Any of you have an 80's Fender HM Strat?

[Metaled1020]

These guitars were supposedly equipped with DiMarzio`s Super 3 in the bridge,but according to DiMarzio`s website the Super 3 didn`t come out until 1994....anyone know the deal with this?

[DonP]

These guitars were supposedly equipped with DiMarzio`s Super 3 in the bridge,but according to DiMarzio`s website the Super 3 didn`t come out until 1994....anyone know the deal with this?

Yeah. The only way to get a Super 3 was by buying an HM Strat until they were publically released.

[Metaled1020]

Yeah. The only way to get a Super 3 was by buying an HM Strat until they were publically released.

Oh ok...thanks!

[straycat]

Mine all had super 2's

[JACKSONFREAK]

Never had a HM Strat but i do have a Contemporary Strat


Gil
I just remembered i did have a HM strat briefly. It was red with black paint splatters on it. Had the neck pup routed for a hum. had JBs in bothe hum spots so i pulled them out put in something else and sold it. The finish was all scratched and kinda messed up. Probably why i sold it. I do remember it had a great neck tho. Real flat and real fast. I still have those JBs too. well at least one of them anyway. I'll have to recheck all my guitars i dont remember anymore.

[nhspike]

Spike's has an original Floyd Rose PRO on it. It was standard at the time as were the Dimarzio humbuckers. I should know, he got it from me !!! He He !!!

hehe
That's actually Paul's couch, and kitty too!
(I have the same model cat, will post pics soon)
:ROTF:

[Bengal65]

Yeah, I had a made is USA one back in '89. It was shocking pink with a maple board. I sold it in '92 to a buddy who wanted it bad. It was an OK guitar and quality built. From what I remember, it had those funky rubber/plastic knobs on it.

[Carbuff]

This thread actually got me thinking so I did some research. It seems that the logic of the month is that mine is USA made as the serial starts with an E. I always thought it was mij for no other reason that it had the smaller sized pots and the 5-way switch is one of those white plastic ones. It really makes no difference to me but I guess it increases the value a bit.

[85 San Dimas]

I had several contemporaries over the years and they were damned fine guitars.

Some of the trems were a little funky but there was lot of that back then.

[DonP]

This thread actually got me thinking so I did some research. It seems that the logic of the month is that mine is USA made as the serial starts with an E. I always thought it was mij for no other reason that it had the smaller sized pots and the 5-way switch is one of those white plastic ones. It really makes no difference to me but I guess it increases the value a bit.

Already been down that road. Mine is exactly the same as yours, and I think it starts with E84. I'm afraid ours are MIJ. From the research I've done, the HM strat production wasn't moved to the US until the headstock logo changed, and I think the trem changed to a Floyd at that same time as well.

I wish you lived closer, so that you could hear mine with the warpig and I could hear yours with the Super3. I really like the Warpig, but I want to hear what the Super3 has to offer as well. I think they might be similar because the pig has lots of chunk. That's why I picked it out of my box of pickups, because it was closest to the Super3 in spec's. Got to solder those nuts, but it's a PITA when you work in Nashville but your guitars are up in Cinci.

[Carbuff]

Already been down that road. Mine is exactly the same as yours, and I think it starts with E84. I'm afraid ours are MIJ. From the research I've done, the HM strat production wasn't moved to the US until the headstock logo changed, and I think the trem changed to a Floyd at that same time as well.

I wish you lived closer, so that you could hear mine with the warpig and I could hear yours with the Super3. I really like the Warpig, but I want to hear what the Super3 has to offer as well. I think they might be similar because the pig has lots of chunk. That's why I picked it out of my box of pickups, because it was closest to the Super3 in spec's. Got to solder those nuts, but it's a PITA when you work in Nashville but your guitars are up in Cinci.

Yeah, I remember researching this years ago and all the info at the time pointed to mij. Now theres a site dedicated to fender japan guitars that claims that nything with an E serial is USA made. You would think that if it were as easy as " all kahlered ones are mij" or "all ones with that headstock logo are mij" that the expert sites would just say that. And Don, you are the first person Ive met that has admitted that his was mij. Everyone who has or had one claims it was miA. After all, it says so on the neckplate.

[fuel0707]

Here's mine:



Overall, I really like the guitar. It is different from most Strat necks in a few key ways. First, it's a 24-fret neck that gets really wide at the 24th fret. Second, and it's not obvious, is that the scale length is slightly shorter than a regular strat: 25.0 inches on the HM (if I recall correctly) vs. 25.5" on a regular strat. That effects the tone of the instrument as well as the feel of the strings as you play.

The Kahler Spyder has worked pretty well for me. I've not had any problems with mine and I did get my HM second- or third-hand from a dealer who took it on a consignment deal.

The single coil pickups aren't the most detailed, vibey singles you'll ever hear but the Super 3 in the bridge is pretty nice. Combined with the TBX control, you can get a range of tones from the HM, at least in the H/S/S layout.

My only regret with mine is that it's black/rosewood. I'd have loved a maple board. And with a rosewood board, I would have liked ANY other color than black. But nobody hears the color of the finish on your guitar anyways.

[Grandturk]

But nobody hears the color of the finish on your guitar anyways.

But you do... everyday you pick it up and wish...

[DonP]

And Don, you are the first person Ive met that has admitted that his was mij. Everyone who has or had one claims it was miA. After all, it says so on the neckplate.

I went through months of withdrawls getting over the fact that it wasn't MIA

There's a thread somewhere deep in these forums where we battled it out and I finally gave in.

And yes, it does say USA on the neckplate!

[DonP]

My only regret with mine is that it's black/rosewood. I'd have loved a maple board. And with a rosewood board, I would have liked ANY other color than black. But nobody hears the color of the finish on your guitar anyways.

There was a maple HM neck on ebay a few days ago when I check. It probably wont go too high because the only body it will fit on is an HM Strat body (or a custom one made by Slash).