Review - Fender Japan - ST54-120 DMC

It?s my 2nd Strat over the years ? the first one was a Fender Mex Powerhouse Strat with active mid boost ? but I?ve got rid of it because the LP sound and the look attracted me most?
As I?m not in the financial situation to buy and buy ? I have to select ? when I?ve sold my Tokai recently I decided to be more versatile in sound and keep one of each ( OK ? 2 LPs, one Tele and a Strat).
My demands were ?
? 2 tone sunburst body, maximum 2 ps, ash or alder
? RW fretboard
? Excellent hardware
? Condition VG to EXC

I got aware of the Fender Japan ST54-120DMC at Ishibashi?s ? pulled the trigger after one week of lingering around and meanwhile not finding an adequate model in this shape and for the price ?

So ? here it is ? condition EXC ( whammy bar is missing, although I don?t use it ? so no worries). No scratches, dings or dongs ? nearly in pristine shape.
It arrived within 4 days from Japan to my door ? couldn?t ask for better !!! Thanks Daisuke Itoh!!!

It hasn?t got the demanded RW fretboard, but it was an additional challenge for me ! How would I cope with this (for ME) strange spec, maple fretboard and a V-neck ??? I don?t have hands like a surgeon or a pianist and until now I was preferring the slim ?60s necks ?

Long rant ? some pics now ?















... boring ????? So - some words about it ... :wink:

Price .
This is something personal ? if somebody wants to know ? give me a PM.

Features:

? 2 ps (sen??) ash body, centre seamed, nice grain
? All Nitro lacquer, 2 Tone sunburst
? 1 ply parchment pickguard (8 holes)
? 1 VOL, 2 TONE knobs
? 5 ? way switch
? Steel trem block (see the pics with the "red covered" magnet)
? Maple neck with beautiful grain, tinted, black marks, TR access at rear
? Vintage Kluson style tuners
? Vintage round string tree
? DiMarzio Classical Vintage pups with staggered pole pieces
? CTS pots, Vintage cloth covered wires, ceramic cap, SN S 04**** = 2004 or '94 /95 ???????



Sound:

Typically Strat sound on all positions, the neck pup is bluesey, mids and basses but without muddiness, the middle pup has ballsey, meaty mids and nice highs and the bridge pup is assertive in all situations, great highs with overtones without getting harsh. The basses come as you like it !! The CTS pots and the VitQ .022?F cap which I put on immediately when I noticed that tiny green ceramic cap, do the very best job you can imagine ? they give more alternatives by using the tone and vol knobs.
The biggest thing are the positions 2 and 4 ? bell-like chiming Strat sounds, 2 is rounder, darker but 4 is that ringing, jingling that I love from Strat?s sounds ? I?m melting away !!!
I currently like to play clean right into my Fender DRRI ? and it fits the amp as it was made just for this one !!!
But it can also dirty !!! With my TS9(808 mod) , the Tonebone Classic or the Damage Control Demonizer in front ? you can get all the various kinds of distortion you like ? you just have to care of the VOL knob ? it can be muddy if you?re striking too much !!!

Overall Quality:

This guitar came in EXC to NEAR MINT condition - in a gigbag. The craftsmanship is so good that any complaining would be a lie and wouldn?t give the overall condition justice ? Marvellous !!!
The only thing ? I don?t like ceramic caps in a so called ?Vintage specs? guitar ? so I replaced them as mentioned above.
The V-neck and the maple fretboard are a real challenge for me ? as the V-neck appears very comfortable for me the maple fretboard is the main point ?
I?m no wizard in playing and I?m currently feeling as an absolute beginner in guitar playing ? it doesn?t excuse any blemishes and negligences in playing ? so ? I will have to develop my style !!!

Pics ??? OK !!

















Still questions ??? Comments ??? I hope so ... :lol:
Doesn't look like marcusnieman's RW ST80 (for me the most beautiful strat available ... ) ... but similar ... :wink:
... and it sounds heavenly ... :wink: :wink:

Roger

Very very nice, congratulations!

Bloody Roger...what do ya think the "REVIEWS" thread is for?....Hmmmm :-?

Ozeshin said:

Bloody Roger...what do ya think the "REVIEWS" thread is for?....Hmmmm :-?

Click to expand...

... so I guess you didn't read it ... ???!!!! 8) 8) 8)

Hey brother in mind ... Isn't it a "GEAR REVIEW" what you're referring to ???

I did it, because it's a MIJ ... :wink: :wink: :wink:
... an ST80 I was looking for is too expensive for me, ye know ???

