Fender American HM Strat

This is a 1989 HM Strat. Raspberry color, rosewood fingerboard, maple neck, DiMarzio 3 pickups, and a light, basswood body. The finish is glossy and thick... very tough and resistant to almost anything (including beer spills). 24 jumbo frets. H-S-S pickup configuration, 5-way selector with a coil splitter for the humbucker. Floyd-rose licensed Kahler Spyder tremolo system (can order parts for it from Kahler). The neck has a radius of 17 and the neck is VERY THIN but very strong. Can adjust the truss rod through the back.

I have played heavy metal, jazz, thrash, shred guitar, etc. for a long time. Listen and play a lot of Dream Theater, Satriani, Metallica, Vai, Van Halen, etc. I run it through a Mesa Boogie with a couple of pedals for reverb and delay... also have a noise gate (not because of this guitar). The guitar is not noisy at all... very quiet when not played. It has a very full sound. The sound is very flexable. Neck pickup gives a great clean, Fender-ish sound. The humbucker is brutal for metal and shredding... rich, full of harmonics, but still can articulate. Sustain is very long on this guitar. I'm still surprised by it compared to my Soloist. The mids are boosted and the highs are a close second. Harmonics jump out anywhere you want. Low chords sound great and sustain really pays off here. Even though this guitar was made for metal, it adapts well to many other styles of music. The sound and playability is what makes this guitar.

Bought this used, and I didn't have to adjust it much. Be sure to lower the bridge and shred away. Since the neck is so thin, it is perfect, and I mean perfect, for playing fast music while retaining articulation. They don't make necks like this anymore. The fit was flawless. And, the finish is bullet-proof.

Not sure about the reliability, but looks to be built extremely well. I have not had it more than 6 months, so I don't know much about it's longevity. Finish, as previously mentioned, is road-worthy. Hardware is of excellent quality.

Never had to contact customer support, so I can't speak to it. Had a Fender Twin once that I had to have repaired, and that experience wasn't a terrible ordeal or anything.

I have been playing for twenty one years. I have gone through tons of guitars... high and low-end. This is in my top three as far as favorites go... I will not sell this guitar. Ibanez should make necks like these... like they used to. The only thing I'm not too thrilled about it the color, but really, when it comes down to it, it's about the sound anyway. This guitar really shines through in recording... very distinct, heavy, and articulate. Buy this guitar if you're lucky enough to find one. You'll know what I mean about all of these things when you hear it and when you feel how easy it is to navigate.

9.5 out of 10, everything you need from a Superstrat.
1989 U.S. made. Contrary to the belief of some, U.S. models were made with the Kahler Spyder trem in the first instance (although these were the first U.S. made HMs and should perhaps more correctly be refered to as U.S. assembled). 12.5 inch radius maple neck with maple board and 24 frets. Sculpted neck joint allows improved access to upper registers with offset 4 bolt fixing and micro tilt adjustment. Mine is the "standard" pickup configuration with H/S/S setup (two am standard single coils and a Dimarzio Super 3) with 5 way switching and a tap switch. The body is Basswood with a very thick poly paint job in the blue/green which seemed to be quite popular at the time, I bought it secondhand and as such had no choice in the colour, but I actually like it, it looks different, not just the same as any other Superstrat.

10 out of 10, I only wish I could put 11 for its sheer versatility.
I play an increadibly diverse number of styles from gospel to 80's/90's shred, not much jazz though. I have found this guitar to be the most versitile I have ever played and suits everthing I have ever tried to play with it. Rich and bluesy through the single coils up to a harsh biting tone through the humbucker when played with scooped mids on your amp. Played clean it gives the classic strat sparkle with just a hint of extra drive with the untapped bucker when you want it. I have always found the guitar to be as quiet as a mouse when not being played, hats of to the sheilding techniques used here. Having played the rosewood fretboard version belonging to a friend I believe the maple contributes quite a lot to the bright sound when used clean, make no mistake though, when you turn everything up to 11 the electrics take over and this can blast out the down and dirty as well as any Jackson or Ibanez.
For me (and several of my other friends who have played it) this is the ultimate do it all guitar, I've never played anything else quite as versatile.

8.5 out of 10,
I bought the guitar used, so can't really comment on the factory set up. I should admit at this point that I once made a living as a guitar tech, so everything I own is subject to my own setup virtually as soon as I get it home anyway. A lot has been said about Kahler Spyder bridges, allow me to add my thoughts. If this bridge was still avaiable I would replace all my Floyd Rose units with it. What is said about the durability not being quite as good as a Floyd is a fair comment, that much said a lot of these issues can be addressed by careful use and maintenance, making sure everthing is kept clean, free and lubricated (I use a few spots of petroleum jelly). The only part I have had to replace is one bolt from the locking nut. I have seen these bridges with many replaced and mismatched parts, but mine has proven that they can last the distance, this is a working instrument and has never let me down in a live situation (unlike a couple of my floyd equiped guitars). Once set up to my liking this is the best double locking bridge I have ever played and the stability is sublime, I have hardtails that don't stay in tune like this. The finish is of a very high quality, although may not be to everyone's taste. The paint is thickly applied and durable but I stand by the criticism that it can look plasticy. The finish on the neck is fabulous and has aged nicely in the approaching 20 years since it was new and still plays as fast and clean as it always did. This guitar is one of only two that I have never felt the need to play around with/upgrade the electrics (the other is a '57 Strat, and that has more to do with originality than want), the guitar does everthing I want her to do straight out of the crate. The other hardware is of high quality, tuning pegs, switches, pots etc, a quick spray of switch cleaner at cleaning/restringing time is all that's ever been required. I also love the TBS tone controls, like a strat on steroids.

