NGD: My Greatest Find - 80’s Edition

[sell2792]

Long story short I wandered into a Fort Myers-area antique store after a friends wedding to make my girlfriend happy. Roughly thirty seconds after I commented on a.) how bored I was and b.) how I would love to find a cool guitar for once, I stumbled on this in the back under a pile of garbage guitars and lots of dust:





As soon as I saw that headstock, I knew I hit the jackpot - a 1989 Fender HM Strat in Bluestone, which from reading online is one of the rarer colors. Sure it’s a little rough but upon further inspection it was in decent shape minus needing some parts for the Kahler trem and some serious cleaning. This thing has mojo.

The best part about all of this was the price - they had no idea what it was besides it being a “vintage blue Fender Strat…”I won’t say exactly how much I paid but the sticker price was already incredibly low and I managed to get an additional 40% off of that. Now instead of getting a Squier Sonic Strat HT H to do a budget Tom DeLonge build, this will be my next project.

 

[budda]

Nice.

 

[groverj3]

That would be a fun project. Definitely show us the results!

 

[ArtDecade]

I approve of this 80s post.

 

[narad]

Long story short I wandered into a Fort Myers-area antique store after a friends wedding to make my girlfriend happy. Roughly thirty seconds after I commented on a.) how bored I was and b.) how I would love to find a cool guitar for once, I stumbled on this in the back under a pile of garbage guitars and lots of dust:

View attachment 126952

View attachment 126938

As soon as I saw that headstock, I knew I hit the jackpot - a 1989 Fender HM Strat in Bluestone, which from reading online is one of the rarer colors. Sure it’s a little rough but upon further inspection it was in decent shape minus needing some parts for the Kahler trem and some serious cleaning. This thing has mojo.

The best part about all of this was the price - they had no idea what it was besides it being a “vintage blue Fender Strat…”I won’t say exactly how much I paid but the sticker price was already incredibly low and I managed to get an additional 40% off of that. Now instead of getting a Squier Sonic Strat HT H to do a budget Tom DeLonge build, this will be my next project.

Yea, that finish was super rare (and probably the most exclusively 80s of the colors)! Great score!

 

[groverj3]

Also, it might be sacrilegious, but that Kahler locking nut with an integrated string retainer is a great design (at least on paper. I've never used one). Separate string retainers are ugly. Tilt-back headstocks also solve the issue and don't require one, but having it integrated into the locking nut is a slick design.

 

[gunch]

lucky bastard

 

[sell2792]

Also, it might be sacrilegious, but that Kahler locking nut with an integrated string retainer is a great design (at least on paper. I've never used one). Separate string retainers are ugly. Tilt-back headstocks also solve the issue and don't require one, but having it integrated into the locking nut is a slick design.

I’m just glad it’s not the older-style Kahler nut that sits behind the actual nut. Once I get this guitar up and running I’ll definitely put the trem through it’s paces though.

 

[Yul Brynner]

Also, it might be sacrilegious, but that Kahler locking nut with an integrated string retainer is a great design (at least on paper. I've never used one). Separate string retainers are ugly. Tilt-back headstocks also solve the issue and don't require one, but having it integrated into the locking nut is a slick design.

Yeah it's all good until you can't stuff your big fat djenty strings through the holes.

 

[CanserDYI]

Dude that finish is awesome, it's like a subdued jawbreaker meets crackle. Score.

 

[ZXIIIT]

Also, it might be sacrilegious, but that Kahler locking nut with an integrated string retainer is a great design (at least on paper. I've never used one). Separate string retainers are ugly. Tilt-back headstocks also solve the issue and don't require one, but having it integrated into the locking nut is a slick design.

Was going to mention this, that Kahler nut is way better than the common one every guitar has, pricey as well as I wanted one for a project guitar with a ZR :/

OP, are you going to flip it? Could get something cool + a gift for your gf that kinda made it all happen lol

 

[sell2792]

Was going to mention this, that Kahler nut is way better than the common one every guitar has, pricey as well as I wanted one for a project guitar with a ZR :/

OP, are you going to flip it? Could get something cool + a gift for your gf that kinda made it all happen lol

I'm debating either cleaning it up and keeping it or flipping it and putting the money towards the build I initially planned. Also, I really wish Ibanez would bring back the ZR's or another manufacturer would come up with something similar.

 

[ZXIIIT]

I'm debating either cleaning it up and keeping it or flipping it and putting the money towards the build I initially planned. Also, I really wish Ibanez would bring back the ZR's or another manufacturer would come up with something similar.

That's also, looking forward to it!

Agreed, bummer about the licensing issue with the ZR, this made the used market for the ZR blow up too.

 

[DarthV]

Yep, 80s HM Strat! Can tell by how corroded all the Kahler licensed FR metal parts are

I really need to send mine into a shop to have the posts removed, doweled then drilled for an OFR (or Gotoh?). Pretty sure the low E trem post on mine is bent and every other hex bolts are in some state of being stripped.

Awesome find, not sure I ever knew that color was a thing!

 

[ArtDecade]

I really need to send mine into a shop to have the posts removed, doweled then drilled for an OFR (or Gotoh?). Pretty sure the low E trem post on mine is bent and every other hex bolts are in some state of being stripped.

DON'T YOU DARE!

Buy old trems and strip them for parts like the rest of us.

 

[Omzig]

Score, love my HM strats best fenders fender never made dig that blue granit finish great find

 

[DarthV]

DON'T YOU DARE!

Buy old trems and strip them for parts like the rest of us.

Not exactly easy things to find up here in Canada. Didn't fender move to OFR for later models? Hell, Kahler changed the string lock bolts away from hex to flathead because they knew how soft the metal was.

My black '88 has been in its case for years, basically unplayable with the bent trem post.

 

[eaeolian]

Also, it might be sacrilegious, but that Kahler locking nut with an integrated string retainer is a great design (at least on paper. I've never used one). Separate string retainers are ugly. Tilt-back headstocks also solve the issue and don't require one, but having it integrated into the locking nut is a slick design.

I had a favorite guitar with one, and they're very cool but the steel is kinda crap and they didn't use the standard-size Floyd bolts, which is very Kahler. Mine wore out and I replaced it with a standard Floyd nut. I've had 4-5 of them and they're a great idea executed poorly, kinda like that trem in general.

 

[sell2792]

Not exactly easy things to find up here in Canada. Didn't fender move to OFR for later models? Hell, Kahler changed the string lock bolts away from hex to flathead because they knew how soft the metal was.

My black '88 has been in its case for years, basically unplayable with the bent trem post.

What type of trem does it have? You can find entire replacement units online if you're willing to spend the money. What's even more offensive to me is the fact that Fender doesn't sell replacement "F" knobs that came on the HM's, Boxers and Contemporary models especially considering all of these models have been reissued recently. A used set of three knobs? $225 on Reverb.

 

[DarthV]

What type of trem does it have? You can find entire replacement units online if you're willing to spend the money. What's even more offensive to me is the fact that Fender doesn't sell replacement "F" knobs that came on the HM's, Boxers and Contemporary models especially considering all of these models have been reissued recently. A used set of three knobs? $225 on Reverb.

The Spydyr 2720. But why spend the money on a banged up used one that will eventually fail when you can just get some work done and have a gotoh or OFR installed