Guitar Reviews Blog

This Custom Stratocaster electric guitar Masterbuilt by Todd Krause features a custom paint job by today's foremost pop graffiti artist, John "Crash" Mato. Included with this guitar and amp package is a canvas painting that features a white square where a Pro Junior Amp was sitting on the canvas (the missing artwork is on the amps' cabinet!) Its two-piece alder body has a urethane finish with a chrome pickguard. The one-piece maple neck has a 10/56 "V" -shaped profile, and a 9-1/2" radius. Nickel/chrome hardware includes vintage hardware. Of its 3 custom wound Fat '50s single-coil pickups, the middle pickup is reverse wound, reverse polarity to cancel hum.

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The Fender® custom Shop Yngwie Malmsteen tribute Stratocaster® guitar (a.k.a. the "play loud" guitar) is a meticulous reproduction of Malmsteen's beloved instrument, produced in limited edition it is authentic in every detail, including the famous "play loud" sticker on the upper horn and, of course, the distinctive scalloped maple fingerboard.Like the original, it features DiMarzio® HS-3 pickups in the bridge and neck positions and a standard Fender '70s-era middle pickup, with a standard Fender bridge, a large headstock and a battered olympic white finish expertly treated to mirror each of the original guitar's many battle scars the nicks, dings, scratches, burns and worn finish spots from decades of heavy use and abuse in Malmsteen's masterful hands.

The Fender Custom Shop is honored to say "welcome home" to George Fullerton, who is once again back at work on the electric guitar he helped bring to life more than 50 years ago. The modern Fender family couldn't possibly be more thrilled.The resulting Limited Edition George Fullerton 50th Anniversary Stratocaster is beautifully master-built with a two-color sunburst lacquer finish on its three-piece blade-cut alder body. The one-piece '57-style soft V-shaped maple neck has a lacquer finish and 7.25"-radius maple fingerboard. Other features include '50s-style pickups hand wound by Abigail Ybarra and a three-position pickup selector switch, mounted on a single-ply white pickguard, plus vintage hardware, a commemorative neck plate and a certificate of authenticity signed by George Fullerton himself.The Fender guitar's partner is the Relic Tweed Pro Junior amp, which evokes the revered '50s era of small Fender tube amps such as the Champ, Princeton and Harvard. The 15-watt, single-channel Relic Tweed Pro Junior features a single 10" speaker, vintage pointer knobs and period-correct vintage-style tweed covering.Fullerton's return is a memorable occasion for Fender, and it is a distinct honor and a pleasure to offer a Stratocaster guitar bearing his name."George Fullerton's contribution to Fender is immeasurable," said Mike Eldred, Fender Custom Division marketing director. "To have him come home to be part of the Fender family again is an incredible honor for every employee here. For the Fender Custom Shop team to be able to sit down with him and work on these projects together has been like getting an incredible first-hand glimpse into history."It may be hard to believe that the Stratocaster guitar wasn't widely perceived as a legendary design phenomenon and cultural icon when it debuted in 1954. In fact, it drew as many quizzical looks as it did accolades, and it took a little while to really take off. Refinements and improvements were made for many months afterward by Fender's founding fathers men such as Leo Fender, George Fullerton, Freddie Tavares and others. As it turned out then, the landmark year for the nascent landmark guitar the year when the Stratocaster really hit its stride was 1957.Now, 50 years later, Fender is honored and delighted to welcome George Fullerton, truly one of the fathers of the Stratocaster, back to the Fender family for the release of the Limited Edition George Fullerton 50th Anniversary Stratocaster guitar and amp set. He and the Fender Custom Shop are introducing 150 limited edition sets consisting of a master-built reproduction of a 1957 Stratocaster and Relic Tweed Pro Junior amplifier in a collaboration that evokes Fender's original spirit of pioneering greatness and devotion to craftsmanship.As far as young George Fullerton knew back in the late 1940s in Fullerton, Calif., his future and the smart money were in aircraft; specifically

This splendidly crafted Master-Built Strat features a 2-piece select alder body with a silvery white gold leaf finish. Its one-piece maple neck has a C-shaped profile and a 9-1/2" radius maple fretboard. It is equipped with Custom '50s single-coil pickups, and features an engraved limited-edition neck plate. It comes with a limited edition hardshell case, a Limited Edition Certificate, strap, and cable, and for an added bonus, a Custom Shop mirror that is perfect for your music room wall.

Only 100 of these gorgeous 1955 Stratocaster Relic guitars have been produced by the Fender Custom Shop. The vibe and the specs are true to '55: the comfort contoured premium ash body, the nitrocellulose lacquer 2-tone sunburst finish, the '55-shape medium neck, the 9.5" radius maple fretboard with medium jumbo frets, and a bone nut. 3 custom-wound Fat '50s single-coils give this Limited Edition Strat voice, and the middle pickup is reverse wound for hum cancellation when it and another pickup are active. The finish has been given a Relic treatment offering the look of a seasoned veteran of countless hard rockin' gigs. In fact, this Strat looks a lot like the famous Brownie. Underneath its apparent wear is a supremely crafted, wonderful feeling, and killer sounding Custom Shop Master-built guitar. Includes a vintage tweed case, ashtray bridge cover, strap, cable, and a Fender Limited Edition certificate.

