Fender HM Strat
Encyclopedia
The Fender HM Strat is a discontinued model of electric guitar
produced by Fender Musical Instruments from 1988 until 1992, (although some sources say production started as early as 1986). The HM guitar was Fender's answer to the superstrats, produced by manufacturers such as Ibanez
and Jackson Guitars
, and marked a relatively radical departure from Leo Fender
's classic design.
The Fender HM (Heavy metal
) strat was originally produced in Japan
and subsequently, in 1990, in the United States
. Some evidence indicates that assembly in the U.S. with some components imported from Japan may have begun as early as 1987. The first version appeared with a distinct Strat logo in the headstock, 24 medium jumbo frets (i.e. these are thicker and wider frets), a maple neck with rosewood
or maple
fingerboard
and with one of the four neck "bolts" (screws) off-set at the bottom of the neck to allow a more comfortable "heel" area for playing in the upper registers, a lighter basswood body, or occasionally alder
for US made guitars). In addition the Fender HM Strat had a Kahler licensed double-locking tremolo systemhttp://www.Kahlerusa.com, "Spyder", and Gotohhttp://www.hosco.co.jp/HOSCO_ENGLISH/Pages/Gotoh.html tuners, one DiMarziohttp://www.dimarzio.com humbucking H* "Super 3" pickup ("H" configuration), and sometimes two single coil
pickups (S*, HSS configuration), two humbuckers, or sometimes a single additional Super Distortion, (HH configuration) 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 polyester finish on the neck. Kahler USA offers a detailed schematic diagram of the Kahler Spyder tremolohttp://www.kahlerparts.com/X_pages/X_2720_Spyder.htm and several (but not all) replacement parts are available.
When Fender Musical Instruments was sold to a group of investors in the mid-1980s, the building that contained the equipment was not part of the sale, so the plant was re-located. During this period, when there was little to no production of instruments in the U.S., Fender imported instruments made by Fender Japan, 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 US HM series stratocasters were produced about three years after the Fender Contemporary Stratocaster Japan
series 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 (639mm) and a radius of 17 inches (431.8mm). The Contemporary Stratocaster was eventually supplanted by the HM Strat in ’88, 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 ’89. Later on (~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 Lace Sensor
pickups in HSS configuration (these pickups are considered less noisy/aggressive and sometimes less preferred for HM strat than those found in the Fender HM Strat), a smaller 'digitalized' Strat logo (considered to be a more discrete) and an ebony
fingerboard with split-triangle inlays. The Fender logo on the headstock is mother of pearl.
The Superstrat fashion of the ’80s is a fascinating period in guitar history that is yet not fully appreciated. In 1985, a group of musically dedicated people and investors led by William Schultz purchased the Fender company from Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). Several new models including that of the Fender HM Strat were produced. The Fender HM strat was endorsed by many guitar players including the guitarist Greg Howe
. However, this model was also opposed by Fender purist
s as its features were "off the Fender's beaten track". The use of a humbucker (instead of a single coil), 24 jumbo frets (instead of 21 or 22 regular frets) and occasionally basswood (instead of the typical alder
or ash
) as well as the overall appearance were not particularly welcomed by most conservative Fender fans. Today, a well-maintained Fender HM strat becomes an increasingly rare to find instrument. 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 are currently unavailable (e.g. knobs).
Was my Fender HM strat made in Japan or made in USA?: There is some confusion regarding the origin of Fender HM strats. Useful information on Fender HM Strat Model Descriptions & Serial Numbers is listed in www.HeavyMetalStrat.com sitehttp://www.heavymetalstrat.com/
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
produced by Fender Musical Instruments from 1988 until 1992, (although some sources say production started as early as 1986). The HM guitar was Fender's answer to the superstrats, produced by manufacturers such as Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
and Jackson Guitars
Jackson Guitars
__FORCETOC__Jackson is a renowned brand of electric guitar that bears the name of its founder, Grover Jackson.-Early years:Grover Jackson obtained ownership in Charvel's Guitar Repair of Glendora, California in the 1970s with a promise to bolster Charvel's business...
, and marked a relatively radical departure from Leo Fender
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, or "Fender" for short...
's classic design.
History
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
) strat was originally produced in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and subsequently, in 1990, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Some evidence indicates that assembly in the U.S. with some components imported from Japan may have begun as early as 1987. The first version appeared with a distinct Strat logo in the headstock, 24 medium jumbo frets (i.e. these are thicker and wider frets), a maple neck with rosewood
Rosewood
Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, marimbas, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general,...
or maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
fingerboard
Fingerboard
The fingerboard is a part of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument and above which the strings run...
and with one of the four neck "bolts" (screws) off-set at the bottom of the neck to allow a more comfortable "heel" area for playing in the upper registers, a lighter basswood body, or occasionally alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
for US made guitars). In addition the Fender HM Strat had a Kahler licensed double-locking tremolo systemhttp://www.Kahlerusa.com, "Spyder", and Gotohhttp://www.hosco.co.jp/HOSCO_ENGLISH/Pages/Gotoh.html tuners, one DiMarziohttp://www.dimarzio.com humbucking H* "Super 3" pickup ("H" configuration), and sometimes two single coil
Single coil
A single coil pickup is a type of magnetic transducer, or pickup, for the electric guitar and the electric bass. It electromagnetically converts the vibration of the strings to an electric signal...
pickups (S*, HSS configuration), two humbuckers, or sometimes a single additional Super Distortion, (HH configuration) 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 polyester finish on the neck. Kahler USA offers a detailed schematic diagram of the Kahler Spyder tremolohttp://www.kahlerparts.com/X_pages/X_2720_Spyder.htm and several (but not all) replacement parts are available.
