Here for sale we have a beautiful Fender Richie Kotzen Stratocaster in Transparent Red Burst finish. Made in Japan in 2022, this guitar is of course the signature model of Richie Kotzen, known for his solo work as well as stints in Poison & Mr Big. The signature model came into existence as the STR-135RK in 1996, and was only available in Japan until mid 2025 when Fender Japan began exporting the model worldwide. This example features a bolt-on construction comprising an Ash body with Laminated Flame Maple top, one-piece Maple neck & 22 fret fingerboard. Gold hardware is fitted including a 6-point vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge & Gotoh sealed tuning machines with Pearl buttons. A trio of DiMarzio Custom single-coil pickups are installed, and are wired to a 5-way blade switch, master volume, neck tone & middle tone controls.
The one-pice Maple neck plays very well, with the Thick 'C' profile filling the hand nicely for a substantial yet articulate playing experience across the register. Whilst certainly living up to it's Thick' designation, the neck avoids feeling at all cumbersome, and facilitates smooth & comfortable playability in all fingerboard positions. With a 12" radius & Super Jumbo frets, the neck feels very well equipped for big string bends, aggressive vibrato or any other manner of Kotzen-esque guitar acrobatics you can throw at it. The smooth lines of the Stratocaster body with its generous contours are as comfortable & practical as ever, perfect for long gigs & rehearsals.
The trio of DiMarzio Custom Single Coil pickups deliver classic Stratocaster tones with a modern edge for the contemporary player to be able to achieve those iconic Kotzen tones. Based on the DiMarzio HS-2 platform, a bell-like high end is complemented well by punchy mids and robust low frequencies, with crisp articulation in all positions. The 5-way blade switch provides plenty of versatility, with an array of sounds that make it clear why the Stratocaster has been a mainstay of electric guitar for over 70 years. A fantastic workhorse Fender at a very reasonable price.
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.