A faded white Strat always appeals visually - this one has all the correct signs of life for a guitar that has been adored, put to work and looked after. At a smidge over 3.4kg, it has the premium classy handshake. the edges of the board have been rolled by chord progression - a feeling that relic guitars can never fully achieve.
 
The pick-ups are the last iteration of the basic Maxon singles - and the celebrate the phasing out of these pick-ups, they packed the bobbin with wire. The neck has an inductance of 1.4H, the middle is 1.9H and the bridge is 2.2H. With twice the DCR of the earlier pick-ups, these manage to retain the sparkly character, but add a bit of heft. Whilst it is tempting to just upgrade, these are good and interesting enough to stay in.
 
From the era where entry level models were made on the same lines as the premium models, this SE-500 feels very different than a contemprary equivalent. A proper grown up and great sunding Strat. We have fully rebuilt this one - every single component restored. Even the tuners are perfectly fine to continue in duty. We can upgrade any element of this guitar, but our advice is to give it a fair go as it is before hiking up the price.