Important
The catalogued models are the ones made by Fender for the domestic market some of which were exported but they also made
guitars solely for export and except for the 1990s Collectable series most of these weren't catalogued and specs can vary some
will be the equivalent of the high end models and some the lower end ones but may not be an exact match.
The earliest ST 62s were produced as the famous JVs it is not my intention to cover the JVs 21 Frets already does that.
I will start from 1985 onwards. That is when the A serial numbers started there had been some E serial numbers in 1984
but I don't think there were any models which did not appear in 1985.
These guitars are made to similar specs to the original 1962 Stratocasters, as always they are not styled as reissues
and with the exception of the Extrad range are not meant to be exact replicas. They first appeared in the 1983 catalogue.
The models vary in quality the most basic being basswood with ceramic pickups others are quite high spec.
You cannot easily tell some of the models apart without taking them apart. You may then be able to identify them by the
neck markings, the pickups or the wood.
Although I will post pictures a lot of them will just look the same.
Specifications common to all ST 62s
Except where stated
Specifications
Neck Maple no skunk stripe oval profile 25.5" scale
Fretboard Rosewood 7.25" radius 21 vintage frets no skunk stripe
Headstock 60s style truss rod adjustment at body Fender 50s gold spaghetti logo 1 butterfly string tree
Tuners Vintage style
Controls Standard Strat 1 volume 2 tone 5 way switch
Nut 42 mms synthetic bone
Pickguard Parchment 3 ply mint green 11 hole pre 1963 screw hole pattern
Pre 1963 12th fret dot spacing
Vintage wide spacing 2 7/32 at bridge
Manufacturing through the years at different factories may have produced variances especially in the neck profile
they certainly don't all feel exactly the same.
Update August 2019
Stratomike from the strat forum adds the following info.
First, having a look at the Fender MIJ 1986 catalog, I notice that some ST-62 models had 3 way switches
(so not all have 5 way ones). A way to distinguish the higher level 62s is that only the 115 (and ExTrad)
have USA controls, while the group of 115, 85 and 70 all have USA pickups.
First appears in the 1983 catalogue as a JV remained available under other serial numbers until 1989
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 ST Vintage USA made
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Steel Block Vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Fiesta Red, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
There is a special Walnut Edition with gold hardware of this guitar the one below is a 1985 on an A serial number
fender77777 from the Strat forum has suggested that I should expand a bit on the Walnut strat pictured above. This seems reasonable.
There is often confusion in that there are guitars about which are Walnut coloured but not many built of Walnut. There are ST62 models
which are Alder Body and Maple neck stained in a Walnut colour.
The true Walnut ST62 was produced in limited numbers in the late 80s early 90s and most of the ones I have seen have A serial numbers
on the neckplate.
The specs of the ST62-115WAL are similar to the ST62-115 other than
Body Solid Natural Walnut with a Satin Finish
Neck is Walnut with an Ebony Board
Gold Hardware
Appears in the 1983 catalogue as a JV remained available under other serial numbers until 1989
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 ST Vintage USA made
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Steel Block Vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Fiesta Red, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
Appears in the 1985 catalogue remained available until 1989
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 ST Vintage USA made
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block Vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Fiesta Red, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
Appears in the 1985 catalogue remained available until 1989
Specifications
Body Basswood
Pickups 3 ST Vintage Japanese made
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block Vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Fiesta Red, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White in 1986 a Yellow abbreviated
as RYL was added.
When Pickups are described as ST Vintage they are often Ceramics but below is a picture of the pickups from an ST62-55
which are obviously Alnico.
In 1990 the model designations changed the numbers reflecting the approximate price in 100s of yen instead of 1000s this gave us the ST62-900 the ST62-770LS the ST62-650 the ST62-500 and the ST62-480. Then in in 1992 the designations changed this time back to the number reflecting the approximate price in 1000s of yen
Available in 1990 and 1991
Specifications
Body Basswood
Pickups 3 ST Vintage
Hardware Chrome
Bridge 6 section pressed
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
ST 62-900 1990 and 1991 became ST62-95 in 1992 changed to ST 62-110 in mid 1993 available until 1995
Specifications
Body Alder lacquer finish
Pickups 3 ST Vintage USA made
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Steel Block Vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
ST 62-770LS in 1990 and 1991 became ST62-62-85LS in 1992 changed to ST 62-95LS md 1993 available until 1995
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 USA Gold Lace Sensors
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block Vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Vintage White or Surf Green
Active Circuit mid boost
ST 62-650 1990 and 1991 became ST62-70 in 1992 available until 1996
Specifications
Body Alder*
Pickups 3 ST Vintage USA made
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
*The 62-70 started off as Alder but in the second 1993 catalogue it is Basswood and continues as Basswood
until the end of it's production.
