster comes from the unique Fender Japan Pro Feel series introduced in 1987 and only made for a few short years, a true epitome of "Fender Japan originality". Spearheaded by the late Shigeru Naruke, the STM model is a fusion of innovation and tradition. It reimagines the classic Stratocaster with a slim 24.75-inch scale neck (same as the vast majority of Gibsons, but slightly longer than 24-inch Mustangs and Jaguars) and bespoke features like the Fender End Rox tremolo and Dimarzio HS3 stacked noiseless single-coil bridge and neck pickups.
The STM-75DM, produced between 1987 and 1988 was later rebranded with a three-digit model name STM-750DM in 1990, but the specs haven't changed. Unique features continue with a recessed heel joint for easier access to higher frets, recessed tremolo cavity cover, 22 medium jumbo frets, 9.85-inch fretboard radius, 40-mm nut, "transition" logo and 11-hole 1-ply white pickguard.
Shigeru Naruke's imprint on the STM series resonates through its thoughtful construction, reflecting the Japanese pursuit of instruments that meld seamlessly with the player's hands. Challenging the status quo of classic Stratocasters is what it's all about here.
The Stratocaster for sale comes in beautifully aged original yellow white finish and with some truly spectacular fretboard wear. Neck is slim and fast, with a recent medium jumbo refret. Truss-rod adjuster at the headstock allows for convenient setup; original Gotoh Japan tuners work exceptionally well.
Poplar body is resonant and loud acoustically and doesn't have any structural damage or modifications. The neck pocket is equipped with MicroTilt adjuster that allows to raise the neck heel without the use of shims.
Original Dimarzio HS3 single-coils have a beautiful sonic palette with tight lows and singing highs as well as a rocky mid range. And no noise! Brilliant stacked construction with a "dummy coil" allows for a totally noiseless operation, even with a dirt pedal engaged. The middle pickup is the classic 1980s Fender Japan flatpole ceramic model, providing nice contrast to the Dimarzios. Original Fender Japan potentiometers still work smoothly and the treble roll-off via the Tone knobs is nice and even.
Unique End Rox tremolo bridge comes with a full-size steel sustain block and steel block saddles. We've upgraded the worn-out 2 tremolo pivots with a pair of new Gotoh Japan posts.
This instrument received a full professional setup with deep body cleaning, neck deep clean, full electronics check, truss-rod and action and intonation adjustment. Restringed with D'addario 10-46 nickel-plated steel strings.
Please note that although we put our heart and soul and also all our knowledge into every single guitar we sell, a setup is a personal preference. However, we try to get the best playability out of every guitar and set them up so you can play both rhythm and lead. We also pull them all apart to clean and check every single component and replace all unreliable parts with new ones, from dodgy pots to the whole wiring, tuners, string trees, nuts and etc. All the work done is described in detail in the listing.
We make sure that every guitar we sell is problem free and take full responsibility for the accuracy of our listing descriptions. All photographs are done by a professional photographer and processed on a calibrated monitor. Some colours might look slightly different on your monitor, but we will always put the official Fender colour name in the listing description, so please study pictures of other guitars with the same colour if you are unsure. We focus on finding great quality guitars and making them reliable and inspiring to play.
This guitar will be shipped around UK with Parcelforce 24h courier, safely packed into a sturdy guitar cardboard box. 24h courier service provided to UK customers. Worldwide shipping available as well.
MODEL: Fender Japan Stratocaster STM-75DM
YEAR: 1988
COLOUR: Aged White, worn gloss finish
PICKGUARD: original 1-ply parchment white
NECK: slim C-shape maple neck, 24.75-scale (same as all Gibsons), honey amber gloss finish, neck heel stamp STM-75DMM
FRETBOARD: maple, 9.85-inch radius
NUT: original nut
NUT WIDTH: 40 mm
FRETS: 22 medium jumbo frets with minimal wear
TUNERS: original Gotoh Japan tuners, aged nickel finish
BODY: poplar, original HSH body routing, contoured neck heel, MicroTilt adjuster, upgraded Dunlop strap lock pins
TOTAL WEIGHT: 3.4 kg
TREMOLO: original 2-point modern style Fender Japan End Rox tremolo, original block steel saddles, original steel tremolo block, upgraded new Gotoh pivot anchors, non-original back cover
WEAR: plenty of cosmetic wear from years of active playing; no structural damage or modifications
PICKUPS: original Dimarzio HS3 Noiseless neck and bridge single-coils, original Fender Japan flat-pole ceramic middle pickup
WIRING: original Fender Japan full-size A250K pots, upgraded Oak USA 5-way switch, Green Hornet ceramic tone capacitor