I have owned and giged this guitar for seventeen years and, as previously stated, it has never let me down. I can and have played this live without a backup very regularly. In order to get the same range I would need to take the rest of my collection with me to every gig. It is now an old guitar, but still feels as solid now as the day I first brought it home. The finish is still thick and shiny and I honestly believe it still will be in another 20 years. It has the usual buckle rash and dings, but nowhere has the finish been compromised. I have had to replace the tap switch once due to some hamfisted handling by a roadie and one of the logos is missing from the tone control (it was like that when I got it). The strap buttons have been totaly reliable and I don't use any sort of strap locks. The only time they've ever let go was during a photoshoot when the photographer was trying to get me to hang the guitar in a position it was clearly not ment to be, fortunately she had lightning reactions and caught it before it hit the floor.

Not had anything to do with Fender, although I do own a lot of their equipment. Everything I've got that's Fender has worked fine for me

Been playing for 23 years and owned this 17 of them. I play it through a Fender Deluxe 85 and a Vox AC30. Got a lot of effects, mostly Boss (Super Distortion, Delay, Pitch Shift etc), but actually don't use them much these days, getting to prefer the naked guitar sound. I've got an Ovation Tangent MOB acoustic, the '57, a Jap Tele, a 7 string Stagemaster (about the only thing the HM wont do the job of), a Jap standard Strat, a Harmony Les Paul Junior copy and a couple of basses. This is still my main guitar and I love it to bits. The price of these guitars is going up now, but they still represent first rate value if you can find one. If mine was ever lost or stolen I would track down another in a heartbeat, I would also track down whoever stole it and educate them in the error of their ways. At the time when I bought it I must have played just about everything in the genre, and was fortunate that a couple of my friends were looking at the same time so we spent many a happy hour in music retailers over the course of about a month. The main competitors at the time seemed to be Ibanez RG series and Jackson/Charvel. My freinds and I all went for different guitars and all of them great but I still believe this is the most versatile of the lot (at least two of said friends have since changed their minds and wish they too had gone for the Strat).

My old girl is an off white model, which contrasts wonderfully with the black hardware and head. I think it has a bassod body, which suprised me actually. Such a wonderful sound from a generally cheap wood. The Kahler Spyder trem unit is great, keeps in tune better than a Floyd Rose and much more wiggle in it. If you're a traditionalist it may not suit you, but I say **** tradition with this one. Greatest Strat downright :D

This guitar is easily the most versitile instrument I have every played. It does it all, punk, rock, metal and hell, even the blues. Sounds like a dream.

I bought this guitar second hand and it seemed to have had a lot of work done to it. Had a go of an unmodified model an it still felt and played great.

Seems to be gigged with since 1989 and plays great unti this day so i'm guessing it's scarily durable. The tremalo is known to be a bit iffy but they have started remaking them, so worst case you can buy a new one.

Bought it second hand, so no comment.

If I could give an 11 I would. These things are vastly underrated and should sell for at least twice the price. I would never trade mine for anything. Played conventional Strats, Les Pauls and hell, even Carlos Santana's actual Yamaha SG 1500 and prefer this outright.

Proud owner of 2 of them, a first for me. Thats how awesome these are.

Black Crackle finish. Shiny and tough. 1988-89 Japanese model - you can tell by the serial number at the bottom of the neck and using the Fender website's dating page. Plastic moulded Fender case. S-S-H, 5 way selector with coil tap on the humbucker. Thin neck with wide rosewood board, very easy to play leads on, and quite a flat radius 12.5". Excellent pickups, although getting a little microphonic with age. Locking Metal Nut and Tremolo by Kahler. Dimarzio humbucker apparently, but the single coils sound great as well. Excellent Neck pickup sound for a single.

As everyone says, a very versatile guitar. Excellent sustain on distorted settings, goes on and on, and the Kahler comes back in tune every time when you dip the whammy. At the same time a very nice clean sound for quiter moments. Doesn't have the overall output of my PRS or Custom built Tele but as a 'factory' guitar I really enjoy playing this. I can shred and power chord but switch to a sweet clean sound for playing at church all with this guitar. If I actually could only own one guitar I would seriously consider making it this one, thankfully I don't have to though ;-)

This may be a key learning for anyone out there with one of these. Take it to a Plek technician. The fretboards are 12.5" but the Kahler Tremolo's and Nut are not!!! The machine picks this up in analysis. My guy used my guitar as a test case for pushing the machines capabilities. The Plek measured the exact radius of the Bridge and the Nut, they were around 20" radius but not excatly the same!! Different by about 4 tenths of an inch and the Nut was flatter than the Bridge (bummer). This is a problem because of the way strings vibrate and couldn't be fixed. But he then got the Plek to machine the Frets to a gradated 20" radius that follows the Nut to the Bridge!! Result - a truly in tune fretboard, just like a custom made guitar. Plays beautifully with a medium low action (couldn't get it really really low because of the Nut being flatter than the Bridge). Doesn't matter, I don't have a super light touch anyway so low settings buzz with my playing. The Nut height had to be raised as well. Bends like nobodies business and the action is so light bar chords with pull offs and hammered notes are easy. Anyone with one of these who thinks it plays well now might want to search out a Plek because it can be analysed and set up even better.

Very light guitar. Not a super strong neck pocket. But if played respectfully will go on for years.
The neck plate has tarnished (common apparently) and the tremolo is rusting a little underneath but not a problem for many years yet, good to check though if you buy one.

N/A?

I searched this out because I played one and it just felt like such a good guitar. I also think the 80's were cool and this guitar typifies that period. I own an 82 first issue Jap Fender 57 Strat (that's a keeper), a PRS Hollowbody II, a Ron Kirn Tele (beautiful instrument)and a 90's Hofner Reissue Beatle Bass (just b/c I can). The HM Strat is what i pick up to play on a daily basis. I love the fretboard and neck and the way it plays so easily, and the finish is tough as nails. It's my main guitar for gigging as well especially since getting it 'fixed'. having all the features ready on hand in a package that plays true but didn't cost much is what i really like about this guitar. I love having a whammy even if I don't use it often and everyone needs a shredder in the collection....don't they?

