My Contemporary Strat, which is a 3 single coil version, sunburst, has a poly covered neck so you can see the maple wood, rosewood board! Beautifully made instrument, great to play and utterly spotless finish all over! (I’m a bit nerdy like that about taking care of my guitars!) The only thing I’ve done to it is copper foil shielding of the cavities and rear of the pickguard and putting braided cable to the jack socket! It used to hum and crackle when I touched the pickguard after I had been playing for a while - it’s silent now! When purchased this in 1986, the shop had three strats, this was the only one with a System One Bridge! 😊😊🎸🎸🍷🍷

I bought one HSS version maybe in 2017-2018 from a pawn shop in Arizona for $250. I wanted one of these since 1985, now I have 3 of them.

@coolbreezeoutdoors7177

8 ай бұрын

Excellent, I had the same in black.

@jasonsandiego8982

8 ай бұрын

@@coolbreezeoutdoors7177 I have one in black too, I bought about a year ago.

@Guillermo-mr9vx

6 ай бұрын

Bought one in black in 2022 for 600 they’ve since kinda gone up. Very unique for a strat

@ibm_businessman6033

5 ай бұрын

Fuck yea, Start making YT videos and hype them up, Fresh owner of an 85'

Enjoyed this Dex! Nice job no nonsense!

@dexdeimos425

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! 🙏

I subscribe to a handful of KZread channels and some come up and I wait til later to watch them. But when your videos come up I click on it right then. To the point and full of great info and playing. This guitar is beautiful. That neck too is stunning

@dexdeimos425

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much - as a small channel that means a lot! 🙏 Super happy you’re digging the content. I’m never too sure how these videos are going to come across when I’m filming them. 🎸

Excellent review of an awesome guitar, thank you for that! I have a near identical one to yours, with the neck-stamped serial number A004xxx, as well as two humbuckers and all else the same except for the color - mine is Burgundy Mist. I've had it for about 20 years now, and EVERYBODY that ever picked it up also commented how incredible that neck feels! Even the guitar tech I use at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI makes that comment each time he works on that guitar and he's played thousands of guitars. I remember walking into a guitar store in Cincinnati in May of '88 (I was 18) that had something like 8 of these '85-86 Contemporary Strats displayed as a group, and it was love at first sight. I couldn't believe how amazing those guitars were! It took me until the early 2000s to finally pick up that Burgundy Mist one (for a very low price), and then another one in Pewter Metallic with a Sys III trem and HSS about ten years later. One thing about the pickups: while on the models with the Sys I trem they were indeed MIJ, as you correctly pointed out, on the Sys III (and I believe Sys II, though not 100% sure) trem models, the pickups were indeed Schallers (as were also the tuners and the crazy side-cam lever lock nut). Those are sometimes listed as Contemporary Deluxe models. The whole line was incredibly innovative and unique, to this very day. It's great that people are finally discovering these models! (BTW, I have a few brochures for the Contemporary Series which I got back in the day and which are REALLY helpful for any fan of these guitars. I'll be happy to share a scan with you, if you wish, just message me.)

@ipongrac

9 ай бұрын

I should add that both of my Contemporarys are completely stock and in near mint shape! AND they both have their original F knobs! (I actually put together a partscaster in '87 which I still have - Chandler neck with banana headstock, DiMarzio body, Floyd Rose trem, PJ Marx Brad Gillis humbucker - for which I bought those F knobs - and they're still on there! The best knobs EVER! :) Fender reissued them when they reissued the HM and Boxer series Strats a few years ago, but didn't sell them separately - a huge mistake!

@dexdeimos425

9 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for the kind words 🙏! I’m dying to try these with the System 2 and 3 trems. That locknut on the threes just looks so logical compared to normal lock nuts. I’ve got another weird HSS one from the late 80s with a Kahler on it I might need your help with. I haven’t gotten around to doing a review with it yet, but I think it might be one of those weird transition models in ‘88. The ones built in Japan but assembled in the US with US made hardware. It’s been a bit tricky tracking down definitive info on them 🤷‍♂️.

@ipongrac

9 ай бұрын

@@dexdeimos425 Actually, I have two of those, too. 😁 You mean the ones with the Kahler Spyder, right? I've got a '89 Crimson Burst and '88 Antique Burst ones in near-mint condition, and they're INCREDIBLE guitars, even better, I think, than the '85-'87 Contemporarys. In fact, those two are all I've been playing for the past month or two, and they're unbelievably beautiful - and crazy rare!!

@dexdeimos425

9 ай бұрын

Yes! That’s the one! I’ve got the translucent red one. I really love the heel cut on that model. Excellent guitar! 🎸🎸

@ipongrac

9 ай бұрын

@@dexdeimos425 Yep, that's just like mine. That heel was copied some 20+ years later for the Fender Strat Deluxe (or Ultra? I forget) model - took them long enough! Another amazingly innovative and extremely well built model. I adore the flamed maple top and bottom on those models, so beautiful! (And the Kahler Spyder works extremely well, mine really never go out of tune.)

Nice guitar. Back in the late 80s I had an ‘87 Squier Contemporary Strat but the buckers were direct installed into the body. System I trem. All black. LOVED it. Traded it for a red Kramer Striker because I was dumb and didn’t know any better. I’ve never been able to find another like it.

