Tag Archives: Fender

Since 1946, Fender’s iconic Stratocasters, Telecasters and Precision & Jazz Basses have transformed music.

1962 Reissue Fender Japan Stratocaster

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1962 Fender Japan Stratocaster
Genuine Fender Japan ’62 Stratocaster 1996-1997 USA Custom Shop Electronics with rosewood neck.

1962 Reissue Fender Japan Stratocaster stamped ST-62DEX2 on the heel of the neck, “Made In Japan” and serial number has V prefix with USA Custom shop electronics.

Outstanding Fender Japan ST-62DEX2 from 1996-1997, featuring a stamp on the neck heel. It is labeled “Made In Japan” and has a serial number beginning with the letter V. This is a ’62 Strat Reissue equipped with USA Custom shop electronics. I was unaware that such features were available back then until I recently conducted some online research and found that this was indeed an original characteristic. The guitar has a rosewood slab fingerboard and an Olympic white finish that has aged to a cream color.

The Fender Guitar bridge saddles exhibit some surface corrosion, which may be cleaned up to some extent. There are a few minor nicks on the body in various locations, as well as what appear to be filled spots where the strap buttons were relocated at some time. The back of the neck is flawless, showing no nicks or damage. It is fitted with a 3-ply pickguard and displays very minimal fret wear.

This Fender Japan Stratocaster guitar plays exceptionally well and is relatively lightweight, weighing approximately 7 lbs on my postal scale. It possesses all the desirable features. Just take a look at the pictures. The vintage-style tuning gears add to its charm. The pickups are of high quality and are the quietest I have experienced in the 2 and 4 switch positions, likely due to the shielding on the pickguard and the foil in the control cavity. I regret having to part with this instrument, but I do not utilize it and currently own an excessive number of guitars and basses.

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos and covers guitar equipment, concert, destination and music news. Visit the website for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance videos.

The Stratocaster Pickup Selector Switch

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The Stratocaster Pickup Selector Switch

Fig. 1: The Stratocaster pickup selector switch near the top of the image is set to the bridge pickup-only position (position 1).

The pickup switch is the key to the Stratocaster’s time-honored tonal versatility. The switch controls which pickups or which combinations of pickups are on at any given time. Fender Stratocasters are Fender’s sole three-pickup guitar, its pickup switch has an important job to do.

Locating the stratocaster pickup selector area

Stratocaster Pickup Selector is a five-position blade-type switch mounted diagonally on the lower half of the pick guard on the treble-strings side, just forward of the control knobs (see Fig. 1). Body location placement is close enough to the strumming/picking hand to be within easy reach. However, far enough out of the way that it’s unlikely to be accidentally knocked out of position.

If we number the switch positions 1 through 5, with position 1 being closest to the middle tone knob and positions 2, 3, 4 and 5 proceeding in order toward the middle pickup. Moreover, we can easily label the switch’s pickup-selection functions (see Fig. 2):

  • Position 1: Bridge pickup only.
  • Position 2: Bridge pickup and middle pickup together.
  • Position 3: Middle pickup only.
  • Position 4: Middle pickup and neck pickup together.
  • Position 5: Neck pickup only.

Note that there is no means of having all three pickups on at once. For example, note that there’s some quite interesting history behind the Strat’s pickup switch.

For the initial 23 years of the Stratocaster’s life, from its introduction in 1954 until 1977, the pickup selector featured a three-position switch. This allowed you to activate either the bridge pickup, the middle pickup, or the neck pickup. Therefore, Richard Smith noted in Fender: The Sound Heard ’Round the World that Leo (Fender), the guitar’s creator, preferred the unadulterated sound of individual pickups. You could only engage one pickup at a time, and that was the extent of it.

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos. Visit TexasRockGuitarist.com for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance.