John Cruz constructed this Masterpiece for us and it is every bit as awesome as we expected! We waited quite awhile for this guitar to show up and it was certainly worth the wait! An expertly aged guitar finish in 3 Tone Sunburst and dressed with a 1 Ply Black Phenolic pick guard presents one of the sweetest looking guitars we have had in some time. SRV vibe all the way, minus the lefty trem.
Built as a 1963 Strat, it has a AAA Rosewood Fingerboard that sits on top of a Rift Sawn Maple Neck that has been shaped to a 60’s Oval C shape. The fretboard radius is 9.5” and the fretboard is loaded with VintageFretwire. Classic Fender neck width of 1.650” and 25.5” scale length give you a nice taught feel on the strings but with a manageable width and depth.
A set of Fender Custom Shop Hand Wound Texas Special Pickups are installed but these have the extra special secret sauce: being hand wound by Josephina. These single coil’s have just the right amount of heat. Not a bright or brash sounding pickup but not dull either. They clean up and warm up beautifully but they also can push any tube amp into drive mode a with the right amount of volume. A master volume, 2 tone controls and a 5 way switch are all present.
The Fender Custom Shop has always taken the best of the best employees and helped elevate them to the highest possible level. With Jay Nelson, Master Painter at the CS and Josefina winding the best pickups ever to bare the Fender name, then having John Cruz select the woods, hand carved a neck, roll the edges, dress the frets, literally handle ever other step along the way ensures you get the absolute pinnacle of the Fender Brand.
The Music Gallery has been a Fender Custom Shop dealer since their formation in 1987. We keep a bevy of about 50 Fender Custom Shop instrument in inventory at all times. Whether you're looking for Stratocasters, Telecasters, Precision Basses or Jazz Basses we are able to help you design or find whatever the special instrument you're looking for may be!
- Fender Custom Shop
- Masterbuilt by John Cruz
- 1963 Stratocaster
- Relic
- 3 Tone Sunburst Finish
- 1 Ply Phenolic Black Pickguard
- Alder Body
- Weighs 7 lbs 4 oz
- AAA Rosewood Slab Fingerboard
- Maple Neck
- 9.5” Radius
- Bone Nut
- Vintage Fretwire
- Handwound Texas Special Pickups
- Master Volume
- 2 x Tone Controls
- Original Hardshell Case
- Certificate of Authenticity
The Music Gallery
(847) 432-6350
Musicglry@gmail.com