Roger :lol:

Yeah...was just teasing u m8.
People use the thread or they don't....not like I paid for the thread..lol
And YES..I DID read the review...I've got GAS for a MiJ strat myself....if that Maple board gives you too much trouble let me know
8)

Very nice review, excellent photos, and a very cool Strat

I hope she turns out to be a real keeper, very nice indeed

Very interesting review, thanks for that. It's interesting to see the process you went through to select the guitar you wanted, as well as the final result. The first thing that surprised me was that the number of pieces that made up the body was a big issue for you, and I wondered why. Do you really think that it makes a big difference to the sound, or is it just the looks? It's hard for me to comment as my favourite Strats tend to be solid metallic colours, so I don't know how many pieces of wood make up most guitar bodies - some people might be able to tell, but I can't, & I never even thought about it till recently. I know that most early Fender bodies were 2, 3 or more pieces, so I assumed it wasn't significant.

The second surprise was that you switched from a rosewood board to a maple, & I wondered why. I also love the slim 60s rosewood board necks, & it's rare for me to find a maple board guitar that I like. I'd be interested to hear more about why you changed your mind, and how you're finding it now you have the guitar.

The third point I picked up on was about the pots and the capacitors that you changed. I realise that I don''t know much about this, so I've started a new thread, & I hope that people will share their experiences of what difference pots and capacitors make to the sound.

I think a few more reviews like this would be great to read.

Thanks alot, Guys ... I'm happy that you like my review - it's so difficult to describe without being too subjective ... 8) 8) 8)

Yeah...was just teasing u m8.

Click to expand...

Yeah, Ozeshin, I know ... I appreciate and like your comments very much, my friend ... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Do you really think that it makes a big difference to the sound, or is it just the looks?

Click to expand...

... just the look ... I love to have a beautiful grain and so I was thinking that a 2 ps body would provide that. I saw Marcus's ST80 once ... from this moment I knew how the body of my Strat should be ... 2tone sb with a beautiful grain ...

The second surprise was that you switched from a rosewood board to a maple, & I wondered why.

Click to expand...

I had to choose between "pest or cholera" - the 2tone sb is available with a maple board only - I didn't like those 3 tone sb which has got the RW fretboard ...
... when playing it seems that I am making one mistake after the other ... this maple neck doesn't cover any negligences I was used to by the RW necks ... playing "pure maple" is telling you the truth of your real state of guitar playing ... it's so brute to see what your level is in reality !!!!
... I've to start learning from the bottom (nearly) again ...

The third point I picked up on was about the pots and the capacitors that you changed.

Click to expand...

I didn't change the pots - just the condenser ... this strat is equipped with excellent CTS pots from stock ...
I love to have a "Vintage" vibe ... ceramic caps are too trebbly, harsh sounding for me ... I have those VitQ in my Tele too and this paper/oil caps tend to tame the trebbly sound ... but I must confess - it's not a very big difference ... the combination between pots and caps together is providing more effectivity ... if you want bass - you'll get it, if you want treble - you'll get it - and more versatility in between ... you have to tinker around with the tone and vol knobs, mixing my tone ... that's what I like ... :wink: :wink:

Roger

Great review, Roger!!

Maybe you could add some sound clips later to make it perfect!

joukov said:

Great review, Roger!!

Maybe you could add some sound clips later to make it perfect!

Click to expand...

Thank you, m8 ...

Jouko ... I don't dare to post something at the moment. It's not only the difficulties I have with the maple board in playing ... there's also the PC software and the hardware which is driving me crazy ...
I have all I need to record but the damage control demonizer doesn't bring that "natural" sound from the amp ... and I'm living at a well crowded street with plenty of noise from the cars, trucks and bikes - so, to mic that amp is nearly impossible ...

I have to look for a better solution ... 8) 8) 8)

Roger

The V profile is a bit strange at first but you soon get used to it, I used to prefer a slim neck but the bigger the better these days, also maple is my fredboard of choice on a strat.

Lovely guitar BTW :wink:

tudor said:

SN S 04**** = 2004 or '94 /95 ???????

Click to expand...

The first letter tells you the approximate year, not the digits.

Fender's site doesn't list Crafted In Japan "S" ones yet, but "R" was 2004-2005 (I have one of those), so it's likely to be 2006-2007, which would make sense since that model was introduced in 2006.

Rustyslide said:

Fender's site doesn't list Crafted In Japan "S" ones yet, but "R" was 2004-2005 (I have one of those), so it's likely to be 2006-2007, which would make sense since that model was introduced in 2006.

Click to expand...

Thanks alot m8 ... that answer was very helpful ... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Roger

Update ?

After a few weeks of playing (one hour per day) with the maple board I must say that I become familiar to it more and more ? but not enough!

The V-profile is better than I?ve thought before, very comfortable and supports my short thumb on the back of the neck extremely well.

But - As I?ve mentioned above already, I?m not a very fast player, and the pure maple is still too slippery for my fingers ? I miss the grip that rosewood boards use to have.
Mike/stratman323 ? you say you?re a rosewood board fan and so am I as well ? it?s a different league you?re playing in when suddenly being faced with such a fast board ? and I still don?t know if I am willing to tolerate this furthermore. If I would play Malmsteen stuff what is for me like playing without any sense but fast ? OK perhaps I would say ?It has to be pure maple?.

