This Used 2000 Fender Custom Shop 51 Nocaster Relic in Nocaster Blonde is here on consignment. We do not have the original certificate of authenticity but we do have the original Custom Shop Thermometer Case. We've taken the dates off the neck and body to figure out the year of manufacture. For a 20-year-old guitar, it remains in great shape.
First off, the neck is stamped JC which means it was worked on by John Cruz. He was not yet a Masterbuilder in 2000 but was often carving, shaping, and fretting necks at that time. We saw a lot of John Cruz pieces over the years and this neck looks and feels like it was John's project.
It has a classic feeling Nocaster-vibe with a chunky Maple Neck sporting a U-shaped profile. A 7.25" fingerboard radius paired with VIntage Sized frets give the neck a distinctly vintage feel. While a neck this large isn't for everybody, for those who appreciate it, it's a must-have!
A Swamp Ash body with nice grain looks fantastic through the Nocaster Blonde finish. The body is nicely worn with some fantastic-looking weather checking. This guitar has an authentically aged look from the body to the neck!
The controls are familiar and easy. A master volume, master tone, and 3-way pickup selector make it simple to find your sound. The pickups appear to be the Nocaster Single-Coil Pickup Set which captures the early 50s tone perfectly.
