The Fender Eric Johnson 1954 "Virginia" Stratocaster is an authentic recreation of the Stratocaster used by the Austin, Texas guitar genius to record the hit albums "Tones" and "Ah Via Musicom". Like Johnson's original, this electric guitar features a sassafras body and a bolt-on maple neck in the traditional "Soft V" profile. Furthermore two Fender Original '57/'62 single-coils in neck and middle position and a DiMarzio HS-2 at the bridge, of which only the upper coil is used according to Eric Johnson's specifications, provide authentic vintage sounds. The Fender Eric Johnson 1954 "Virginia" Stratocaster is completed by classic vintage-style tuners and an American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo, which not only features five high-tension springs, but also, just like Johnson's original, a block saddle to soften the treble spectrum of the high E-string.
Just like Eric Johnson's original "Virginia" Stratocaster, whose name comes from a note in the pickup milling, the 1954 Fender Stories Collection Virginia Stratocaster features a two-piece body made of sassafras wood, the halves of which are glued together with offset seams. Similar to the classic ash in hardness and grain, this wood was used for a small batch of early 1954 Stratocasters due to its easy availability from local timber merchants.
For the neck of the Fender Eric Johnson 1954 "Virginia" Stratocaster, Fender uses high quality quartersawn maple, which has increased stability thanks to its standing annual rings. The traditional "Soft V" profile lies extremely comfortable in the hand. The 12" fretboard radius and the medium jumbo frets, two modifications that were also adopted from Eric Johnson's legendary guitar, add to the electric guitar's great playability.
The modifications Eric Johnson made to the Virginia Strat are also reflected in the pickup selection and circuitry. Whereas two Fender Original '57/'62 single-coils in the neck and middle stand for authentic Fender vintage sounds, a DiMarzio DP116 HS-2 pickup is used at the bridge. Originally developed as a dual-coil hum-canceling pickup, only the upper coil of the pickup is used for a high-frequency vintage sound with less susceptibility to noise. The usual pickup combinations can be called up via a 5-way blade switch, with the pairing of bridge and middle single-coils switched out-of-phase. In addition to the global volume control, the Fender Eric Johnson 1954 "Virginia" Stratocaster also features a tone control for the neck and middle pickup and a tone control for the bridge single-coil.
Last but not least, the Fender Eric Johnson 1954 "Virginia" Stratocaster features authentic vintage hardware with modifications matching those of the original. For example, the traditional Fender American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo is countered with a total of five high-tension springs, giving the system increased stability when not in use. Unlike the other strings, the high E-string does not have a string saddle made of bent sheet steel, but a modern block saddle which, according to Eric Johnson, takes the bite out of the trebles. On the headstock, six Fender vintage-style tuners guarantee precise and stable tuning.