The JV Modified 50s Stratocaster HSS is a Japan-built reissue that borrows 50s looks, deep body contours, thick V neck, but deliberately updates the playability, a 9.5 inch fretboard radius rather than the original 7.25 inch vintage curve, and locking tuners disguised as vintage Klusons.
8 mods reviewed: 7 drop-in, 1 needs modification.
The JV Modified 50s Stratocaster HSS is a Japan-built reissue that borrows 50s looks, deep body contours, thick V neck, but deliberately updates the playability, a 9.5 inch fretboard radius rather than the original 7.25 inch vintage curve, and locking tuners disguised as vintage Klusons. Body wood is basswood. A push-pull pot splits the bridge humbucker into single-coil mode, and the nut is a narrow 41.9mm, notably tighter than most other Strats in this range.
Tailpiece
None (bridge-integrated)
Neck mounting
4-bolt
String spacing
56.4mm (2-7/32")
Scale length
25.5" (648mm)
Tuner hole size
8.8mm (11/32")
Nut width
41.9mm (1.650")
Not published by Fender: bridge mounting spacing. Measure this before buying a bridge.
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A premium vintage-spec bridge upgrade that matches the mounting and spacing already on this guitar.
Callaham's Vintage S Model is built to the true vintage 6-screw spec, matching this guitar's factory bridge.
See current price at Reverb
View at ReverbBuilt to the same vintage-style mounting and spacing as the bridge already on this guitar. Should drop straight in.
Wilkinson's VSVG reproduces the vintage 6-screw Strat bridge and mounting pattern, matching this guitar's factory vintage-style bent-steel-saddle bridge and true vintage spacing.
See current price at Amazon
View at AmazonA real humbucker that still fits the existing single-coil-sized bridge route, no routing needed.
A humbucker built into a single-coil-sized housing so it drops into the bridge route with no routing.
£119.99 at Andertons
View at Andertons
Fits the standard Strat pickup route. You will need to solder it in, this is not a solderless swap.
Standard staggered-pole Strat single-coil, drops into the same route and mounting as the stock neck and middle pickups.
£104.99 at Andertons
View at Andertons
More output than a vintage-style single-coil while keeping true single-coil character. Fits the standard route, needs soldering.
A hotter modern-voiced staggered single-coil, standard Strat route and mounting.
See current price at Reverb
View at ReverbA popular budget-friendly pickup upgrade. Fits the standard Strat route, needs soldering.
One of the most widely bought Strat pickup sets on the market, standard single-coil route and mounting.
This guitar's stock tuners look vintage but lock internally, a style Fender typically builds on a small vintage-sized post rather than a modern one. Based on that pattern these should match, though it has not been independently confirmed on this exact guitar.
This guitar's tuners are marketed as locking tuners styled to mirror vintage Klusons, a pattern Fender uses elsewhere (the Classic Player series) where the locking mechanism sits inside a vintage-sized post and bushing rather than requiring a larger modern bore. Based on that established pattern this guitar likely keeps the small vintage-style hole, though it has not been independently measured on this specific model.
This is the modern-bore version of this tuner. This guitar's tuners are styled to look vintage but lock internally, and that style typically sits on a smaller vintage-sized post, so this version would likely need reaming, though we have not independently measured this exact guitar's holes.
This particular set is Sperzel's modern 10mm line. This guitar's stock tuners are styled to look vintage but lock internally, a Fender pattern that typically keeps a small vintage-sized post rather than a modern one, so this modern-bore version would likely need the holes reamed, though the exact stock hole size has not been independently measured on this model.
Help confirm this fit
If you have fitted any of these to this Fender JV Modified 50s Stratocaster HSS, tell us what you found and we'll update the data.
