Anyone got an HM Strat?

Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

on mine the Floyd is not recessed, I just saw one on Reverb.com that sold for 1500.00 mine is a candy apple red one. This model was not produced after Fender bought Charvel but its a great guitar. I have played newer models of Fenders with Floyd Rose's but they dont play like the one I have. Somebody told me the gold Fender Logo means it is a nicer Fender-dont know if thats true or not-but it sure plays nice.
 
Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

I found another one like mine on Reverb.com but its sold. It has a rosewood neck on this one and a hum single single. Its called the Fender classic Floyd Rose strat-its american made with a gold spagetti Fender logo on the headstock. They list the fret board radius at 9.5 but the piece of paper that mine came with said custom neck profile and 10 fret board radius. Oh well, ether way its a cool guitar. Mine came with the 2 Dimarzio PAF Pro pickups. I didnt like them and switched them for Duncans. I liked the feel of the guitar but hated the tone until I switched out the Humbuckers for Duncans.
 
Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

Hi, I'm way late to the party but the HM's were truly great guitars. Kramer outsold both Fender and Gibson in '84 and '85 and this was Fender's Heavy Metal guitar - basswood body, Kahler Trem, DiMarzio Super 3 created especially for this guitar (it later became popular enough to be released on it's own). The necks are some of the most comfortable I've ever played. Fender was so excited about this guitar it was supposed to be the next evolution of the Stratocaster. Unfortunately, they didn't catch on with more traditional minded Fender owners, and soon the metal music phase passed - to all of our shame and horror! I own three of HM's currently. In the first year '88 they were made in Japan as Fender was retooling under the new owners. Production shifted to America, but for a couple years probably, they were still using parts made in Japan. IIRC, one person told me they were cardboard barrels on the production line and necks that were ready to be installed were stacked in those upright barrels. When a guitar was finished, they would just grab whatever neck they grabbed from the barrel and they were a mix of USA and Japan for awhile. Then the later models were all manufactured in the USA - especially the ones with the Floyd Rose bridges. I think a lot of confusion stems from the mixed parts, but this is what I pieced together based on many, many emails I sent out to owners and people from Fender and any historical records I found. Here's pictures of mine. The one with the parrot on it is I think, the only model you can be absolutely certain of - the single humbucker with the E8 serial numbers were all Made in Japan. I rebuilt the neck on the one with my dog's picture on it, and replaced the rosewood with an ebony fretboard. To my knowledge, it's the only production run HM in the world with an ebony fretboard (Fender made a custom shop version called the Ultra). By the way, I have a whole website dedicated to the HM's, but it's not being hosted at the moment. If anyone is serious and wants to host it, or even parts of it, I'd gladly supply all the information and pictures.

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Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

Awesome, how do you like the Lace Hot Golds?

Part of me thinks the US/MIJ ambiguity around these (and the blurry US/Mexico origin of guitars like the Prodigy and California Series) keep prices a bit more affordable by scaring collectors off. I get the appeal myself, and continue to keep my eye out for one.
 
Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

Thanks. The Lace Hot Golds didn't really do it for me, but I do like the Holy Grails.
 
Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

If I get another Fender it might have to be another HM Strat. I LOVED that guitar.

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Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

As many of you know, I GAS too much for stuff I can't afford (even if I am always GASing for sub 1k guitars). And as the rest of you know, I love me some superstrats, especially maple boards!

Been dying for an HM strat for awhile, whos got one, whos played one, and show me some pictures!
You mean the old hair metal "Strat?" I wanted a black one back in the day. Got two prodigies instead (locking and non-locking trems.)

Sent from my KFGIWI using Tapatalk
 
Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

If the HM Strat is defined by: Strat head, 24 fret, bolt-on, locking trem, then that's a very rare spec. for a Charvel; a Jackson has a pretty different aesthetic (including the headstock and less-rounded body edge routing.) Picky, but why not.

..Also. I want a cam-Kahler Prodigy ii :) I swear they existed but can't find a pic.
I owned a black Kahler Prodigy, so yes, they exist.

Edit: Misread your post. Mine was a Floyd type Kahler. I never saw a cam Kahler Prodigy.

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Re: Anyone got an HM Strat?

To bring it back to (pure) HM Fenders, I really like the pickguard look below...

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THAT looks like a manufacturing shortcut to repackage precut excess HSS bodies into a separate 1H model


Although i guess as an aftermarket item that would be kinda win... as well as one to convert HSS to HS
 
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