Fender Japan Limited Edition HM Strat Ice Blue RW With Deluxe Gig Bag

General

Fender have breathed new life into a true cult classic. For the time being, this iconic Fender HM Strat is available as a 150-quantity limited edition. Connoisseurs will undoubtedly appreciate the fact that this modern re-issue, much like the original, is carefully built in the Fujigen factory in Japan; a place where genuine craftsmanship is still highly valued. All in all, this is a great opportunity to get your hands on the authentic hot-rod Strat that earned Fender its rightful place in the heavy metal world between 1988 and 1992.

Fender Japan Limited Edition HM Strat: Heavy Metal or Hair Metal?

Heavy metal meant something different in the eighties than it does today. Back then, spandex, hair bands and snake prints were hot items, while the electric guitars of the time were characterised by missing scratch plates, ecstatic colours, high-power pickups and extreme vibrato effects. Master-guitarist Greg Howe is a great example of one of many that fervently played a Fender HM Strat in those days.

Slim Body with Sensual Hips

At first glance, the HM looks like a traditional Strat. Look closely, however, and you'll notice a number of significant differences. For starters, the contours of the body of the HM aren't as rounded, and the horns are a little slimmer for a tight and fast feel. Other interesting details include the sensually asymmetrical hips of the HM, as well as the fact that the electronics are integrated in and run through the back of the body for a scratchplate-less design that helps bring out the stunning Day-Glo finish.

Powerful Pickups & Coil Splitting

The Fender HM Strat sports a potent HSS pickup configuration, which means that it's been mounted with a humbucker at the bridge and single-coils in the mid and neck position. It goes without saying that these pick-ups are capable of delivering high-gain sound for forceful rhythms and face-melting leads, without losing out on their versatility. Equipped with a mini-switch that lets you split the humbucker in the bridge, the tonal arsenal of this axe also includes a range of more traditional Strat sounds.

Floyd Rose Double Locking Tremolo

Floyd Rose is the name of the engineer that developed the eponymous tremolo system. He filed for a patent in 1979 and before long, electric guitars produced by wide variety of manufacturers suddenly featured his bridge. The Floyd Rose on this Fender is recessed and appears to be floating over the top of the body. Since there's no contact with the body, the bridge can bend both ways, letting you either decrease or increase string tension while the 'double locking' system holds the strings in place at both the saddles and the string nut for superb tuning stability and vicious vibratos.

Need for Speed

Believe it or not, one of the most remarkable features of the HM Strat is the not-so-Fenderesque neck. Instead, Fender have opted to fit this Strat with a thin C-profile neck with an extremely flat, 17-inch fretboard radius to make tapping and string bending a little easier. The fretboard is home to 24 jumbo frets and has a rounded heel for full and comfortable access to every inch of the musical playing field and, to lift playing comfort even higher, the back of the maple neck has been graced with a satin-gloss finish for a fast and smooth feel.

• Please note: Only 150 models of this Limited Edition Stratocaster have been made available.