ST 62-500 1990 and 1991 became ST62-53 1992 available until 1997
Specifications
Body Basswood
Pickups 3 ST Vintage
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast block
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
Launched in 1994 a custom Edition in the 1995 catalogue for the 40th Anniversary with a highly figured neck
described in the catalogue as "Natural Foto Flame Finish
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 ST Vintage
Hardware Gold
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red , Vintage White, Lake Placid Blue, SRG? and BMT?
Also launched in 1994 a custom Edition in the 1995 catalogue for the 40th Anniversary with
a Foto Flame body
Specifications
Body Alder with a Natural Foto Flame finished Basswood Cap
Pickups 3 ST Vintage
Hardware Gold
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours Foto Flame Natural only
Launched in 1996 and continued as ST 62-75TX, ST 62-78TX then simply as the ST 62-TX until 2012
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 USA made Texas Specials
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours at least 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Old Candy Apple Red , Vintage White, Old Lake Placid Blue,
, Sonic Blue, Fiesta Red
Ocean Turquoise, Shell Pink, Seafoam Green, Torino Red and Cherry Sunburst, Rebel Yellow
Launched in 2008 available until at least 2013. There had been matching headstock models from 2005 just known by their
normal designation ST62-75TX and ST62-80TX.
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 USA made Texas Specials
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours A Blue (JB) and Burgundy Mist
The MH on these stands for Matching Headstock otherwise it is no different from the ST 62-TX except it is
just over 2000 yen more expensive
Launched 1996 and continued to 2006.
Specifications
Body Alder
Pickups 3 USA made Texas Specials
Hardware Gold
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Hardware Gold
Black Pickguard
A correspondent Andrew F has sent me some pictures of a guitar designated as above. With warranty cards and neck markings to match.
It has the SRV style left handed trem which from the pictures appears to be factory fitted. It was sold to him as an SRV guitar.
But I guess Fender Japan didn't have the appropriate rights to put his name or initials on the guitar. It looks identical otherwise
to the 80TX above and I suspect it is a special run or even a one off modified 80TX with otherwise the same specs.
Update Dec 2024
Scott Petersen has sent me a link to a Japanese sale of one of these. Below is an extract from the sale.
Fender [SN Q052032] Fender Japan ST62G-SPL 3TS(3Tone Sunburst) (Made in Japan) [2002-04 3.69kg]
This is an off-catalog model with reverse-mount tremolo, jumbo frets and gold hardware, Fender Japan ST62G-SPL,
made between 2002 and 2004. This model has a basswood body, maple neck, rose fingerboard, and black guard with white
plastic parts and gold hardware. This model has a reverse-mounted tremolo with a unique pitch change and jumbo frets,
and a parts configuration reminiscent of the "No. 1" model using SRV.
Thanks Scott
ST 62-58US launched 1998 continued to 2007 when it became the ST 62-66US then the ST 62US in 2008 available until 2012
Specifications
Body Basswood*
Pickups 3 USA made Vintage Strat Pickups
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours at least 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Old Candy Apple Red , Vintage White, OLB, Fiesta Red , A Blue Green (SBL),
Ocean Turquoise (OTM), Shell Pink , Seafoam Green, Torino Red and Cherry Sunburst
* Rafasounds at the Strat forum has an ST 62-58US which is made of Alder a typical Fender Japan inconsistency
Launched as "Vintage Deluxe in 2006 became the ST62-105DMC under the Vintage Special label when there was also an
ST 62-66DMC vintage deluxe in the same year. the ST62-66DMC then became the ST-62DMC in 2008. The first two were
upmarket models the second 2 much cheaper. In the same year the the 105 was 110,250 yen the 66 was 69300 yen.
Note the model numbers are not exactly refecting the launch price. There is a later reference to a ST62 DMC/VSP
which presumably is a continuation of the ST62-105DMC with similar specs.
Specifications ST62-95DMC and ST62-105DMC
Body Alder 2 piece
Pickups 3 DiMarzio Classical Vintage
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Steel Block S5D vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst only
Specifications ST62-66DMC and ST-DMC
Body Basswood
Pickups 3 DiMarzio Full Impact Single Coils
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Old Candy Apple Red or Vintage White
These are identified as being DMC range by the pickup covers which say DiMarzio or if they have been changed
the ends of the polepieces on DiMarzio pickups are a distinctive shape.
