Hi, I am reading old Twang catalogs and Japanese Domestic Stratocasters specs. I noticed that ST62-53 (or ST57-53 and ST54-53) had Japanese Alnico Pickups with staggered poles, called ST-Vintage. But in 1994 and 1995 catalogs these strats were were equipped with ST-single pickups (made in Japan, too). Searching ST62-53s pictures, I notice that this guitars usually had staggered poles pickups, like previous ST62-55 and ST-500 models with ST-Vintage pickups. But I also noticed that few STxx-53s had flat poles pickups. Is it possible that these flat poles were aftermarket pickups or ST-Vintage and ST-Single are not the same model? Maybe ST-Single were ceramic with flat poles?
'90s Japanese Pickups
- Thread starter Antonio77
- Start date
Thrup'ny Bit
Grand Master Curmudgeon
My'95 ST54 has flat pole ceramics. They were on it when it came out of the box 25 years ago.
Guitarmageddon
Dr. Stratster
ST-vintage AND ST-single are actually CERAMIC pickups.......the lowest end models of 'reissue' always had basswod body and ceramic pickups......
I also thought so. But I also saw many guitars on sale (90%) with ST-vintage (according to catalogs) that had alnico pickups. So they were all aftermarket pickups?
The most of these ST-Vintage on these guitars have staggered poles. So maybe the original pickups were ceramic with flat poles?
Look also at this page from Stratomaniac: the 3rd and the 6th from left. According to this website these are Japanese alnico pickups (I used Google translate).
Guitarmageddon
Dr. Stratster
No....Fender Japan was NEVER consistent......Fender Japan had ceramic staggered pole pickups in the 90s too......and not every guitar that came off the line matched specs of what was in the catalog.
Yes, there are Japanese Alnico pickups, and USA pickups!! They were on the highest end models...but you're asking about the bottom of the line models, you're asking about models that all sold for under 60,000 Yen when new.....and those were all spec'ed to have ceramic pickups.....
the number at the end corresponds to price
ST-57-55 - this sold for 55,000 Yen when new....
ST-57-115 - top of the line, 115,000 Yen when new....
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Thrup'ny Bit
Grand Master Curmudgeon
This.
BroncoMXR
New Member!
My 1992/1993 Fender Japan ST62 had "Texas Special" Made in USA pickups. I bought it from a store called "Tahara's" in Tokyo in 1997. I don't know if that store is still in Tokyo but it was the biggest guitar store I could find at the time in Tokyo (I was stationed there in the Navy). Still have that same guitar with the same pickups and I wouldn't sell it for anything - only electric guitar I have. I owned up to 6 electric guitars before and this is the best sounding one ever owned.
Check these out.
1990s JPN limited edition pickups. Dunno what model.
BUT what is interesting. The BRIDGE AND NECK are staggered. The MIDDLE is FLAT (almost) and is RWRP. Wow!! Crazy They put thought into making these, you don't just stick a flat pole model in with staggered poles by accident and have the same specifications
Their basic spec is vintage: 5.8K - 2.3H and around 80pf (except for the neck which is higher H and high capacitance but the same DCR)
1990s JPN limited edition pickups. Dunno what model.
BUT what is interesting. The BRIDGE AND NECK are staggered. The MIDDLE is FLAT (almost) and is RWRP. Wow!! Crazy They put thought into making these, you don't just stick a flat pole model in with staggered poles by accident and have the same specifications
Their basic spec is vintage: 5.8K - 2.3H and around 80pf (except for the neck which is higher H and high capacitance but the same DCR)
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FrieAsABird
Senior Stratmaster
Yeah, it’s always bittersweet when I stumble upon his posts.
Ubermuzik
Strat-Talk Member
No it wasn’t. The first number indicates year of USA body, the second number year of the neck. The most common were the ST 62-57 . I’m referring to early 1980s when the JV ( Japanese Vintage ) were released in Japan. The E series ( late 83 to 85 generally speaking . No one knows how many Fender Japan models came with USA electronics, but Fender USA sold them in 1984-85 as American Strats. They finished the headstocks with “ Made in USA “ as Fender was building new plant in Corona ( after Fullerton ) . The high end Japanese Tele’s , Strats,P, and Jazz basses are as good as any USA Custom shop. The price for Fender Japan now is close to parity in price to USA Fenders. Go on Reverb, and check out the prices …
Headstock
Strat-Talk Member
Huh? Body year and neck year? That makes no sense. Sorry, gotta disagree with this.
