Fender Japan Mini Stratocaster MST-32

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For today's second post we could again have done with having a photograph showing some impression of scale for this is another diminutive guitar. From Fender Japan it's a Fender Mini Stratocaster MST-32, circa 1989-90. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to show you this item before the eBay auction finished; it sold for $349.99.

If I remember correctly, it's ideally tuned to A (equivalent to having a capo at the 5th fret on a regularly tuned guitar), although no doubt with heavier gauge strings and appropriate set-up you could achieve lower tunings.

Unlike it's full-size sibling, the Mini Strat has just two pickups and one less tone control than usual. Despite the "Original contour body" legend on the headstock, the slab-like body is almost devoid of the usual Stratocaster contouring, the only concession being an almost imperceptibly shallow forearm contour.

Around this time, Fender Japan also issued a Mini Telecaster and Mini Precision Bass, neither of which I've seen since they were originally made available. More accurate Fender Strat Minis with the correct number of pickups and controls plus all the contouring you'd expect were also produced solely for the Japanese market.

G L Wilson

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