| Although part of the Contemporary range, I have given the Standard '22' its own
page because it does not share the most immediately recognisable
features of the Contemporary, i.e. black headstock, the jack socket mounted on
the bottom edge of the body and one of three pickup configurations
featuring humbuckers.
It was produced between 1985 and 1989 and features an
alder body, 22 fret,
maple or rosewood fretboard, 12" radius neck with a string
clamp at the nut and a redesigned bridge/vibrato unit. This was
non-locking until 1988 and made by Kahler though stamped with the Fender
logo. Otherwise it's standard Stratocaster fare, i.e. 'normal' body shape
with back plate, 3-ply pick guard, 3x single coils etc.
Kahler vibrato units, of which I
understand there were at least three designs used on various models of
Stratocaster, have come in for some criticism. However the type
fitted to the guitars illustrated is known as the System I, is
non-locking, and, in my experience, works
efficiently. The individual string saddles are
adjustable for intonation but not height, which is alterable only
by adjusting the height of the entire bridge via the two screw threaded
posts on which the vibrato pivots. The arm is of the 'snap in' type and is
torque adjustable via a collar, i.e. it stays where you put it and there
is no need for plumber's tape or an easily lost spring to stop the arm
flopping about!
One oddity of the unit is that although at first glance it would appear to string
through the back, the string ferrule actually
slides straight through the tremelo inertia block and locks in the bridge
proper.
If you find all these different
Contemporary models confusing don't worry. You can download the entire
Fender Contemporary Model Manual from here
(as a zipped Adobe Acrobat .pdf file) and all will become clear(er).
Specs, set-up instructions, it's all there. The manual was kindly donated by Jerry Kern of Toledo,
Ohio, owner of the guitar illustrated at b) above..
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