Launched in 2010 available until at least 2013
Specifications
Body Basswood
Pickups 3 MIJ single coils
Hardware Chrome, Gold on the G Model
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours at least 3 Tone Sunburst, Black, Old Candy Apple Red, Vintage White, Old Lake Placid Blue (OLB), Fiesta Red , Sonic Blue (SBL), Ocean Turquoise (OTM),
Shell Pink, Seafoam Green, Torino Red and Cherry Sunburst. The Gold in 3 Colour Sunburst only.
The Gold model has a black scratchplate
Launched 2010
Specifications
Body Alder 2 piece
Pickups 3 MIJ Alnico Custom
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Steel Block S5D vintage
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst, Vintage White or Candy Apple Red.
I have also seen a special edition which is described as having a Thermowood neck if it is actually is Thermowood
I don't know here it is. It's from 2014 and has gold hardware
Update August 2019
Flashman from the Strat forum who lives in Australia has bought a 62VSP which he tells us is a FSR with a
lacquer finish. It is in 3 colour sunburst.
Launched 2011 the MH being Matching Headstock
Specifications
Body Ash with semi transparent finish
Pickups 3 MIJ Strat Single Coil Alnico
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block Vintage Style
Colours Trans Red
Note this guitar has 22 frets and a wide oval neck
There were 3 All Blacks or ABs all the same guitar but with different designations as the price or system changed.
ST62-65AB 2006
ST62-70AB 2007
ST62-ALLBK 2008 until around 2014
These appear in some catalogues and there lots of examples around for sale at various times.
They are part of the J Craft series and for the domestic market only.
Specifications
Body Basswood
Neck Maple painted Black serial number etc on the back by the neck body join. Oval type (modern C)
Headstock Painted Black just with silver spag logo on front nothing else
Pickups 3 MIJ single coils Ceramics
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Diecast Block S5D vintage
Colours Black
This was a 2012 Limited Edition with the defining feature being a scalloped neck
Specs
Body Alder
Neck Maple Oval type
Fretboard Rosewood 7.5" radius 21 super jumbo Frets scalloped board
Tuners Vintage Style
Pickups 3 Vintage Single Coils probably Ceramic
Nut 42mms brass
Hardware Chrome
Headstock 60s style
11 hole 3 ply pickguard white
Vintage Style trem unit S5D Diecast block
Colours Shoreline Gold only
There are a number of 2013 Limited Editions I assume as 30th Anniversary models maybe. Here are some of them
In 2013 Fender Japan produced the above limited edition. There are said to be only 50 of each design, Gold Geisha and Dragon.
As so often I am not sure I believe that there seem to be too many about on the web for there to be so few made. They are domestic
market only. The designs are produced by bonding material to the body and finishing with poly. The scratchplate is the same material
between two layers of plexiglass. One unusual feature is the side mounted jack placed there so it doesn't interfere with the design.
Specs
Body Basswood covered with material and poly finished
Neck Maple Oval shaped likely a slightly deep C
Fretboard Rosewood 21 Vintage Frets 7.25" radius
Pickups 3 MIJ SC ST Vintage (likely ceramics)
Nut 1.65"
Bridge Diecast Block S5D Vintage style
Headstock plain standard ST62
Another 2013 Limited Edition, but with 22 frets, which is odd for a 62 strat. It also has a quilted top and comes in
some fairly striking colours. Also not vintage radius.
Specs
Body Alder with a Quilted Maple top
Neck Maple Oval shaped likely a slightly deep C
Fretboard Rosewood 22 Frets 250mm radius Frets described as Wide Oval
Tuners Vintage 60s style
Pickups described as Custom Alnico Single coil
Nut 42mm
Headstock 60s style Gold Spag logo 1 string tree blank on the back
Bridge Diecast Block S5D Vintage
Serial Number Base of the neck under Made in Japan
Pickguard 3 ply white
Release Price 90,000 yen
Colours All shown below
Another 2013 Limited Edition, again with 22 frets. The MH is Matching Headstock
but this one has a vintage radius and Frets.
