This Fender Custom Shop 1963 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic in Chocolate 3-Tone Sunburst weighs 7 lbs 13 oz. It is a brand-new guitar that includes its original hardshell case, certificate of authenticity, and manufacturer's warranty.
Whether you have been to the shop, perused the website, or just lurked on social media, you have probably come across our value-packed 63 Strat Journeyman Relics. We have had dozens of them over the last couple of years, and they have become our best-selling Strat!
The main ingredients:
- A 2 Piece Alder Body Sorted for Light Weight.
- A quarter-sawn maple neck and AAA Rosewood Fingerboard.
Alder is a punchy, assertive-sounding wood, that pairs perfectly with the Maple/Rosewood Neck. If a little beefier than brighter is your thing, then Alder over Ash is the way to go. Alder is considered punchy, well balanced if not flat across frequencies, making it very malleable in terms of tone.
Our 63s are weight-controlled and always weigh under 8 lbs. This one weighs 7 lbs 13 oz. These are very comfortable on a strap or seated thanks to perfectly sculpted body counters and great edge radius work around the body.
The quarter-sawn maple neck material increases stability and typically requires less adjustment, depending on its environment. So even though these have thin necks, they are exceptionally rigid.
AAA Rated Rosewood fingerboard is hand-selected and chosen for its darkness. The Fender Custom Shop still has a nice stash of Rosewood so their fingerboards continue to look great! A 9.5" fingerboard radius and 6105 frets keep us a fantastic playing surface to work with. Nut width measures 1.650" and the scale length is 25.5".
The Neck:
- 60's Oval C Neck Profile
- .790 at 1st fret and .930" at the 12th
- 9.5" fingerboard Radius
- Sanko 6105 Frets
This is a great neck for the typical Strat Player. Slim in the lower positions, lending itself to fast playing and easy riffing, with a nice taper that thickens up nicely on your way up the fingerboard. This makes big bends easier to hold onto and vibrato is less of a chore.
The electronics:
- Handwound 60's Spec Set
- 5 Way, Volume, Tone x 2
These pickups have a classic "scooped mids" Tone. They have a sweet top-end, scooped mids, and round, hollow bass to give us that signature Strat-type tone. These pickups sound powerful in positions 1, 3, and 5 with a terrific quack and chime in positions 2 and 4. A master volume, 2 tone controls, and a 5-way switch cover the onboard controls.
The Music Gallery has been a Fender Custom Shop dealer since its formation in 1987. We keep a bevy of Fender Custom Shop instruments in stock at all times. Whether you're looking for a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass, Jazz Basses, Jaguar, or Jazzmaster, we can help you design or find the special instrument you're looking for!