Fender HM Strat

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Fender HM Strat
Fender
Period1988–1992, 2020
Construction
Body type
single-coils and a single humbucker in the bridge position. [1]

The Fender HM Strat was an

Stratocaster design, it was Fender's answer to Superstrats produced by manufacturers such as Jackson Guitars and Ibanez. The HM in the guitars name stands for heavy metal
.

Specifications

The Fender HM strat was originally produced in Japan. Some sources say production started as early as 1984. Subsequently, in 1989, it was produced in the United States. Some evidence indicates that assembly in the U.S. with components imported from Japan may have begun as early as 1987.

First Version - The first version appeared with a distinct Strat logo in the

Gotoh
tuners, and a side-mounted jack socket.

Japanese-assembled guitars have colored polyester on the bodies, and clear polyester on the necks. American-assembled HM Strats have a very hard aircraft grade urethane color and clear coats on the body, while still using a polyester finish on the neck.

Second Version - The US HM series stratocasters were produced in 1990 (possibly late 1988 with Japanese sourced components) and included the Strat 10-3200 (i.e. cont. strat, HSS), 10-2100 (HSS), 10-2102 (HSS), 10-2200 (1 silver sensor, H), 10-2300 (HH) and 10-2400 (H) models. All HM strat US made models had a scale length of 25.15 inches (639 mm) and a fingerboard radius of 17 inches (431.8 mm).

HM Strat Ultra - Later on (in around 1990), Fender introduced the USA HM Strat Ultra that is considered by many to be superior to the previous HM versions. Fender HM Strat ultra differs in that it has 4

mother of pearl
.

2020 Reissue - At the 2020 NAMM Show, Fender introduced a limited edition reissue of the HM Strat.[3] The reissue keeps the Gotoh tuners and HSS design, but replaces the Kahler Spyder tremolo with a Floyd Rose bridge and the DiMarzio and Lace Sensor pickups in previous versions with Fender-developed hi-gain pickups.

Background and user reception

In 1985, a group of musically dedicated people and investors led by

FujiGen, many of which were the "Contemporary" Stratocasters
and Telecasters. These were sold in the U.S., along with "vintage" spec models, from 1985 on up almost through the end of the HM Strat era. Thus, it is not unusual that a Fender HM strat may have Japanese-made components (e.g. neck) assembled in the US.

The Contemporary Stratocaster was eventually supplanted by the HM Strat in 1988, which went through subsequent versions. The first U.S. Fender Superstrat was the adaptation of the Japanese HM Strat, plus the addition of the U.S. Contemporary Stratocaster, in 1989.

However, this model was also opposed by Fender

ash
) as well as the overall appearance were not particularly welcomed by most conservative Fender fans. Today, a well-maintained Fender HM Strat becomes increasingly rare to find. As with most discontinued instruments, however, this guitar is also hard to maintain. For instance, although Kahler USA provides product support for the Kahler Spyder tremolo parts, various other components of this guitar such as knobs are currently unavailable.

Notable users

The Fender HM strat was endorsed by Greg Howe. Many of which were featured on album covers up until 1995 Parallax. In recent years, guitarist Ethan Brosh has been spotted playing old '80s HM Strats as his touring instrument of choice. Jeff Nations, guitarist for JB Crockett, also uses a U.S. HM Strat in his touring rig.

References

  1. ^ Stratocaster Archived 2012-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Fender.com. Retrieved August 2011
  2. ISBN 978-0-87930-897-1
    .
  3. ^ "NAMM 2020: Fender's iconic HM Strat makes an unexpected return". 16 January 2020.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fender HM Strat.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fender_HM_Strat&oldid=1154853308"