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1985 Fender Stratocaster Contemporary Pearl Finish MIJ Japan System 3 Tremolo

Estimated price for orientation: 600 $

Category: Electric Guitars
Class:











Description
Condition: Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition Brand: Fender
Body Color: Pearl White Body Type: Solid
Body Material: Solid Wood MPN: Does Not Apply
Model Year: 1985 - 1986 Model: Stratocaster
Size: Full Size String Configuration: 6 String
Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan Dexterity: Right-Handed
UPC: Does not apply


1985 - 1986 Fender Stratocaster Contemporary Pearl Finish MIJ JapanThe Contemporary Deluxe Strat was the top of the line from Fender Japan with noteworthy features like the System III locking tremolo system, Fender's new Ping tuners which would soon be used on the American Standard, Schaller humbucker mounted directly to the body with accompanying mini-switch to split the humbucker, side-mounted barrel jack, and TBX (Treble Bass Expander) tone control, also used on the American Standard a year or two later.Equipped with a Schaller humbucker and two USA single coils.Features include: alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, blackface headstock, System III locking vibrato, black pickguard, Schaller humbucker with 2/1 screw attachment that's screwed directly into the body, single volume and TBX control, 5-way switch plus mini-switch for 7 tone settings, and chrome hardware.  The System III was really a rather ingenious piece of engineering. First off, it uses a special tremolo arm with the short shaft being square and the tip screws off to reveal an Allen wrench. The reason for this is that, adjacent to the strap pin is an Allen socket, which raises/lowers the bridge, making minor adjustments a breeze. The square shaft was used as it operated a locking mechanism in the tremolo to convert it from tremolo to fixed bridge with just a 1/4 turn of the bar. Both of these are very practical features and I'm surprised that Fender never pursued the technology in any models that followed. This guitar plays superbly and sounds great. The Schaller humbucker is the same model used in the Esprit/Flame models and one of my favorite pickups of all time. It is capable of producing great Strat tones plus a warmer, fatter tone via the Schaller.  The Contemporary line, including the Deluxe, featured a very flat fretboard. At 12", it was flatter than today's "modern" radius of 9.5' and much flatter than the 7.25" vintage radius. 
It’s a nice looking guitar with some dents and scratches, good frets, with the hard to find original tremolo bar.