The Custom Shop and Merle created this beauty. A modified Thinline guitar, with laminated top of figured maple, set neck with deep carved heel, Ivoroid pickguard and binding, gold hardware, abalone "Tuff Dog Tele" peghead inlay. The Merle Haggard Telecaster has a Texas Special neck pickup and custom wiring of a 4-way Tele switch - just the way Merle likes it. 2-color sunburst. Includes custom 4-way switching case, strap and cable ($179 value).

In this Custom Shop reproduction, the Fender 72 Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar duplicates every cosmetic nuance of the original introduced over three decades ago. Crafted with an alder body, one-piece maple neck, a Strat headstock, 6-saddle string-thru bridge, dual humbuckers with alnico magnets for unique fat and gritty Tele tone, and 3-way switching. This guitar has been given Fender's "New Old Stock" (NOS) treatment—built (from original tooling) as if bought new in its respective model year and just found today.

This matched set includes a Fender Custom Shop LTD 1959 Relic Stratocaster and a Fender Pro Jr. amplifier.Fender Custom Shop LTD 1959 Relic Stratocaster Electric Guitar The Limited Edition Stratocaster, crafted by a team at the Fender Custom Shop, has also been given the relic treatment to show years of natural wear and tear with all the nicks, scratches, rusty hardware, aged plastic parts, and worn finish of a guitar that has paid its dues with years of hard rocking. Its one-piece alder body has a tinted nitrocellulose finish with a single-ply white pick guard. The one-piece maple neck has a "C" shaped profile, and a 9-1/2" radius African rosewood fingerboard. Nickel/chrome hardware includes Fender/Gotoh tuners and an American vintage synchronized tremolo with ashtray cover. Of its 3 custom wound Fat '50s single-coil pickups, the middle pickup is reverse wound, reverse polarity to cancel hum. The Fender Pro Junior Combo Amp is a small all-tube amp in the classic tradition of the model "600" and Champ amplifier. Simple yet very effective, it delivers 15 watts through a 10" speaker. Features all-tube circuitry, unique clean-to-drive volume control, durable Tolex covering, and chicken head knobs.

The Limited Edition Stratocaster that highlights the Relic '59 Strat Pro Jr. Set was crafted by a team at the Fender Custom Shop under the direction of master luthier John English. This Master Design Strat has also been given the relic treatment to show years of natural wear and tear with all the nicks, scratches, rusty hardware, aged plastic parts, and worn finish of a guitar that has paid its dues with years of hard rocking. Its one-piece alder body has a tinted nitrocellulose finish with a single-ply white pick guard. The one-piece maple neck has a C-shaped profile, and a 9-1/2" radius African rosewood fingerboard. Nickel/chrome hardware includes Fender/Gotoh tuners and an American Vintage synchronized tremolo with ashtray cover. Of its 3 custom wound Fat '50sÿsingle-coil pickups, the middle pickup is reverse wound, reverse polarity to cancel hum.The Fender Pro Junior Combo Amp is a small all-tube amp in the classic tradition of the model "600" and Champ. Simple yet very effective, it delivers 15W through a 10" speaker. Features all-tube circuitry, unique clean-to-drive volume control, black covering, and chicken head knobs.

The Limited Edition Stratocaster that highlights the Relic '59 Strat Pro Jr. Set was crafted by a team at the Fender Custom Shop under the direction of master luthier John English. This Master Design Strat has also been given the relic treatment to show years of natural wear and tear with all the nicks, scratches, rusty hardware, aged plastic parts, and worn finish of a guitar that has paid its dues with years of hard rocking. Its one-piece alder body has a tinted nitrocellulose finish with a single-ply white pick guard. The one-piece maple neck has a C-shaped profile, and a 9-1/2" radius African rosewood fingerboard. Nickel/chrome hardware includes Fender/Gotoh tuners and an American Vintage synchronized tremolo with ashtray cover. Of its 3 custom wound Fat '50sÿsingle-coil pickups, the middle pickup is reverse wound, reverse polarity to cancel hum.The Fender Pro Junior Combo Amp is a small all-tube amp in the classic tradition of the model "600" and Champ. Simple yet very effective, it delivers 15W through a 10" speaker. Features all-tube circuitry, unique clean-to-drive volume control, black covering, and chicken head knobs.

The Limited Edition Stratocaster that highlights the Relic '59 Strat Pro Jr. Set was crafted by a team at the Fender Custom Shop under the direction of master luthier John English. This Master Design Strat has also been given the relic treatment to show years of natural wear and tear with all the nicks, scratches, rusty hardware, aged plastic parts, and worn finish of a guitar that has paid its dues with years of hard rocking. Its one-piece alder body has a tinted nitrocellulose finish with a single-ply white pick guard. The one-piece maple neck has a C-shaped profile, and a 9-1/2" radius African rosewood fingerboard. Nickel/chrome hardware includes Fender/Gotoh tuners and an American Vintage synchronized tremolo with ashtray cover. Of its 3 custom wound Fat '50sÿsingle-coil pickups, the middle pickup is reverse wound, reverse polarity to cancel hum.The Fender Pro Junior Combo Amp is a small all-tube amp in the classic tradition of the model "600" and Champ. Simple yet very effective, it delivers 15W through a 10" speaker. Features all-tube circuitry, unique clean-to-drive volume control, black covering, and chicken head knobs.