Fender Eric Johnson 1954 Virginia Stratocaster Stories Collection 2020

No sales tax for customers outside California.

The Fender Eric Johnson “Virginia” Stratocaster from the 2020 Stories Collection is a meticulously crafted tribute to Johnson’s famed 1954 Strat, nicknamed “Virginia” for the masking tape label found in its original tremolo cavity. This Custom Shop-level production model features a two-piece sassafrass body in a thin lacquer 2-Color Sunburst, a tinted riftsawn maple neck with a soft “V” profile, and a 12" fingerboard radius for smooth bending and playability.

Eric Johnson’s original 1954 Stratocaster became legendary for its airy, violin-like tone heard on Cliffs of Dover and other classics. Fender’s 2020 Stories Collection faithfully recreates the guitar’s unique specs, including its DiMarzio bridge pickup, ash body, and lightweight design.

The #4 switch position is unique to this model - wired like Johnson's guitar.  With the neck and middle pickups in phase, the sound is completely different than standard Strats, wired for EJ's "koto" tone. 

#1: bridge pickup
#2: bridge + middle pickup in parallel (in phase)
#3: middle pickup
#4: middle + neck pickup in parallel (out of phase)
#5: neck pickup

The DiMarzio stacked humbucker is permanently used as a split single-coil pickup with only the upper spool being engaged, so no humbucking feature is activated. The upper tone control is assigned to the neck pickup, while the lower tone control is connected to the bridge pickup, leaving the middle pickup without tone control. 

The guitar is in beautifully clean and unchanged condition.  I'm calling this one "mint", though there may be insignificant signs of handling here and there.  The frets look new.  It plays perfectly - we set it up and checked the truss rod to make sure there is room for future neck relief adjustments.  

All the original paperwork is included in the original case.

Actual online user review excerpts for this model:

“Closest you’ll get to EJ’s tone without the original guitar.” – The Gear Page
“The HS-2 bridge setup is magic—no hum, all tone.” – Strat-Talk Forum
“Plays like a Custom Shop for less money.” – Reddit r/Guitar
“The neck shape and lacquer finish feel incredibly vintage.” – Harmony Central
“Glass-like cleans and violin-like sustain.” – Ultimate Guitar

• Color: Sunburst
• Weight: 8lbs 4.5oz
  
• Body: 2 Piece Offset Seam Sassafras
  
• Neck: 1 piece maple
  
• Neck Profile: Soft V
  
• Fretboard: Maple
  
• Inlays: Black Dot
  
• Frets: Original Jumbo
  
• Fret Count: 21
  
• Nut: Original
  
• Nut width: 1-5/8"
  
• Radius: 12"
  
• Scale: 25.5"
  
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .905"
• Neck thickness at 12st Fret: 1"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Overall length: 38-3/8"
  
• Lower bout: 12-5/8"
  
• Waist: 9-1/4"
  
• Upper bout: 11"
  
• Body depth/thickness: 1-3/4"
  
• String gauge: .010-.046
• Hardware Color: Chrome
• Bridge Pickup/Brand: DiMarzio HS-2 DP116 
• Pickup Reading: 8.15k
• Original?: Yes
• Middle Pickup/Brand: '57 / '62 Single Coil
• Pickup Reading: 5.32k
• Original?: Yes
• Neck Pickup/Brand: '57 / '62 Single Coil
• Pickup Reading: 5.34k
• Original?: Yes
  
• Bridge: 6 Saddle American Vintage Synch Trem
• Tuners: Vintage Style
• Knobs: Original
  
• Switch: 5 way
• Pots/Codes: Original
• Case: OHSC
• Notes: 

Shipping policy:

There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site.  Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver.  For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for these Eastern states and shipment will be made by UPS three-day-air.  Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.