It?s not the lack of motivation to become a ?better and faster? player, it?s more inside of you that does rebel against that feeling you have within your finger tips all the time, a strange lacquered surface that is always remembering you of a new lacquered table with some humps on it ? rosewood is ?wood? in the narrower sense and for me pure maple is ? artificial!!!

So ? either I?ll sell it or look for a Fender neck with a rosewood board.

Addendum: ? it?s true ? the maple board is more percussive and supports the bright and sometimes harsh highs, especially in the bridge position ? you have to roll down the tone knobs extremely if you want to play a Clapton?s ?woman tone? ? that shows me that EC is more than a good player on his maple boards ? Guitar-God ??? 8) 8)

Update ?

After a few weeks of playing (one hour per day) with the maple board I must say that I become familiar to it more and more ? but not enough!

The V-profile is better than I?ve thought before, very comfortable and supports my short thumb on the back of the neck extremely well.

But - As I?ve mentioned above already, I?m not a very fast player, and the pure maple is still too slippery for my fingers ? I miss the grip that rosewood boards use to have.
Mike/stratman323 ? you say you?re a rosewood board fan and so am I as well ? it?s a different league you?re playing in when suddenly being faced with such a fast board ? and I still don?t know if I am willing to tolerate this furthermore. If I would play Malmsteen stuff what is for me like playing without any sense but fast ? OK perhaps I would say ?It has to be pure maple?.

It?s not the lack of motivation to become a ?better and faster? player, it?s more inside of you that does rebel against that feeling you have within your finger tips all the time, a strange lacquered surface that is always remembering you of a new lacquered table with some humps on it ? rosewood is ?wood? in the narrower sense and for me pure maple is ? artificial!!!

So ? either I?ll sell it or look for a Fender neck with a rosewood board.

Addendum: ? it?s true ? the maple board is more percussive and supports the bright and sometimes harsh highs, especially in the bridge position ? you have to roll down the tone knobs extremely if you want to play a Clapton?s ?woman tone? ? that shows me that EC is more than a good player on his maple boards ? Guitar-God ??? 8) 8)

Roger

Interesting, but I'm sorry to hear that it's not really working for you. I do understand though. For me, it's not about speed but about bending. Bending a string or sliding a chord just seems easier on rosewood than on shiny maple. However, if yours is nitro, that shouldn't be as bad as a poly finish, like on my maple board ST55 Goldie.

The only maple board Strats I've ever really liked are the ESP Series 400s. I've had one for 15 years, and I got a 2nd one for a mere ?240 from eBay a few months ago. As well as having a V neck (different V on both Strats though!), they have quite a thin satin finish lacquer, much nicer than the thick shiny lacquer that most maple boards are coated in. I've had the older one relicked (if that's how you spell the word!) - the neck has been sanded down, made to look old, and coated with a couple of coats of nitro.

Now I know lots of people hate the relic look, but it's made the neck feel almost like rosewood to my fingers. I can swap from a rosewood board neck to this one and not notice too much difference. I doubt if you would want to do this to your immaculate new Strat, but it might be that what your fingers are reacting against is the high gloss of the lacquer. Sanding off the shiny stuff to leave a matt finish might make it more playable for you. On the other hand it could ruin the value of your new neck!

If you're ever in London, you're welcome to look me up and come and try it, though that offer is probably not much use to you! But it might be worth trying to find a shop that sells the Fender Custom Shop relics, and see if they feel any better to you.

Just a thought. Let us know what you decide to do.

Mike

tudor said:

So ? either I?ll sell it or look for a Fender neck with a rosewood board.

Click to expand...

Better advice:
tudor .. this Tokai lady is waiting for you. Tomorrow is holiday in Germany. She and a cup of best cappuccino is available ...

Hmmm, an 80? May the rest of us see more, if Tudor doesn't grab it from you?

Are those pearl dots? Shouldn't they be clay?

Mike

My only maple fret board is on my ST54-80AM. I don't find it slippery at all, but perhaps because I use big strings? .011 to .052. You don't have to worry about being a fast player with big strings and vintage frets, it's no problem at all to play slow.

I found moving the middle tone pot to the bridge pickup really helped tame the highs, which involves just moving one wire.

I subsequently rewired it to take the input for the tone pots from the output of the volume pot (Gibson "50s" wiring), and changed around the caps.

Rustyslide said:

I found moving the middle tone pot to the bridge pickup really helped tame the highs, which involves just moving one wire.

I subsequently rewired it to take the input for the tone pots from the output of the volume pot (Gibson "50s" wiring), and changed around the caps.

Click to expand...

It's easier still just to use the middle tone pot as a master tone.

Why did you change the wiring like that? What's the advantage? And what did you change the caps to?

Mike