My 1st Guitar; The HM Strat (circa ~1989)

Some thirty years later and she is still here; my original HM Strat. The recognition long overdue, it’s occurred to me that I’ve neglected to write about one of the most meaningful components of my studio collection — the Guitars. Considering the countless pieces of gear that have come and gone throughout the years, my collection of guitars has methodically grown, each entering onto the stage with a specific backstory or purpose.

Many beautiful moons having cast their light across the tropical Miami sky since, I was fifteen years of age when I secured my first job with the singular objective of earning enough money to buy a new guitar. Considering age and musical interests at that time, the styling and features of the HM Strat were like unadulterated eye-candy of my teenage dreams. Visits to the local music store were much like the scene from ‘Wayne’s World’: the guitar capturing my attention as if singled out by a spotlight, the long-haired salesperson with stonewashed jeans all too happy to tease a young kid’s excitement by shredding some crazy metal riffs, all before being placed carefully into my hands; at which point I’d clumsily stumble over the three or four licks I was brave enough to play. Years later and certainly predictable, the technical merits and complexity of the guitar speak clearly to my great enthusiasm and continued appreciation for the gear and gadgetry of the trade. Having typed all of that out, and yet remaining truly honest to my current self, in better understanding my playing styles and preferences, there’s a high probability I would most likely choose something a bit different if faced with the same choice today. Certainly a topic of discussion for another day, this musing takes no love away from my HM Strat.

As she sits today, having aged quite gracefully, she does so in all of her original glory, beauty marks and all. During my college years, the pickups and tone controls were swapped out (keeping the original hardware) for a set of EMGs; the same model and controls as favored by David Gilmour. It stayed this way for about a twenty-year run before the decision was made to return to the original setup; her true voice restored. It was around this very same time that my desire grew as to better understand her origin story.

Indeed, there is quite an interesting and complex history as to the Fender HM Strat. Introduced in the late 80’s to compete with other more modern takes on the ‘superstrat’ design, the manufacturing bounced back and forth between the US and Japan as Fender itself went through a period of transition. For a treasure trove of information and great pictures, please visit: http://www.heavymetalstrat.com. It is from such sites and research that I’ve been able to ascertain with some certainty that …

• the various parts that make up my guitar are probably a mix with concerns to their origin, some being from Japan and others from the US
• based on the  headstock logo design with the script and swoosh, this was probably intended to be made in the Japan but …
• with the serial number starting with the H0, this would indicate that this particular model was made/assembled in the USA
• a final clue, the Neck and Middle pickups utilize red and blue wires respectively which indicate that they were made in the US.

All of these years later, her exact country of origin is not of utmost importance (nice to know, yes) but, it is certainly fun to think that I have in my possession a rare ‘Unicorn’ of sorts; a guitar built at a very specific time and point of transition.

So what exactly is an HM Strat?

As mentioned above, the HM Strat (HM=Heavy Metal) was Fender’s answer to the ‘Superstrats’ that started to emerge in the 80s; those instruments Inspired by Fender’s  original Stratocaster but built by other manufacturers; enhanced to better match the technical demands and musical stylings that were gaining popularity at the time. The design included a flatter 24 medium-jumbo fret neck (17″ radius) providing the guitarist an extremely fast and fluid feel, Pro Kahler double-locking tremolo system that would keep the instrument in tune even under heavy tremolo use and, thanks to the DiMarzio Super 3 humbucker, the guitar worked extremally well with higher gain amps and effects. Important to note … even with these modifications, the classic tones associated with the Stratocaster could easily be found thanks to the inclusion of the traditional single coil pickups in the neck and middle positions along with the 5-way selector switch and coil-split option.

The public reception at launch was a bit tepid, Fender purist seemed to scoff at the new design elements while fans of the new superstrats often adopted the position that Fender was a bit too ‘corporate’  for their taste, certainly when compared to the boutique brands and builders. The mischievous younger brother, the HM Strat developed a healthy cult following over the years and, in many ways, Fender’s 2020 reissue was a well-deserved and long-overdue recognition of its meaningful contribution to the Fender story.

Some final thoughts …

This guitar is so very special, loved for countless reasons. Having been part of my life journey these past thirty years, it has played the lead role in helping to create some fantastic memories along the way. Fun to play, a great range of voice, fantastic tuning precision and stability, the HM Strat has served me well. A truly loved and well-cared for instrument can come to embody the personality of its owner and indeed, this guitar amplifies my inner youthful spirit, capturing the musical persona and traits thereof and … Like an old friend, regardless of how much time may have passed, we can effortlessly pickup the conversation right where we left off and continue to play on.