Fender Reissue Stratocasters

Collectables and HRR Stratocasters

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Cover - Collectables and HRR

When Fender shifted Squier production from Japan to Korea, Fender Japan continued exporting reissue guitars, initially under the Reissue or Limited Edition Series, later grouped as the Collectables Series. These guitars, often built with basswood bodies and Reissue Strat pickups, lacked nitro finishes but carried the Fender name proudly, offering players affordable access to vintage-style instruments. The “Time Travelers” ad (c. 1995) promoted these reissues as a ticket to rock ’n’ roll history, featuring ’50s and ’60s Stratocasters, Telecasters, and vintage-style basses. Key models included the ’68 “Hendrix” Strat, the ’50s and ’60s Stratocasters (1989–1998), and the ’72 Strat, each with distinctive necks, pickguards, and hardware.

In 1990, Fender introduced the Hot-Rodded Reissue (HRR) Series, popularized by Richie Sambora. These Japanese-made Stratocasters featured hotter pickups, double-locking tremolos, and modern appointments, blending vintage aesthetics with aggressive tones. Notably, a 1991 Frontline catalog showed a heavily customized HRR Strat resembling Sambora’s signature, highlighting artist personalization and marketing strategy.

Vintage Reissue Stratocasters Specs

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Index - Vintage Reissue

Fender’s Fullerton Vintage Reissue Stratocasters (c. 1982–1986) featured “Dan Smith style” headstocks, followed by the distinctive “pregnant” headstock when production moved to Corona. Logo decals evolved across three batches, varying in font, placement, and finish. Bodies were mostly alder, with limited ash “Mary Kaye” variants; Corona models had deeper, sharper contours. Early instruments show deepened cavities and extra neck-pocket holes. Dating is done via pencil neck-dates or later stamped/printed formats; serials became date-coded from around 2012. Finishes began with nitro over polyester, later expanding to custom colors. Electronics included staggered-pole pickups and CTS pots with Sprague caps.

Vintage Reissue Stratocasters

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Index - Vintage Reissue

In the early 1980s, Fender responded to growing demand for vintage-style guitars by launching its Vintage Reissue series. While Japanese companies like Tokai dominated the market with affordable vintage-style models, Fender began producing guitars in Japan and simultaneously developed U.S.-made reissues. Led by Dan Smith and John Page, Fender sourced original pre-CBS Stratocasters for reference, working with experts like John Carruthers and Seymour Duncan to recreate classic features. The first models—the ’57 and ’62 Stratocasters—were officially introduced at the 1982 NAMM Show but delayed due to factory retooling.

Though advertised as exact replicas, these reissues included intentional design compromises for broader market appeal, such as altered neck shapes and finishes. Even so, they played a crucial role in Fender’s revival, funding the Standard line and paving the way for the Custom Shop.

Controversy arose when Fender’s 1982 catalog featured a Tokai neck in one photo, mistakenly fueling rumors of counterfeit parts. Ironically, Japanese-made reissues were more historically accurate in some details. The original U.S. models, now called Fullerton Reissues, were produced until 1985 and are highly collectible today. Production later shifted to Corona, and in 1998, the line was relaunched as the American Vintage Series.