Great features, easy to play LIVE with...

Sound great made HM but is just as good for ballads, and soft stuff.
I have used it with a Marshall JMP 100 watt (1978) full stack & WOW, jimi would have loved it, & if he were hear I'm sure it would be his favorite guitar...Sounds great with effect, or just out of my Marshall. I have also used it with a Marshall AVT 150H & it is also great....No noise, full rich sound, and made in the USA.

Action is super, low & clean,use 10's on it or higher for good sound. NO 9's, or 8's ruins the body of sound. Finish is OK, nothing to rave about.Pickups are good too, no need to replace them, good match for guitar...Neck is wide & easy to run riffs on. Like I said early, JIMI would be play a HM Strat if he was alive, I know it..

Great for LIVE or STUDIO work... Hardware would be better..
Dependable...would take it to gig without backup..

Don't know...never had to...I guess that's good

Overall a good guitAR.. I HAVE 12 GUITARS IN MY STUDIO (www.genesisrecording.com)& I use this one more than any of the others. And so does most of the artists that don't bring there guitar to my studio, or they add a guitar the last minute.
It is top of the line in book for Fender Strats... If you see one try it out you will see what I mean....
THIS GUITAR HAS BEEN UNDER RATED AND OVER LOOKED BY MOST PEOPLE... FENDER NEEDS TO PUT THESE OUT AGAIN, WITH A STRONG AD SYSTEM, PEOPLE WOULD LOVE THEM....

1990 US made, 24 frets, s/s/h, rosewood, mable and basswood

very versatile instrument, fits best blues and hard rock players. Great quality. This is my favorite guitar. I wish the huge fender logo was somewaht more discrete.

As I sais, I really beleive this is one of the best fender guitars. The
show master tries to immitate the sound but to my opinion fails. It is the best guitar if the h/s/s configuration is your style.

never had any problem

never needed. I just want to E-MAIL Fender the original manual of this guitar (they seem not to have it in their list): contemporary and hm series guitars featuring models 10-2100, 2102, 2200, 2300 and 2400. These are the US HM models.

20 years. If it was stolen or lost I would look for it again. I have chosen it because it combines it all. The classic fender sound with more options and incredible rich sound. I keep occasionaly compare it to other guitar but I could never had the rich great sound of an hm strat.

USA H/S/S Kahler Spider lockingtrem. H/S-switch

This guitar does it all !

Everything is made to last on this guitar. This is what you call roadproof.

I traded my Line6 Variax against this guitar. Best damn deal I've ever made.

Dunno

I'm seriously looking for another one. It would be a disaster if this one got nicked or broken.

USA, Black with Mapl neck. You know the rest.

sounds like Stevie, Jimi, Dimebag or anyone else you'd like to play.

I had to adjust everything myself. I bought it used btw. Once I made it my own, it played awesome. Not that it was bad in the store.

I've dropped one of my HM's no problem.

I couldn't even look up the serial number from their website. I could have just completely missed the link, but whatever.

I've beenplaying for almost two decades. I own a 100 year anniversary Gibson SG, Ovation 1869 Legend, 24 fret Charvel 12-string, and two HM strats exactly the same, Black with maple neck.
This is by far the best playing guitar I've ever held in my hands.
I hope to eventually buy all of the remaining HM's that are black with maple necks. It's 2006 and I've seen the market get really tight the last five years. If you find one, play it, love it and buy it!

Good selection of pickup settings. Locks on head awesome feature. Stays in perfect tune throughout gig.

Sound is awesome.

Plays very well, action is sweet with plenty of adjustments available. Finish is like glass, smooth and brilliant.

Very dependable, have owned it and gigged with it for 17 years. Flawless performance and sound.

Never dealt with them so I don't know.

Most awesome guitar I've ever played, will never own anything else.

I have no idea what year it is. I remember seeing them in stores in the late 80's but never had the money to buy one. I bought this thing in pieces at a garage sale for 5 bucks. Someone painted over the artic blue with black spray paint and sanded the finish off the headstock. The neck is all maple with a tone a flame all over it. I new what it was and I like fixing guitars so I spent the five bucks on it. It had fender single coils and a dimarzio super 3 humbucker. I stripped off the paint(super thick!!!!) and painted it cream with nitro and clear coated. I stripped the neck and steel wooled to butter smooth. I also added spertzle tuners because the locking nut was missing. Put it all together and this thing is magic man!!!

Super fat tone through any amp. It plays like a dream and stays in tune to no end. I love this guitar. The finger board is all worn looking but I love it. It has to be my fav.and I have been playing guitar for 30 years. I like the 80's shred so this guitar is perfect.

This thing was a basket case. Totally torn down. I love it though and I bought 3 more off ebay. You can get em for around 300 bucks and they are worth every penny.

Built like a tank. I gig with it all the time. I have warmoth stuff from when I worked there and PRS,Ibanez 770 and on and on and this is my favorite. It has never been in a case and it just holds its own.

Never had to

Awsome guitar. I have two others but this one is my favorite. It is so beat looking but sounds like butter!!!

I have two, one for my main stage guitar and one for back-up. Both have been modified with EMG 81 in the bridge and two SA-5 in the neck and middle positions. Stock blue/green finish with rosewood fingerboard. Both are 1988 models with original Khaler trems. Also have added the EMG presence control mod to both guitars, EMGs are kind of weak without them. Knurled speed knobs on all pots. Strap locs.

