NGD Fender Japan e-series

I don't like the body or the bridge, they don't look right. The neck is from a Japanese Standard ST-362 Strat

 

Neck fine. Body not so. I have never seen an E series routed like that.

 

There are a number of things. Those pickups look too new to be 33 years old. They have staggered pole pieces whereas of this era I expect flat on MIJ E Series (as they are in that video you posted). The bridge just doesn't look right somehow. I cannot say exactly how. Its an impression. Then the routing HSH on a guitar that should be SSS. I had sort of thought the E series were pretty faithful to the pickups fitted. So I have seen SSS , HSS and even single H but not HSH. Now that might just be I haven't seen enough. But it is grounds for being a little bit suspicious. People can and do put all sorts of different parts on guitar. Maybe the body is original and the pickups and guard switched? Who knows.

 

Can you take the neck off and look at markings in neck pocket. Pickups I think should be ceramic - see https://www.strat-talk.com/threads/fake-e-series-made-in-japan-stratocaster.529287/

Also look here https://thea.com/Bodies-Fender-Japan-Stratocaster/. Lots of E series bodies. None that I can see have the routing of the one you have shown.

 

I’m not qualified to opine.

 

Looks like a partscaster to me. Sorry.

BTW - It is common for Fender necks with a rosewood board not to have the skunk stripe.

And welcome to the forum.

 

What does it look like assembled?

 

Looks killer all together. Play it and have fun!

 

Body and neck are probably from a Boxer Series ST-456 (same necks like ST-362), or another model that used those bodies because they have this exact HSH routing. They came with black pickguard, humbucker in bridge position and two ceramic pickups in middle and neck. So the white pickguard wouldn’t be the original one.


The pickups are legit MIJ ones. I have an 1984 Squier CST Strat (SQ serial, big headstock) with the same pickups, also staggered. Then I also have another Squier CST strat, same looking pickups but flat pole pieces. Some people, including me, saying those plastic bobbin pickups with the square holes are the "SQ-5" ones (there are also "SQ-5 hot rod" ones) and that the fiber bobbin ones are the "SQ-4" ones. Some say it’s the other way. My CST strat with the staggered pole piece pickups came with a sticker where it says "Squier SQ 5 hot rod", I will post a picture.

Potentiometer are legit MIJ ones. Switch not.

A ST-456 would have another, more modern style bridge. So the bridge on your guitar probably is changed. Hard to tell from those pictures if it’s a MIJ one or not.

My thoughts:

- ST-456 neck and body
- changed 1 ply 8 screw pickguard
- changed pickups (MIJ)
- changed bridge



Note the sticker. The pickups are staggered like yours.

 

Exactly, the black one.

The white one has a changed pickguard if the neck and body are original from a ST57. Can’t tell more from those pictures.