@dexdeimos425

Жыл бұрын

Oh man! I’ve heard of those but never seen one in person. You were super lucky to have had one! I remember those old strikers too - really nice necks on those! 🎸👌

I acquired one of these used in 87-88 in all black. It was my first guitar. I think it was the runt of the litter. After a while, I was realizing that the tone was very muted. I took it to two guitar shops and they were both puzzled. This probably explained why the original seller got rid of it. I put three single coil pick ups in it and it still sounded really bad. I ended up selling it to a friend who pretty much destroyed it because after a while, he was feeling the same way. and then I got it back. I ended up scraping the black acrylic off the body and hitting it with lighter colored paint. I’ve done a lot of guitar projects and builds since then and I keep thinking about doing something with it since it just sits there.

I had a burgundy mist one. Best strat I’ve had so far.

I cannot agree anymore, the Japanese 84-87 Strats just feel better than most. I have the system one trem which is a dream (once set up properly) I’m in the market for contemporary so may be joining you soon

@dexdeimos425

2 ай бұрын

You’ll be happy with one for sure! I’ve got a Contemporary Tele as well with the same neck. No word of a lie, of all the guitars I’ve played, these have my absolute favourite neck shape. 👌🎸

I have the purple one, E557982. Same bridge but mine's an HSS. Someone put a Dimarzio Super D in the bridge spot back in the 80's. They also threw away the stock knobs and put metal speed knobs on it. The stock neck pickup sounds amazing.

@dexdeimos425

Жыл бұрын

Ohhhh that’s a sweet and way less common colour - sounds like a killer axe! Yeah, those knobs never seem to make it out of the 80s 🤣. Rock on brother! 🎸

An Amazing guitar! Mine is same model as yours only different color like a vintage pearl white maybe discolored and crack polyurethane thick paint due to aging.

@dexdeimos425

7 ай бұрын

Beautiful! I played one in that colour years ago - it’s actually the one that got me hooked on this model. Hang on to that thing! Cheers! 🎸🍻

Not all 80s Japan contemporary strats have a black neck and headstock. I have an '86 in olympic white with a normal maple neck and natural headstock.

@dexdeimos425

Жыл бұрын

I’ve seen those ones around, but none that say “contemporary” on the stock. Does yours?! I’d love to see it. Olympic white is such a perfect colour on these! Cheers!

@SR11266

9 ай бұрын

I also have a non black neck one, SSS with schaller trem and locking nut. It does not say contemporary on the head though. But I don't see it on yours either. Where is it supposed to be exactly?

@aleamparo

9 ай бұрын

The MIJ Contemporary Strats ALL have black headstocks, black pickguards (except for the EVH-ish model without one), black F-knobs, at least one humbucker, and Sys I, II or III trems. The MIJ Fender Standard Stratocaster models have the Sys I trem but are otherwise regular Strats: SSS, white pickguard, natural headstock, regular knobs. Those are not Contemporary models.

@SR11266

9 ай бұрын

@@aleamparo not true

@aleamparo

9 ай бұрын

@@SR11266 No offense, but go find out and then we’ll talk.

Pretty sure I need to put one of these on my need to try list. My current Fender product from the 80's is the Heartfield Talon guitars. Is it that neck anything like a Talon neck if anyone has ever played both?

@dexdeimos425

8 ай бұрын

Sadly, I’ve never played a Talon. Those are quite rare - very cool that you’ve got one! 🎸🙌

Did Fender/Japan also use D-profile on the Performers? Thanks

@dexdeimos425

2 ай бұрын

Good question. I honestly don’t know - sorry! 🤷‍♂️

I'm debating myself between buying (online) one similar to this (only one pickup) and a Mexican Strat with Floyd Rose, I wish I could try them. Which one do you recommend me? Can you do a decent dive bomb with this tremolo?

@dexdeimos425

9 ай бұрын

Yes, these trems are VERY stable even though they’re single locking. The Mexican ones are nice as well, but I prefer the necks on these old contemporaries. A proper Floyd rose will be more stable for sure, but it does take quite a bit of abuse before the Schaller system 1 will go out of tune. I would probably choose the contemporary. If you don’t like it, you should be able to sell it for the same money and then buy the Mexican one. 🤷‍♂️ Good luck!

@danzingcat5949

5 ай бұрын

Hello again @@dexdeimos425 Finally bought mine unfortunately had to fix a few things, re-thread the high e fine tuning knob hole and also change the nut chipped at the high e as well. The previous owner pounded really hard that string. Can I ask you a favor? 🙏 I had a lot of difficulties getting the nut out (I can tell you what happened if you are interested) that I forgot to take measurements of it and the string height. Can you share yours please. I know it's a big request coming from someone from the Internet tubes but this guitars are rare and yeah I love the neck, I can play bar chords very easily.

is that short scale?

@dexdeimos425

6 ай бұрын

Nope, full 25.5 inch. 🎸🎸

It’s funny we use to consider these blasphemy for shredders in the mid 80’s. Only took 40 years to appreciate the build lol.

@dexdeimos425

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, Fender was pretty much a bad word back then 😆. It also seems a bit like their very slow reaction to the changing times and what guitar players really wanted in an instrument. Killer range though. Have you seen some of the other oddball ones from the 80s fender made? Check out the Katana. Almost a Rhoads V…..almost 😅

@Andrew-pk9vz

Жыл бұрын

@@dexdeimos425 Yes and it’s a shame we boycotted them lol. Some great builds.

@GiuseppeDiIorio

9 ай бұрын

Great guitar... mine is a SSS black and white with maple neck (not painted in black!) and it's a bit too heavy (is it the same for yours?) Anyway if you find a replacement for those System One tremolo knife edges... please share with us where to find them :) Thx 🙏🏻