Both guitars, and any other I have ever picked up and played for that matter, have felt the same.Low slinky action with good response with 9s or 10s on them. Never have tuning problems even with heavy bar use.
Both can generate pretty much any tone im looking for at the time.

Amazing action that requires very little tweaking when the seasons change. Set very low and stays that way.Stock finnishes pretty much sucked, but im not too concerned with how it looks beacuse it makes me money. Kahler trem will rust though if not kept clean and oiled.

These are by far the most durable guitars I have ever owned. Less sensitive to temp than a Les Paul, WAY tougher than the BC Riches. I toured with them for 12 years and with all the banging around they got, they both still play the same, with a few nicks and scratches. The finnish did wear around the area where my pinkie rests but i put a silver dollar there and havnt had any more trouble.

Never dealt with them so i dont really know, but Fender has a Pretty shitty rep for that.

Ive been a working musician for 28 years and own several other guitars from Gibsons to Ibanez to BC Rich. If I lost one of these i would replace it in a minute, and wouldnt have any worries about it feeling the same.Ive dropped it, left it out in the rain and watched roadies throw it in a truck, its still kickin. Best guitars ive ever owned overall.

HISTORY LESSON
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This model guitar is the single real reason why Fender bought the company "Floyd Rose". It was originally outfitted with a "Floyd Rose Licensed" bridge made by Kahler, wherein lied a major problem ultimately. Kahler bridges had then been enjoying much success by outfitting builders such as BC Rich, Peavey, and of course, Fender. Here is what went wrong for Kahler.

KAHLER FLAW #1
They forged their components with molds and liquid metal. Many say this is common, but anyone with a physics or metalurgy background knows that this weakens the metals temper because the heating and cooling leave the metals molecules further apart in the end. In English: The metal breaks and strips faster and the tone is worse. Denser metal is stronger and transfers vibrations better thus improves tone (or at least degrades it less). The real Floyd Rose bridges were milled rather than forged for this exact reason.

KAHLER FLAW #2
All their measurements were done in metric when all other Floyd Rose and Floyd Rose licensed bridges were measured in the imperial system of measurements. Net result? If you broke a KAHLER part, only KAHLER could replace it, no one else's replacement parts would fit. Particularly frustrating if you, for instance, strip one of your allen-key-tightened locking screws - which would surely happen much faster on Kahler hardware than others because the parts were forged and not milled. Everyone else's replacement parts fit each others, but on a Kahler bridge, you needed Kahler for a replacement part.

KAHLER FLAW #3
KAHLER F#@!ING WENT OUT OF BUSINESS! Fender ended up with an HM Series American Strat with a doomed bridge for which replacement parts no longer existed. Thanks Kahler - you suck and I'm glad your gone.

Anyway, this pretty much had an impact on the short lived HM line being short lived, and sparked Fender into buying Floyd Rose outright so that it could guarantee never being placed in that position ever again.

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BACK TO FEATURES
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Aside from the Kahler Bridge (and the ugly original Turquoise paint-job), this guitar had excellent features. It played like a dream and never gave me tuning issues. Main complaint is that the body was three pieces of Maple rather than one or two.

Very versatile from funk, to metal, to blues, to Jazz, to Flamenco, to Classical. There is no style I haven't had this guitar to good use with eiother on stage or in the studio. Modifications were made however - see the "overall Rating" section for more on the mods.

Factory settings were abymal, but after I fixed the action and intonation and pickup-height, and adjusted the truss rod for real strings, things got a LOT better. Plays really smooth and kept up with my growing string demands up until a guage 13 to 66 setup. Since I bought the Les Paul, it now has the 13 to 78 setup, and the fender was backed down to 11 to 56.

after mods, this guitar was always dependable.

See comments on Kahler, then reason why their support sucks.

This guitar had the following modifications after I bought it:

1. Original black Kahler Spider bridge taken out and replaced with a gold finished Floyd Rose Pro 2 bridge, which involved filling the old posts properly and redrilling new ones - because Kahler loves metric the spacings were incompatible too but it was worth it to be rid of Kahler hardware forever.

2. Original turquoise finish sanded off by hand - mine. 14 layers is excessive, and the wood resonates MUCH more without so much goddamn laquor. Gave it a three coat diamond transparent finish, but have left the surface front unfinished to allow it to age faster, and also got a wood-burning it and burned an Ouigi board design into it so as to appear an old Ouigi board turned into a guitar rather than vice-versa. Overall, the wood finish and gold tremolo contribute to a blond looking body color scheme now.

3. Replaced original custom Dimarzio humbucker with a gold plated Gibson '57 Classic plus. The old one had gone microphonic, then a few years later the parafin wax wasn't doing its job anymore so it had to go, but the '57 adds the the body's blong theme.

4. Replaced the strap pins with Jim Dunlop strap locks. Never worried about dropping it since.

5. hung two ivory carved feathers from a thin beige leather strap tied around the headstock just below the fender trademark circular end as they were given to me by a native american friend of mine for luck and spiritual strength.

6. Replaced the pickup selector with one that didn't click so loudly.

7. Replaced knobs for tone and volume with gold plated metal ones.

8. Grinded the original Kahler locking nuts on the neck so that they could be locked and unlocked with a flat-head screwdriver rather than an allen key. Guess why? You got it, they stripped and replacement parts didn't exist. Also, the rosewood neck and black headstock and black nut hardware gave the neck all a black theme, which went well with the blond color scheme the body had - and I didn't want to retrofit a new nut.

End result - the best sounding and most badass looking Fender start I've ever seen. I love this guitar, and named it Angel. It was also my first "real" guitar. bought it from money I made lobster fishing when I was 15. It took a lot of work to get it here, but it was all worth it.