The letters indicate the basic type:
ST for Stratocaster, TL for Telecaster.
The first two digits combine with the letter designations to describe the type and model year:
TL52 is (based on) 1952 Telecaster
ST54 is (based on) 1954 Stratocaster
TL62B is (based on) 1962 Telecaster Custom with double bound body.
…and so on.
The final two or three digits define the price point when new. Obviously this varied somewhat as the years went by (as did the exact model specifications) but those two or three digits indicate the list price in thousands of Yen at the time they were released, nothing to do with neck year! The rule of thumb is that the higher the model number (and hence the higher the price) the better the spec although there was some degree of variation and not everything followed this exactly.
Nevertheless, ST54-55 would have been based on a 1954 Strat and would have listed at ¥55,000 and would likely have basswood body, polyester finish and basic electronics with relatively cheap wiring and cheap selector switch but it would have small details like the round string tree from 1954. In the earlier years of MIJ this would have included basic single coil pups with black plastic bobbins but staggered alnico polepieces whereas from the early 90’s these switched to the single coils with ceramic magnets.
ST62-115, on the other hand, was a guitar based on an early 1962 Strat with a slab rosewood board and at that end of the range (¥115,000) would likely have nitro finish and better electronics, which often meant US-made pups, and even in some instances even the period correct three-way selector rather then the more modern five-way used on the cheaper models. Depending on the finish, these would have ash or alder bodies in place if the basswood used on the cheaper guitars.
See this page of the 1989 Fender Japan catalogue:
Even in 1983, a Strat designated “ST57-85” in was a guitar based on a 1957 Strat and listed for ¥85,000. The full range of historic Fender Japan catalogues available via this page:
[Edit for typos!]
The letters indicate the basic type:
ST for Stratocaster, TL for Telecaster.
The first two digits combine with the letter designations to describe the type and model year:
TL52 is (based on) 1952 Telecaster
ST54 is (based on) 1954 Stratocaster
TL62B is (based on) 1962 Telecaster Custom with double bound body.
…and so on.
The final two or three digits define the price point when new. Obviously this varied somewhat as the years went by (as did the exact model specifications) but those two or three digits indicate the list price in thousands of Yen at the time they were released, nothing to do with neck year! The rule of thumb is that the higher the model number (and hence the higher the price) the better the spec although there was some degree of variation and not everything followed this exactly.
Nevertheless, ST54-55 would have been based on a 1954 Strat and would have listed at ¥55,000 and would likely have basswood body, polyester finish and basic electronics with relatively cheap wiring and cheap selector switch but it would have small details like the round string tree from 1954. In the earlier years of MIJ this would have included basic single coil pups with black plastic bobbins but staggered alnico polepieces whereas from the early 90’s these switched to the single coils with ceramic magnets.
ST62-115, on the other hand, was a guitar based on an early 1962 Strat with a slab rosewood board and at that end of the range (¥115,000) would likely have nitro finish and better electronics, which often meant US-made pups, and even in some instances even the period correct three-way selector rather then the more modern five-way used on the cheaper models. Depending on the finish, these would have ash or alder bodies in place if the basswood used on the cheaper guitars.
See this page of the 1989 Fender Japan catalogue:
Even in 1983, a Strat designated “ST57-85” in was a guitar based on a 1957 Strat and listed for ¥85,000. The full range of historic Fender Japan catalogues available via this page:
[Edit for typos!]
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Headstock
Strat-Talk Member
I have a simpler and more prosaic but much less exciting alternative explanation for you…
The thin black and white wiring and the visible black base below the pickup covers says to me that these are the all the same early type basic MIJ single coil pups on black plastic bobbins, as used on the cheaper models.
If you look at the outer polepieces on all three pups they are in pretty much the same stagger positions for the EA--BE strings. The only polepieces that are different are the two for the --DG-- strings on the middle pup, which are flush to the cover or lower.
My guess is that these are actually all the same basic type pups but the middle polepieces of the middle pup have simply been pushed into the bobbin… it’s easy enough to do.
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We know Guitarmageddon was an expert on these.
stratman323
Dr. Stratster
The poles have definitely been pushed in, if you look in the bottom you'll notice they extend out further. So you think that was an after market mod or done at creation time?
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Headstock
Strat-Talk Member
Good catch! I hadn't spotted that but you're right and it just confirms my suspicion.
I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it an "aftermarket mod" -- they're basically the exact same pickup, just with two pole pieces pushed in. Whether deliberate or accidental, original or done later, who knows...! It's easy enough to push them back to the correct positions though.