The US HM series stratocasters were produced about three years after the Fender Contemporary Stratocaster Japan
Fender Contemporary Stratocaster Japan
Fender Contemporary Stratocaster electric guitars were produced by Fender Japan in the 1980s.- General features :* “D” profile neck with a 12" radius.* "BiFlex" truss rod adjustment at the top of the neck.* Microtilt neck angle fine adjustment....
series 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 (639mm) and a radius of 17 inches (431.8mm). The Contemporary Stratocaster was eventually supplanted by the HM Strat in ’88, 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 ’89. Later on (~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 Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
pickups in HSS configuration (these pickups are considered less noisy/aggressive and sometimes less preferred for HM strat than those found in the Fender HM Strat), a smaller 'digitalized' Strat logo (considered to be a more discrete) and an ebony
Ebony
Ebony is a dense black wood, most commonly yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but ebony may also refer to other heavy, black woods from unrelated species. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. Its fine texture, and very smooth finish when polished, make it valuable as an...
fingerboard with split-triangle inlays. The Fender logo on the headstock is mother of pearl.
- Note: In descriptions of pickup configurations, H refers to humbuckers and S refers to single-coils.
The Superstrat fashion of the ’80s is a fascinating period in guitar history that is yet not fully appreciated. In 1985, a group of musically dedicated people and investors led by William Schultz purchased the Fender company from Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). Several new models including that of the Fender HM Strat were produced. The Fender HM strat was endorsed by many guitar players including the guitarist Greg Howe
Greg Howe
Gregory "Greg" Howe is an American guitarist and composer. As an active musician for nearly thirty years, he has released nine studio albums in addition to collaborating with a wide variety of artists.-Recording career:...
. However, this model was also opposed by Fender purist
Purist
A purist is one who desires that an item remains true to its essence and free from adulterating or diluting influences. The term may be used in almost any field, and can be applied either to the self or to others. Use of the term may be either pejorative or complimentary, depending on the context...
s as its features were "off the Fender's beaten track". The use of a humbucker (instead of a single coil), 24 jumbo frets (instead of 21 or 22 regular frets) and occasionally basswood (instead of the typical alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
or ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
) as well as the overall appearance were not particularly welcomed by most conservative Fender fans. Today, a well-maintained Fender HM strat becomes an increasingly rare to find instrument. 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 are currently unavailable (e.g. knobs).
External links
- Fender instruments homepage
- HeavyMetalStrat.com - Informational website all about the HM Strat guitars
- Website providing specifications on the Japanese Fender HM strat
- Greg Howe improvising live with Fender Hm strat in 1988
- An example of an HM strat enthusiast playing "the sky is crying" on Youtube
- Presentation of a Fender HM strat (in French) on Youtube
- An example of an HM strat enthusiast playing "few notes on Hm Strat" on Youtube
- Lori Linstruth Guitar Solo (Stream Of Passion Lead Guitar)
- The manual of the Japanese HM strats in Pdf
Information for Kahler Spyder replacement parts
Most replacement pats for the Kahler Spyder tremolo can be found here: *Kahler Spyder replacements parts homepage. Notice from Kahler's website: "New complete saddles are no longer available from Kahler Parts". However, there is a website where Fender HM strat owners can get mint to average condition Spyder saddles (in black or chrome color). This is done separately from Kahlerparts in the following link: *Replacement parts for Kahler spyder saddles. Notice from WammiWorld: "These saddles may or may not have the "Kahler" script on the lock block depending on current availability". Fortunately, the top string Kahler block can be bought from the Kahlerparts site: *The top string Kahler block. Please also check WammiWorld for NOS Kahler Spyders and some parts that aren't available on KahlerParts.com.Technical notes
On Fender (and other guitars) equipped with the Kahler Spyder tremolo: The Kahler Spyder may not be suitable for a guitar's fretboard radius. Although the Kahler Spyder's saddle heights are individually adjustable, the nuts are 12" in diameter. The fretboard of the Japanese version is 12" and the U.S. version is 17". This limitation may be compensated for using a Plek machine. This machine can mill the frets to a radius (including compound) that better matches the guitars Nut and Bridge radii. The result is a guitar that plays extremely accurately.Was my Fender HM strat made in Japan or made in USA?: There is some confusion regarding the origin of Fender HM strats. Useful information on Fender HM Strat Model Descriptions & Serial Numbers is listed in www.HeavyMetalStrat.com sitehttp://www.heavymetalstrat.com/