Fender HM Strat
White (nine ply body paint), 80s-looking 'STRAT' logo emblazoned on head. Rosewood fingerboard, 24 frets, 2 single coil pick-ups, 1 coil-tapped bridge pick-up, Floyd Rose licensed kahler locking trem, gotoh machine heads. 1 volume, 2 tone controls, 5-way selector switch.

Really versatile sound, excellent clean fender tones on single coils (glassy bright but nice and rich as well - perfect for funk riffs), which muddies up with higher distortion as well as letting out a nasty buzz. The inferior overdriven single-coil sounds are made up for by the bridge humbucker - this is perfect for rock/metal - good separation and f-ing hard! Pretty much uniquely flexible for the price - classic tones from twang to kerrangg!

Bought second hand - got it set up at a guitar shop later. The pick-up selectors click but what do you expect for this price? The main problem with this guitar is the tuning - the tremelo is pretty good if you're a whammy-bar fiend, but I don't know whether there was a problem with the neck, locking nut, bridge or some other isolated issue with my particular guitar, but this HM Strat does not stay in tune for less than 15 minutes - and with all the arsing about with an alan key needed to re-tune, this becomes a major - pretty much terminal - flaw, if you ever want to gig.

The build of the guitar is great - fender USA components, solid materials (except the coil-tap which I managed to snap off while playing - not the guitar's fault though). The only thing not dependable with this guitar is the tuning - and the tuning is just shite.

Heard that fender have rubbish customer service, so always took it back to the shop.

I've been playing for about ten years and this was my first electric - I tried it because I heard the poodle-haired guitar shop asssistant ranting to his colleague about how fantastic it was - I tried it, loved it, and used it for ages. I've sold it on because of the tuning problems and the fact it looks really dated now. If there was some way you could improve the tuning on it (the assistants tried and failed to fix it) I would never have got rid - you can always modify the look of it, and the sounds you can get from this guitar more than make up for the Def Leppard-factor.

my hm strat is early 90,s with the kahler spider bridge,gotoh tuners.has a seymour duncan invader humbucker and stock single coils.guitar was fusia and i refinished it in candy apple blue metel flake.guitar is awesome just didnt like the color,they seem hard to find so i bought it for $350 have had it for about 7YRS guitar shop owner had hard time selling it because of the color

sound is awesome!with the duncan ivader it has tons of power and sustain.i use a marshall valvestate 100 and it sounds great through it and the stock single coils are super clean

action is the low just the way i like it,the neck is the most comfortable i have ever played.i have never had to adjust anything on it since i have owned it

been a very dependable guitar,i dont play in a band but have put many hours on it and have never had any problems or had to do any rewiring or replace anything the seymour duncan humbucker was in it when i got it

bought used never had support

have been playing for 10 yrs and have owned many guitars this is the first guitar i have kept for this long and dont have any plans to ever sell it.i also own a gibson les paul studio,and a ibanez rg 560.and the strat is by far my favorite,maybe i have ruined the value by repainting it but the paint now is much cooler i hope to buy another hm strat someday they very nice sounding great playing guitars

My Fender HM Strat was made in 1989. I don't know if the guitar is made in Japan or USA. It has Fender USA on the neck plate. 24 fret, 25 inch scale neck, with a maple fingerboard with medium frets. Black headstock with large script style 'Strat' logo and locking nut. The tremolo was a Kahler Spider but I change it into a Floyd Rose Lo-Pro edge. The controls are: Volume, tone, tone, 5-way selectorand coil tap. Pickup configuration: S/S/H. I change the neck pick-up into a DiMarzio Fast Track II. In the middle I'm going to be a DiMarzio Fast track I. All passive. I scalped the last octave of the neck. Gotoh Tuners.

Sounds are great. This guitar has many sounds and a lot of sustain.

I never needed

I play for 20 years. I use a Roland GP16 with FC 100 MKII. Rocktro Replifex. Hughes & Kettner Tri AMP MKI. Marshall JCM800 cabinet. A Aria PE450 les paul guitar. Custom guitar with a Heartfield neck and a 1978 Fender Strat body. I tried different guitars before I bought my HM Strat. I tried the Ibanez JEM flower patern but I'm happy that I bought the Fender. I bought this guitar in 1989 and I'm still happy with that guitar.

Features
Usa, 24 frets, kahler tremolo. It has all the classic features for an HM strat.I have it since 1991 with all the signatures and the specs from Fender USA. I guess that is the only prove for its origin.

I think it suits all kind of styles, though folks this thing is not for jazz as some state here...! It screams if needed and can achieve a really melodic sound through an array of incredible combinations

It a 13 year old model now and the finish lasts incredibly.

Its a pure beauty

never needed

I think this guitar is seriously underestimated. Partly because 15 years back there were all these heavy metal freaks that supported the guitar companies and gibson had hard times in contrast with jackson that was flourishing with silly graphics and flashy logos for kids. Fender decided to get into the market. But it was too late. The others had gone a long way gaining years of experience. Plus the profile of fender would have seriously changed (see eric clapton). Then they withdrawed this model which was not selling good anyway and their mistake (to my opinion) was that they discontinued it. I think when the time will come this guitar will have an enormous price. It is actually happening right now that people look for this modelr and cannot find it as often as they did 5 years before. So give it 10 more years and you will see. The ugly look will become fashionable all of a sudden. Do you know any fender that is older, lets say, than 30 years is not simply extremely expensive?

I don't know whether this guitar is Japanese or American made. It has Fender USA on the neck plate, yet on the neck it says made in Japan. It's a 1989, Magenta-Red in color, with a S/S/H Pickup configuration, with an original Floyd Rose Tremolo. I got the guitar with 3 humbuckers installed; 2 Seymour Duncan Classic Rails, and one SD Trembucker. These pickups give any and all sounds. The neck is lightning fast, and paper thin, yet durable.

