Fender Custom Shop '59 Stratocaster Electric Guitar in Sherwood Green Metallic

Fender's Custom Shop brings together some of the most authentic vintage-inspired instruments you can buy, with each guitar built around carefully considered period specifications and the finest modern craftsmanship. This '59 Stratocaster is a particularly characterful take on the classic Fender formula, pairing a two-piece alder body with a Sherwood Metallic Time Capsule finish, vintage hardware and a set of Custom Shop hand-wound Strat pickups. The result is a Strat that feels unmistakably rooted in the late '50s, while the slightly more forgiving 9.5-inch radius and comfortable '60s-style "oval C" neck profile give it an effortless playing feel.

Sherwood Metallic Time Capsule finish

The Sherwood Metallic finish is one of the standout features of this Custom Shop Strat, giving the classic Fender shape a distinctive period-correct colour with plenty of visual character. The Time Capsule Finish Package uses a flash-coat lacquer treatment with no buffing, helping preserve the more natural, understated character of the finish rather than giving it an overly polished appearance.

The spec also calls for a '50s control cavity route and American Vintage body perimeter and centre line, adding further attention to the construction details beneath the finish. It's the sort of Custom Shop specification that makes the guitar feel like a carefully considered vintage recreation rather than simply a modern Strat wearing an old-school colour.

Custom Shop '59 Strat pickups

This Strat houses hand-wound '59 Strat Custom Shop pickups in the neck and middle positions, giving you the familiar Fender combination of glassy highs, woody mids and a responsive attack that reacts naturally to your picking dynamics.

The bridge position uses a hand-wound Strat Fat '60s pickup, adding a little more muscle to the bridge position while retaining the clarity and immediacy of a traditional Strat single-coil. There's plenty of snap and articulation available, but with enough body to prevent the bridge from becoming thin or overly sharp.

With the traditional three-single-coil configuration, this is a Strat for players who want the full range of classic Fender sounds: clear and rounded neck tones, punchy middle sounds and that unmistakable bright, cutting bridge voice, with the in-between positions providing the familiar quack and percussive character.

The vintage wiring and 250K pots further reinforce the old-school approach, allowing the pickups to retain plenty of dynamic response and making the guitar particularly rewarding when you use your picking hand and volume control to shape the sound.

Vintage feel with modern playability

The neck is based around a '60s-style "oval C" profile, measuring .790" at the first fret and .930" at the 12th. It's substantial enough to feel supportive without becoming overly chunky, making it a comfortable middle ground between the big necks of earlier Fender instruments and a modern slim profile.

The 9.5-inch fingerboard radius is another important part of the playing experience. It's flatter than the traditional 7.25-inch vintage Strat radius, giving you a little more freedom for bending and lead work while retaining the familiar Fender feel.

Medium Vintage 47095 frets complement this nicely. They're a little more substantial than very small vintage fretwire, giving you a comfortable amount of material for expressive vibrato and bends without taking away from the traditional character.

The maple neck has a medium-tint flash-coat lacquer finish, while the AAA rosewood fingerboard, vintage clay dots and small '59-style headstock complete the period-inspired aesthetic.

• Authentic Custom Shop '59 Stratocaster specification
• Two-piece alder body with distinctive Sherwood Metallic Time Capsule finish
• Flash-coat lacquer finish with no buffing
• Hand-wound '59 Strat Custom Shop pickups in the neck and middle positions
• Hand-wound Fat '60s Strat pickup in the bridge position for additional punch and presence
• Comfortable '60s-style Oval C neck profile
• 9.5-inch fingerboard radius for a balance of vintage feel and modern playability
• Medium Vintage 47095 frets and AAA rosewood fingerboard
• Vintage-style American Vintage Strat bridge and 5-way selector
• Vintage wiring with 250K 10% taper split pots
• Complete with Fender Custom Shop brown case and Certificate of Authenticity

Body

• Body wood: Alder
• Body construction: 2-piece
• Body style: '56 Strat
• Neck mounting: 4-bolt
• Bridge holes: American Vintage Strat bridge
• Body finish: Flash Coat Lacquer
• Finish treatment: Time Capsule Finish Package
• Body colour: Sherwood Metallic
• Control cavity: '50s control cavity route
• Body perimeter: American Vintage
• Body centre line: George Blanda specification

Neck

• Neck style: '60 Strat
• Neck finish: Flash Coat Lacquer, Medium Tint
• Neck wood: Maple, rift sawn
• Reverse headstock: Flat laminate/slab
• Fretboard wood: AAA CITES rosewood, 9 mm
• Truss rod: Early '60s
• Number of frets: 21
• Tuning keys: Vintage with Fender logo, Custom Shop
• Headstock style: Small
• Headstock scoop: '59
• Head thickness: 0.575"
• Fret wire: Medium Vintage / 47095
• Fretboard dots: Vintage Clay, relic
• Dot spacing: Wide
• Fretboard radius: 9.50"
• Nut width: 1.650"
• Butt width: 2.200"
• Neck shape: '60 Style Oval C
• Neck thickness, 1st fret: 0.790"
• Neck thickness, 12th fret: 0.930"
• Nut: Bone
• Side dots: Vintage Clay
• Headstock binding: None
• Decal: '54–'60 Strat, without OCB

Electronics

• Selector switch: 5-way lever
• Switch tip: Vintage White
• Tone knob: Strat Small Flat Tone, Vintage White
• Volume knob: Strat Small Flat Volume, Vintage White
• Pots: 250K, 10% taper split
• Neck pickup: Hand-Wound '59 Strat Custom Shop
• Middle pickup: Hand-Wound '59 Strat Custom Shop
• Bridge pickup: Hand-Wound Strat Fat '60s, neck/bridge Custom Shop
• Wiring: Vintage wiring
• Capacitor: Wax paper, 0.10 MFD, 150V
• Pickup covers: Vintage White
• Shielding: '50s and '60s pickguard shields

Hardware

• Hardware finish: Chrome/Nickel
• Bridge: American Vintage Strat bridge, Custom Shop
• Neck plate: R-Series Vintage Custom Shop
• Back plate: Vintage Strat .060" Eggshell
• Strings: .010–.046
• String tree: American Vintage '59–'64 metal, spring, Custom Shop
• Tremolo arm: Vintage Upgraded '60s Custom Shop
• Tremolo arm tip: American Vintage White
• Pickguard: '59 Strat 8-hole, mint/green/black/mint

Misc

• Case: Fender Custom Shop Strat/Tele Brown
• Hardware notes: Custom Shop hardware and metal parts
• Certificate: Fender Custom Shop Certificate of Authenticity