Fender Custom Shop '55 Stratocaster in Chocolate 3 Tone Sunburst Heavy Relic

Here at Andertons Music Co. we're fortunate enough to get our hands on a number Fender Custom Shop instruments, to give you a chance to own something truly special and unique. This '55 Stratocaster certainly is both special and unique!

With its worn aesthetics, time-honoured hardware and vintage-style electronics; this premium guitar is a mid '50s Stratocaster with a tasteful twist, with a Compound radius AAA grade Rosewood fingerboard, tortoiseshell pickguard and Custom Shop hand-wound '60/'63 pickups.

Time-Honoured Ash Body

This '55 Strat is constructed from a 2-piece Ash body, much like the very first Fender guitars constructed in the '50s. Not only does this particular material give the guitar a forgiving weight, but its resonant and vibrant tonal qualities also offer a strong voice - serving as the perfect sonic foundation for the sweet-sounding pickups. It has all the brightness and sustain you that gives a Strat it's bell-like chime!

Old-School Feel, Modern Playability

The '65 Strat C  is a great allrounder. If you're used to a Modern C Fender profile you'll feel right at home. It is the same width as a modern C and a similar profile, but is a bit chunkier, giving the guitar tonnes of sustain. The Maple neck on this Strat is Quarter Sawn, this is the strongest grain direction for the neck, giving it rock solid stability. It is also more resistant to warping or bowing in changing weather conditions and climates. The is finished nitrocellulose lacquer which has been worn on the back of the neck, leaving satin finish, beloved for its silky smooth feel.

The Neck is topped off with a thick slab AAA grade Rosewood fingerboard. Rosewood has a velvety soft feel that simply glides under the fingers, and it adds warmth and midrange to the tone, that smooths out the high end, for a raunchy, warm tone that's been heard from countless Strat players such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and and John Mayer.

The compound radius fretboard flattens from a 9.5" at the nut to 12" radius - giving it a modern feel, perfectly suited to fast legato licks and scorching solos. This allows for comfortable barre chords towards the neck, but a flatter radius up top which can allow for a lower action without notes fretting out when you bend. The fretboard is complete with 21 Narrow Tall frets for a perfect blend of vintage tone and modern playability. They offer the height of a modern fret, giving you a familiar feel, but their narrow construction ensures that the "woodiness" of your tone stays intact, as you would get with a smaller, vintage fret.

Vintage Voice

The finishing touch to this beautiful instrument is the Fender Custom Shop hand-wound '60/'63 pickups, offering a full and dynamic vintage Strat tone. At between 6.2k and 6.47k output, they offer a powerful vintage sound that gives warm, blooming cleans and smooth, singing overdrive. The pickups have vintage correct hand bevelled, staggered Alnico V pole pieces. Alnico V offers a punchy tone with crisp highs and present lows. The pickups are wrapped in Formvar magnet wire, which enhances bass response for a classic throaty Strat tone. The middle pickup is reverse wound / reverse polarity which allows for hum-cancellation in positions 2 and 4, and delivers those iconic clean, quacky "in-between" stat positions.

Specifications

Body

• Body Colour: Chocolate 3 Tone Sunburst
• Body Wood: 2-piece Ash
• Finish: Nitrocellulose Heavy Relic
• Pickguard: 4-ply Tortoiseshell Nitro

Neck

• Neck Construction: Bolt-on (4-bolt)
• Neck Profile: '65 Strat "C"
• Neck Wood: Quarter Sawn Maple (Flat Lam)
• Fingerboard Wood: AAA grade Rosewood
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Scale Length: Compound (9.5"-12")
• Frets: 21, Narrow Tall
• Nut: Bone
• Nut Width: 1.685"
• Truss Rod: Early '60s
• Inlays: Micarta White Dots

Hardware

• Hardware Colour: Chrome / Nickel
• Tuners: Vintage Fender Tuners
• Bridge: Fender American Vintage 6-Screw Synchronised Tremolo
• Neck Plate: Vintage Relic
• Knobs: Vintage White Relic
• Switch Tip: Vintage White Relic

Electronics

• Neck Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '60/'63 Strat (6.2k)
• Middle Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '60/'63 Strat RW/RP (6.45k)
• Bridge Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '60/'63 Strat (6.47k)
• Controls: Volume / Tone / Tone, 5-way blade switch
• Potentiometers: 3 x 250k 10% taper split-shaft

Miscellaneous

• Fender Custom Shop Tweed Hardcase & Accessories
• Strings: .010 - .046