Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Stratocaster

Howdy!

Wow! I am afraid to play this guitar because I am afraid of sullying its pristine beauty. That does not happen very often.

Today we are looking at a stunning Fender Custom Classic Stratocaster, which is their Custom Shop’s version of the American Series Stratocaster. It is finished in Red Sparkle (a special order color) over its alder body, and it was completed in June 2011.

The neck is perfect -- really. It was carved from a tastefully-figured chunk of maple and has a polished satin urethane finish. It has a not too chunky C shape, a 9.5-inch fretboard radius and 22 medium jumbo frets that are finished very nicely. I have never had a more comfy neck on a Stratocaster.

The top shelf hardware is nickel/chrome plated, and includes Fender/Schaller sealed tuners with staggered posts and a 2-point synchronized tremolo with polished solid stainless steel saddles and a solid steel spring block. These deluxe parts seem heavier than normal, and are probably one of the reasons that this Strat comes in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces.

The electronics include 3 Modern Classic single-coil pickups, including a Hot Classic with a custom steel inductance plate at the bridge position. Whatever that means. What it means to me is that they have a warm Stratocaster tone with little noise, but can still have a lot of bite if needed (but are not brittle or nasty).

And, just look at this thing! Sparkle Red is to die for and I challenge you to find another guitar that looks this sexy and plays this well.

This guitar came with a really bitchin’ G&G case with the Fender Custom Shop logo embroidered under the lid. The Custom Shop also includes a nice wad of case candy, including a strap, strap locks, a nice cord, a polish cloth, manuals and the certificate of authenticity. I would expect no less, because these guitars are spendy with a list price of 2452 bucks, and a street price of $1999.

But, if you are interested, hit me up. I can do a bit better than the street price on this one…

Mahalo!

Fender Custom Shop 1963 Telecaster

Howdy!

It looks like I have fallen down the relic hole again. Intentionally worn-out looking new guitars are contrived, but every now and then I happen upon one that plays and sounds so incredible that it is worth it. And this one is worth it.

Today we are looking at a Fender ’63-reissue Telecaster that is a real peach. It is finished in Fiesta Red nitrocellulose lacquer over an alder body, and it was built in 2008 by the Fender Custom Shop.

The neck is the best part of this guitar, and it is a boss piece of quarter-sawn maple with a rosewood fretboard. It has a C shape, a 9.5-inch fretboard radius and 6105 (tall/narrow jumbo) frets seated into it. The extra work they put into sanding down the back of it during the relic-ing process gives it a super smooth feel.

The next-best part of this guitar is the electronics package, which is a bit different than your usual re-issue Telecaster. There is a Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker at the neck, and a vintage ’63 Tele single-coil at the bridge. The 3-way switch is wired as follows: position 1: bridge pickup, position 2: neck pickup with tone control (Bright Vintage Circuit) and position 3: neck pickup with no tone control (Dark Vintage Circuit). This is the way it came from the factory, and I see no reason to change it as this guitar is amazing. In position 3, this guitar gives a tone that would make any Les Paul on the planet jealous, and this Telecaster could actually make one think that the Stratocaster was not a very good invention. Really.

The rest of the specs are as expected: it has nickel/chrome hardware with Fender/Gotoh vintage style tuners and a 3-saddle bridge.

As far as the appearance of the ’63 Telecaster, it is reliced beyond reason, but it is what it is, and I will learn to love it. It is, after all, a great playing and sounding guitar.

These guitars all shipped with a nice G&G hardshell case and the Fender Custom Shop certificate of authenticity, as well as a bridge cover that came in a nice accessory pack.

Alas, these guitars do not come cheap. A Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster like this has a list price of $3400 and a street price of $2889.

Mahalo!