I play a little of everything - metal, punk, jazz, classic, ska, and classic rock. I can get every sound I want, with more to spare. I actually use the locking nut, and the guitar will not go out of tune for weeks using Ernie Ball Slinkies (.09). This guitar sounds better then any of the Gibson Les Pauls of SGs that I've owned, and plays better too.

I got the guitar used, actually recovered from a flood, so I can't comment on a little rust, but its only on appearance items. Everything else is perfect.

I've played this guitar at a few concerts, and I'd have to say that you will NEVER need a backup. It just won't die, even if you drop it from chest height!

I got it in the late 90s, far beyond warranty.

Excellent guitar. It's what's keeping me with Fender.

Probably made in 1988 Japan or USA....don't know. Back plate shows "Fender USA" on the back of the neck close to the back plate shows a "535" number
24 frets great fast neck. Light green/blue laminated body.
Neck pickup, middle pickup and bridge humbucker. Volume Control and two tone control + pickup tap switch. Pickup make and model unmarked.
Kahler locking tremolo, Gotoh tuners.

It's been designed for Heavy Metal and does it very well, although any music style will be acomplished with this guitar.
If there is an inprovement to be done would be a lower profile Kahler tremolo.

Good action, fit and finish on my guitar.

Reliability and durability excelent for all these years that I have been playing it.

Excelent customer support, very helpful

I have been playing for around 35 years and if I have to I wouldn't hesitate to buy this "Strat by Fender" again (different colour maybe)
The neck on this guitar is superb.......a gem, fast and pleasant. The best Fender's neck I have ever played. The Kahler tremolo never let you down, always on tune. The shape on this HM looks like a 17 years old....
beautyful !!!!!

Well its saaaaays made in America, but it was made in Japan, 87 I think. This is the guitar GREG HOWE (an incredible shred-fusion guitarists, ya'll should check him out)used in the early days, and still uses along with a cutsom ESP. Bolt on Maple Neck, 24 frets,
H-S-S, with coil taps. Stock pickups are pretty nice, but I put A Dimarzio YJM in the neck, and a Tone Zone in the bridge. Kahler Spyder Floyd Rose (very nice) and Gotoh tuners (very nice) The neck is Awesome, its a little thinner, wider strat neck. And don't let bolt on confuse you, this heel is about half the size of a normal strat. Having pretty much all one could want in it and the Coil taps give this baby a 10

Mmmmmmmmmmm. I love the sound of this guitar. The stock pickups are very quite. I'm usin it through a Fender Hot Rod deluxe (go tubes, well, thats another review) with a Boss MT2. Replaced the pickups, but kept the stock ones just incase. (They're exceptional for stock pickups) Very full (even the singles) but you can DEFINATELY get a strat tone with the help of the coil taps and a little down on the tone knob. This guitat is incredibally versitile, any sounds you want. There is one problem, holding it back from a 10- The neck pickup seems louder than the bridge, pretty considerabley. Not that bad (actually its good for me, because I use my neck pickup alot in my solos) but I think they should be equal. I should proabablly give it a 10, but I think a 10 in anything should be flawless.

The set-up was ok, but I'm very picky when it comes to my setup. I had the action lowered, (it was pretty low, but I like it like a limbo contest-as low as it can go!) I think there's something a little wrong with the tone pots, because there's a drastic change from like 5-4. Oh well, no biggie. The bridge was flawless, but I had it routed more. (Because I think I'm Steve Vai {I'm not!})

A Rock. Plain and simple.

Wouldn't know, but I've heard mixed reviews on Fender's customer support. I Hope their good though, cuz I got a boatload of Fender Products!!!

If you see this guitar-don't buy it. I WANT IT! Really though, at about $300 now adays, it is the best in that price range. I like it better than my $700 Ibanez RG770 and $800 American strat. (Oh yeah, Japanese is just as good American)I've been playing for 4 years and I play mostly Shred, Fusion, And Jazz. This guitar can handle all those and more. This is a sweeeeeet guitar. If it were stolen, I wouldn't care tooooo much, I'd just get a new one BECAUSE THEY'RE SO CHEAP!!!
This guitar is a GREAT backup or main guitar, so do yourself a favor-GET IT!!! If anyone wants some more info or you have questions, e-mail me.

According to the serial number (E9), it's an '89. S/S/H, Kahler, 24 fret. Great pickups... very quiet, even in front of my computer monitor. I must have got a good one because I have no complaints about the Kahler. Keep it clean and it works fine.

I would like if Anonymous could give the reasons he says Kahler equipped HM's are from Japan. This is news to me. I'm not saying it's impossible but I've never seen a Jap model that didn't have Made in Japan on it somewhere.

I use it for several styles and it sounds great. This is one of the few guitars that I have left the pickups alone. I like the center detent tone knobs and coil tap... lots of variety. The Strat tone is a little thick though. I revert to my other Strats with Rio Grandes when I need that SRV sound.

I use it with a Flextone II. I really don't care for it through a straight amp with no effects... too generic.

I bought it used. It needed truss rod adjustment, re-adjust the neck tilt (cool option I wish all guitars had), and lots of cleaning.

I went overboard. I completely stripped the plastic finish, bondo and all and re-finished the guitar in a classic maple stain with several coats of satin nitro on top. It's gorgeous. The center of the body is flamed maple with alder wings. I purchased a standard looking Stratocaster decal for the headstock... also very flamed. It turns heads everywhere I go.

Dependable and lovable. I put about $50 in finish, knobs, new tap switch, etc...

Great gigging guitar. Flexible sounds, cheap enough not to worry about it.

Never needed it.

What a deal. An old POD traded even up including a hard case. A couple weeks worth of evenings, stripping, cleaning and refinishing and what do you know a really cool guitar! Plays great, Sounds great, cheap, and looks awesome.