Specs
Body Basswood
Neck Maple Oval shaped likely a slightly deep C
Fretboard Rosewood 22 Vintage Frets 7.5" radius
Tuners Vintage 60s style
Pickups described as 3 MIJ Single coil probably ceramics
Nut 42mm
Headstock Matching with 60s style Gold Spag logo 1 string tree blank on the back
Serial Number Base of the neck under Made in Japan
Bridge Diecast Block S5D Vintage
Pickguard 3 ply white
Release Price 78,000 yen
Controls and Pickup covers Black
Colours Candy Red or LPB
The FR stands for a Floyd Rose Style bridge. An SSH model only made in 3 colour Sunburst.
12" radius and 22 frets we really are taking liberties calling it an ST62
Specs
Body Alder
Neck Maple Oval shaped likely a slightly deep C
Fretboard Rosewood 22 wide oval Frets 12" radius
Tuners Sealed diecast
Pickups described as 2 MIJ Single coil probably ceramics and a Dragster CR Humbucker
Nut 42mm locking
Headstock 60s style Gold Spag logo 1 string bar blank on the back
Serial Number Base of the neck under Made in Japan
Bridge Gotoh GE 1996T
Pickguard 3 ply white
Release Price 120,000 yen
Controls and Pickup covers Parchment
There were 3 ST65 SEs that didn't appear in the catalogues but were not much more than special colours.
There was a Custard Yellow and a Snow White. There was also a SE All black which as far as I can see
is just the same as the other All Blacks. All three had the same Specs, just differed cosmetically
Specs
Body Basswood
Neck Maple Oval shaped likely a slightly deep C
Fretboard Rosewood 21 Vintage Frets 7.5" radius
Tuners Vintage 60s style
Pickups described as 3 MIJ Single coil probably ceramics
Nut 42mm
Headstock Plain with 60s style Gold (Silver on the All Black) Spag logo 1 string tree blank on the back
Serial Number Base of the neck under Made in Japan
Bridge Diecast Block S5D Vintage
Pickguard 3 ply white (Black on the All Black)
Release Price 68,000 yen (80,000 for the All Black)
Still far away from a 62 Strat this one has Vintage Noiseless pickups and what is described by Fender Japan as
The ST62 is finished with a polyester finish with a very thin coating. The neck finished so thin that you can also see the
wood grain will feel as if you have played it. The outer circumferential angle of the head is also finished so as not to drop too much.
Specs
Body Alder
Neck Maple Oval shaped likely a slightly deep C
Fretboard Rosewood 22 wide oval Frets 250mm radius
Tuners Vintage 60s style
Pickups 3 Vintage Noiseless
Nut 41mm
Headstock 60s style Gold Spag logo 1 string tree blank on the back
Serial Number Base of the neck under Made in Japan
Bridge Diecast Block S5D Vintage
Pickguard 3 ply white
Release Price 115,000 yen
3 Colour Sunburst only
This guitar has Gold Hardware and an Ash and Koa body. It is fitted with a sigle coil size humbucker at the bridge.
Specs
Body Ash with Koa Top
Neck Maple Oval shaped likely a slightly deep C
Fretboard Rosewood 22 wide oval Frets 250mm radius
Tuners Vintage 60s style
Pickups 2 MIJ Single coils and 1 single coil size humbucker
Nut 41mm
Headstock 60s style Gold Spag logo 1 string tree blank on the back
Serial Number Base of the neck under Made in Japan
Bridge Diecast Block S5D Vintage
Pickguard 3 ply black
Hardware Gold
Release Price 110,000 yen
Colour described as Koa but I suppose it's Sunburst
First appeared in 1986 as the Extrad ST62-140 at 140,000 yen
just called the Extrad ST62 in 1990 and 1991, at 110,000 yen
there was an ST62-117 in at 117,000 yen 1992 and 1993 with an option for Mint Green Plastic
then an ST62-140 again in 1993. at 117,000 yen but with the option of a Light Ash body 128,000 yen
In 1994 the prices had risen to 135,000 yen with 145,000 yen for the Ash body?
If it is an Extrad it should have Extrad written on the back of the headstock or by the serial
number. However TCGakki whilst not clear suggest that some early models don't have Extrad written on.
I would be inclined to the view that if it doesn't say Extrad it isn't one.
Specifications
Body Alder or Light Ash with Lacquer Finish
Pickups 3 USA made vintage style single coils
Hardware Chrome
Bridge Vintage style
Colours 3 Tone Sunburst I have also seen a sonic blue which may be an SE
In 2019 the only near equivalent model is the traditional 60s Strat retailing at the Yen equivalent of about £600 so unlikely to be of the quality of the better ST 62s