NGD - HM Strat (it's not the Hank M one ;) )

Gizmo

Picked this up on wed just gone after a trip to meet up with gumtree seller @ euston

Id been on the look out for a while now for a maple/maple one of these to popup that wasn't either a stupid price or wasn't an import (hate the cost an ball ache of importing stuff these days) this one has a few nicks and knocks to the paint work but isn't in bad shape for a 28-9 year old guitar

Board was/is still a bit grubby (even after a good wipe down) not much fretware & all hardware is org/fine if a little worn

Hopping to get some time to strip it all down clean and set it up over the next few days,im told its been in a case under the bed for the last 27 years (smelt like it as well ) so it needs a bit of TLC,one thing that's go to go is the neck poly hasn't aged well and feels way to sticky for me so it's back to bare wood then oiled/waxed

This is my 2nd HM strat as I had one of these for a few sort weeks (but in razzberry) a long time ago in 1990,it got stolen thanks to a dumb ass drummer leaving a van open while loading his 1million bits of kit....hopping i can get this one playing as nice as i remember that first one being.

Laters
Giz

mudslide73

That's beautiful man. It'll be like getting an old girlfriend back from 1990 I seriously looked at these before my Jackson became available. 

bluechargeboy

Hell yeah! Are these smaller-bodied than regular Strats? Or am I imagining that?

John_A

Nice!  Always had a hankering for one of these

Bucket

Well jel. Played one once and was staggered by how nice it was. And Greg Howe used to use one.

Jack_

mudslide73 said:

That's beautiful man. It'll be like getting an old girlfriend back from 1990 I seriously looked at these before my Jackson became available. 

A bit rough around the edges, a bit beat up, and looser than you remember?

Stevepage

I love these. I was considering getting one but an old Rg550 popped up instead. Yours is the one of very few I've seen where the fretbosrd isn't caked in filth

guitars4you

recall selling them new - Pink and Green were my fav's and a good single pick-up version will embellish your collection - recall Greg Howe was a player of such guitars - I'm not a locking trem fan but have a soft spot for these

newi123

That's awesome!

Moe_Zambeek

I had a gunmetal grey HM Tele in the late 80s / early 90s. I remember it fondly as a great guitar, traded for a mid-70s JMP 50 at the original 'The Guitar Store' in Glasgow in about '92/3.

enjoy your slice of retro coolness

guitarmangler

Amazing. Good score. I've wanted one since seeing Greg Howe on his instructional video.  Aren't they PRS scale length, 25"?/

viz

That's lovely. 

chris45

This was my dream guitar from 1988 but out of my range and I had a Hohner Jackson copy instead (gun metal shattered finish a la Phil Colleen).  Sigh...

CountryDave

I had a thing for these back in the late 80's.  Never got the money together to buy one but used to call in the local shop and play theirs at least every other week.

Strangefan

That's amazing,  I truly hope you develop some industry standard tastes and  grow to hate it so you will sell it....... To me... That's a beaut

Gizmo

Hey Guys

Thanks for the feedback (and some very funny comments )

@guitarmangler Yep these has a slightly shorter scale than "standard" strats coming in at 25 inches,what really set them apart from any other guitar ive played is the 17 inch radius fretboard that feels almost flat under the hand,closest ive come to it is the 16 inch on my Laguna LE924 (oh look another greg howe guitar )

So had a good afternoon on cleanup and got the rest of the grease and grime out of the FB and took the old poly goop off the back off the neck,all i can say is a cleaned & oil'ed neck feel like a fresh shaved pu**y so smooth you can't keep your hands off it

Done a bit of poking around the interwebs last night to try and track down if this was fully Jap built or jap made but USA constructed.

HM Strat forum says serial E943063

Makes it 1989 Jap....but

HM strat Wiki say's "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."

As you can see from this chip out its clear that this is poly over colour (you can also see just how much the poly has yellow'ed turning the Ice blue more teal)

So im not the wiser

The Kahler Spyder trem is fine for all things wammy and returns to pitch and stays intune,but i think it's missing the weight of the larger brass block from an Org floyd rose which inturn seems to rob a bit of zing and sustain

If you can track one down for reasonable money i say grab one as they are on of the great 80's shredder guitars,strange that fender haven't ever decide to reissue them ,they'd have fit right in nicely along side with the last neon charvel line up

I have a 2nd motive for getting one of these as i want one on hand to use as a ref for my next scratch build which will be a replica HM strat but with a HB SC set up finished in razzberry/pink like this

Doubt i'll go for original HM strat parts on that build as there just stupid money (£65 for a knob get real)

Laters
Gizmo

Kebabkid

Nice one.

I had a black one of these and it was versatile and sounded great. I only got rid of it as I handed it in on a part-ex.