Stripping is hard work (ask a stripper) and to be done at your own risk. These guitars have the thickest coating I have ever seen. Attempt at your own risk. I can email pics if you're intersted in what mine looks like under alll that polyuerathane.

I've got two of these damn things now. Don't know what years. Both are s/s/h with Kahler Spyders. One has a duncan in the bridge. I take the locking nut and fine tuners off, put four heavy springs on the trem block and screw it all the way down. (I never could find that $#!@#^% allen wrench when it was too far out of tune.) Standard tuning down a whole step to D and run .010 to .046 strings.

As versatile as any player I ever heard needs to be. I like the stock pickups just fine but the pickups can be removed and replaced with different ones!!!! (Just thought I'd share this groundbreaking concept.) Scale length and bridge contribute to slightly scooped, clear, defined, spanky sort of tone with just a hint of victorian breadth and the depth only found on the fragrant shores of the river Nile when the great sun crosses the divide.

These are best playing guitars I have ever owned. The holy grail of electric guitar necks. (Of course, you might not like it at all. Might not be your cup of tea, you know.) I put away a '55 les paul goldtop, a '64 strat and an old PRS custom to play these things. Finish on body is thick plastic, but your arm slips real well when you get good and sweaty --I like that. Neck finish is smooth and fast. Fit, well the neck pocket is tighter than the 70's strat I had. (But so is the local prostitute.)

Very reliable. A regular nut may make it even better as the metal one is getting a bit sloppy without the lockdown dealies.

I talked to Dick Dale once and he said Leo was a super guy.

Been playing 29 years now. Still own a dozen or so guitars, though I've been selling them off since I found these HM strats. I've played damn near everything and owned more than 100 different guitars. To me, it all comes down to how well does the thing play. These HM strats are butt ugly, have plastic paint and tacky graphics, have no vibe or mojo like an old strat, and won't impress your guiitar collecting buddies. So please, don't go out and buy one. I'd like to be able to get about ten more for $200 or $300 a pop.

1992 fender hm strat, 22frets, floyd rose pro (like lo pro),H/S/H pickup configuration (humbuckers are dimarzio) w/ 5 way selector switch, gotoh tuners,nice slim & flat neck, rosewood board on maple, red marble looking finish, basswood body.

Very versatile pickup configuration for just about any style, clean or distorted. Single coil has great blues sound. Humbuckers are very full and can really rock. Very good clean sound for jazz and country. Very quiet when not being played. Sweet harmonics. Really screams.

Action is perfect. Very low and even. Straight neck. Hardware is secure and fits like a glove. Couldn't be any better

Very reliable. I would gig w/o a back up. Finish won't come off. Good strap buttons. This guitar is very worthy of live performance.

This guitar was made to compete w/ Ibanez, Jackson ect... and they did one heck of a job. I've been playing 5 years and I don't understand why nobody buys these when they're so cheap.The only Ibanezes that are better are prestiges or sgnature models.It has better pickups,a better bridge, and just as good of a neck as any Ibanez or Jackson. Buy one if you can. They're very reasonably priced for some reason. Excellent value

I Have a 2 pickup model w/Kahler Floyd Rose Spyder double locking Tremolo. One of the best guitars I ever played. The best part is the neck , what a great feel.

Fender Lace sensor at the neck & Fender factory Humbucker down low with a coil tap switch. You can Jazz to Metal to country with the flip of a switch

Action so low I thought it was broke! The finish is a little cheesezee but it grows on you. Mine is a deep maroon, but I've seen lot's a different ones.

Although I would have a nervous breakdown you could throw it down and still be ok.

Overall I would give it a solid 9. been playing for about 18 years. I own 10 other Guitars & this one's tied with my 75 Gibson Marauder as co favorite. Not only would I replace it, I'm going to actively pursue building a fleet of them as cheap as the are. Remeber Suggested Retail price was $1000.00 Bucks

I have had many different models The Made in Japan models (1986-late 1989) have slightly less overall build quality than the Made In USA models (late 1989-1993)

My current #1 is a 1990 American made model, btw they all say Fender USA on the neckplate regardless of the country they were made in. If it has a Kahler tremolo instead of a Floyd Rose then it is a Japanese model. Some of the very last of the Japanese models came with the Floyd Rose, but all the USA made have them.

They come in a wide variety of pickup configurations but the most common is the S/S/H

Most impressive is the 17" radius neck which actually measures out to 17.5" on most models

The guitar is quite capable of getting you just about any sound you want & having said that is extremely versatile. The 24 frets & shaped heel provide easy access to the high notes & the paint on these things is tougher than nails! You really got to abuse one to get all the way through to the wood. The full floating trem is great on both models but I do prefer the Floyd to the Kahler (plus you can still get parts for the Floyd...

I play everything from Alan Jackson to Guns-N-Roses to the Eagles & it does a fantastic job of emulating all the unique sounds. I play through an ART SGX2000 with which I have spent hundreds of hours perfecting the tones so that does make a difference, but the guitar is still a fantastic all arounder & does covers that other guitars just could not pull off regardless of the processing equipment

The tone & volume controls are smooth & effective.

moderately well set-up from the factory, but a good guitar tech can really make it sing for ya. Again the MIA models are a little better quality than the MIJ ones for fit & finish.

Absolutely bulletproof!

No actual service requriements, but the CS employees at Fender are always willing to help with any thing you need it just takes forever to get them on the phone...

Been playing for about 20 years, I would be devastated if it was stolen as it is basically irreplaceable.

Sea Green, 24-fret, maple neck which smudged nicely into fretboard 'patterns' after a lot of use. S/S/H with the usual controls. Guitar had no mods whatsoever. The tremelo Kahler Spyder was the most reliable tremelo system I have ever owned, including the Edge, Kahler flat mounts and the 2700 series.

