1988 Fender HM Strat 25-8102 Razz Berry Maple w/ Original Case - All Original

A particularly nice and increasingly difficult-to-find example of Fender's original late-'80s HM Strat, finished in the unmistakable Razz Berry with a maple fingerboard.

Made in Japan at the FujiGen factory in 1988, the HM Strat was Fender's full-on entry into the late-'80s high-performance guitar market. Rather than simply modifying a traditional Stratocaster, Fender designed the HM around the players of the era: a shortened 25" scale, extremely flat 17" fingerboard radius, 24 jumbo frets, locking tremolo, hot HSS electronics and greatly improved upper-fret access.

This example is the 25-8102, the factory maple-fingerboard version, and what makes this particular guitar especially appealing is that it remains all original. So many surviving HM Strats have had pickups, electronics, tremolo components, tuners or other hardware replaced over the years. Finding one that has survived in its original configuration — and with its original Fender molded hard case — is becoming increasingly uncommon.

Factory features include:

• Razz Berry finish
• Basswood body
• Maple neck and maple fingerboard
• 25" scale length
• 17" fingerboard radius
• 24 jumbo frets
• HSS pickup configuration
• Original Fender single-coil pickups
• Original high-output DiMarzio bridge humbucker
• 5-way pickup selector
• Humbucker coil-split mini switch
• 1 Volume / 2 TBX tone controls
• Kahler Spyder double-locking tremolo
• Locking nut
• Black hardware and tuners
• Sculpted/off-set four-bolt neck joint for improved upper-fret access

The guitar has just been cleaned, restrung and set up and is playing properly.

Overall, I would rate it in very good condition, especially considering that it is approaching 40 years old. The Razz Berry body is remarkably clean and still presents extremely well, with only light cosmetic wear and a few small marks visible under close inspection. The black hardware shows some normal oxidation and aging.

The maple fingerboard shows noticeable play wear, particularly in the lower positions, which gives the neck some genuine vintage character. The original frets also show moderate wear and have been rated approximately 7.2/10. Despite the visible wear, there are no playability issues and the guitar plays cleanly following its setup.

The original Fender molded hard case is included and is also a significant plus with an HM Strat this complete.

Serial Number: E850963

A very cool survivor from one of Fender's most unusual periods. The HM Strat has always occupied its own corner of Fender history, and an original Razz Berry/maple example this complete is considerably harder to replace than the typical modified HM that turns up for sale.

Case: Original Fender Hard Case

Scale Length: 25“

Nut Width: 1.745“

Fret Wear: 7.2/10

Action at 12F (6th): .06“

Action at 12F (1st): .05“

Weight: 7lbs 12oz

Overall Condition: 8/10

Cool Factor: 11 out of 10

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Internal Use (Bin) - Floor