Played thru - Marshall 12w into Digitech GSP5 into Digitech Rack Harmonizer; in stereo thru two mono power amps into stereo 4 x 12. Sounded fantastic.

No problems whatsoever!

Took some serious hammer live with no problems. Would always have a second handy (a Tokai souped up strat) thru choice.

Never needed it!

P/X'd to buy a Fender Coronado, the biggest mistake I ever made. Someone, somewhere has got one hell of a guitar *sob*!
:-)

Basswood body, 2 American Standard single coil pickups, 1 Dimarzio humbucker, 1 Volume, 2 tone/ TBX controls, 1 coil tap, Kahler "Spyder" tremolo, maple neck with 24 fret maple fretboard.

I used this through a variety of amps..mostly processed with an ART SGX2000 Express processor.

The guitar did its job, but lacked definition. If this were the only "Heavy metal" style guitar I had around, I guess I would be happy with the sounds and its range of tones.

The guitar is built well, although I do not care for the plasticy finish on the body. The neck however has very little finish, and it began to wear away almost immediately. I do like the feel of that finish. It feels like an old guitar.

All the routes are precision routed, and everything fits together as it should.

All the hardware is great. The electronics could be better, but that is a cheap upgrade. I would rely on it with no hesitation.

Never had to use customer support.

I have been playing 12 years.I own a Jackson Soloist, Ibanez RG770, Rico era BC Rich Eagle, 1974 Stratocaster, 1969 Telecaster, and a 1968 Gibson Les Paul goldtop.

If the guitar were stolen I would probably not replace it. My Soloist does the job much better.

If the guitar were made with a better body wood, different body finish, it would be a keeper. I just don't dig the overall feel and tone.

Solid body HM Strat made to compete with the "Super Srats" of the 80's (Ibanez, Charvel, Kramer). Face it no one knows how to hot rod a Strat better than Fender. 24 fret maple neck with nice medium jumbo frets. Wide, thin and non finished, plays very fast and comfortably. DiMarzio Humbucker in bridge position (coil tapped) and 2 single coils. Standard volume and tone set up w/ push-pull pots for added tonal versatility. Kahler "Spyder" bridge (Floyd Rose sued over this one, it's that close) some people don't like them but I've played Floyds and this is just as good. The tuners are Gotoh. This is a super versatile guitar that can get a wide variety of sounds/tone. Mainly overlooked due to Fenders less than perfect reputation at the time and the fact that they came out at the end of the 80's "Hair Metal" frenzy. Just a bit too late, pick one up, you won't regret it.

So what sounds do you want? I've played jazz, rock, metal and r&b on this guitar. The only limitations are your gear and ability. I play through Marshall 100 watt head, Fender Bassman and a Sovtek Mig 50. They all sound great. THe pick ups are super quiet and the guitar sustains for days.

I bought it used a few years back and set it up myself.

It's been gigged and bounced over the years and the finish has held up well. The usual little dings around the edges, but it's a player right, not a piece of f**kin art to hang on the wall.

No need

I've been playing for 20 years and have tried most major (and some unheard of) guitars. Yes I LOVE Fenders (specifically Strats) but I honestly believe that the HM series has been completely overlooked and underrated by most guitar players. These beauties are packed with features and playablility and the "bang for the buck" can't be beat. These are very versatile guitars, if you can only afford ONE guitar this should be it. If you want a cool addition to your arsenal this is a very good choice and they're usually priced reasonably.

USA, 24 Frets, maple neck.
The neck is really Good.
Good tuners (gotoh)
The bridge is not so good... a Kahler Spyder... I didn't like it.
In fact I changed it with an Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge (stolen from a broken Steve Vai Model)... and... Whoaa! This is great
Pickups are really 'basic' so I've changed them with PKV (limited production of pickups made in Italy) and... Whooooaaoaoaahh!! She plays alone, she doesn't need me...

Very versatile guitar, You can play everything.
Unplugged the sound is very clear, attack is quick and decise, sustain is long enough.
The wood of the guitar permits you to experiment with sounds. She Can... only find the way...
I have a Peavey Ultra Tube 60 and other stuff.
It's really nice to play sometimes with only the guitar directly in the Amp

Normal set up at the factory
try yourself for better configuration.
You can lower the action if you want it, just set up the neck first

No words.
I got it since 1990, played live etc... and she still plays... better.

Never needed...
I don't know

I have a pickup configuration not so usual so my sound choice is very huge... Humbucker - Single coil - Humbucker, with a special 5way selector, in the central position I have the two humbuckers instead of the central single coil.
If you want to customize a guitar I think this is a good point of start.
The woods are ok, the neck is superb, but you must replace the bridge and the pickups.
I've used many guitars during these years but I really love the neck of this guitar.
Plays ok with Effects Processor, pedals and all the stuff you know.

24 frets, 1 Dimarzio Humbucker, 2 single coils, Floyd Rose Style Kahler, this thing screams! This is one of the best things I have played from FENDER USA! Coil Spliter! This guitar is totally versitial!

Can get any style sound!

Incredibly action! This plays as good as any custom shop guitar I have played!

Great quality and Durability!

Never needed a repair!

This guitar is overlooked by many! These guitars were made to rival the custom Metal guitars of the 80's (Ibanez Jems, Jackson Soloists) and it comes through with flying colors! Incredible sound, playability, and quality! I would recommend this guitar to anyone!

this is the american hm strat has 24 frets maple neck red and black crackle finish,kahler spyder tremelo.has a hum/sin/sin pickup configuration

this thing kicks a$$,anything from a hendrix strat sound to a van halen sound to low end crunch sound of todays sound

bought used but it is a cool finish,just did the usual adjustment to fit my personal taste.

ive used this live for awhile and it is great,must last because its already 10 + YRS OLD.