#6008 – Fender Custom Shop 63 Relic Strat – faded taos turquoise – used/2019

Used and highly spec’d Fender Custom Shop 63 Relic Strat, from 2019, with a supa cool faded taos turquoise finish, with a set of hand wound pick-ups, along with a 1/4 sawn maple neck, a 12″ fingerboard radius + a set of 6100 medium/jumbo frets – I not only custom spec’d and ordered this a few years ago now, I sold it in 2019 and now have the pleasure of taking it back into stock, with a view to placing it in the hands of discerning owner, who can play it and enjoy it, for many many years – Over the years, we’ve all seen many of the classic burst and white based vintage Strats in the hands of our guitar hero’s, but it is refreshing to find such cool finishes from time to time – See below, my original web site notes that are still valid

Full spec + details for a Fender Custom Shop 63 Relic Strat :-

• Select alder body – 2 piece + off set centre seam – chosen for weight, tonal character + a vibrant acoustic voice
• Lightly aged thin nitro finish – faded taos turquoise – lacquer checking + faded – aged character regarding wear ‘n’ dings but not over the top
• Whole guitar weighs 7lbs and 7oz
• 1/4 sawn maple neck – thin nitro finish – cut back just enough for a satin silky smooth ‘played in’ character
• AAA grade lam rosewood fingerboard – dark + smooth texture
• Large C vintage neck profile – measures .873″ at the top nut end + .949″ around the 12th fret
• 12″ fingerboard radius
• 6100 medium/jumbo frets
• Bone top nut
• 63 headstock decal with 3 patent numbers
• Vintage spec’d hardware – lightly aged accordingly – including single string tree
• 1 hole 3 ply nitro pick guard
• Single ply parchment trem back plate
• Lightly aged control knobs, pick-up covers + switch tips
• 5 way switch
• 250K audio taper
• Master volume + tone neck + tone middle/bridge
• Hand wound Fat 60’s pick-ups – all measure around 6.11k – formvar winding + alnico 11 magnets – RWRP middle pick-up
• Set-up with 10-46 and a sensible fluid action + trem raised slightly for up/down pitch – I can adjust as required
• Brown tolex vintage style case with stiched leather ends + certificate + spec sheet

Playing performance and that 12″ fingerboard radius  – Whatever magic is in this Strat regarding the playing experience can’t be seen – You feel it – The classic Large C profile instantly feels comfortable, familiar and very much old school from the vintage era, with an extra ounce of meat on it  – It can’t be considered fat, but it possesses a touch more meat than the regular vintage 60’s C profile  – Spec’d with a thin nitro finish, that has been cut back, just enough, for more of a ‘played in’ satin vibe, that feels sikly and smooth – To further enhance the playing performance, you’ll find a set of jumbo 6100 frets, along with a 12″ radius, which allows you to dig in and attack those big blues bends – Yet for more intricate licks, this vintage Strat offers a far more slick playing action – Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Eric Johnson are 2 well known players who now favour a 12″ radius on vintage spec’d Strat  – Overall the modern tweaks are subtle yet very effective, whilst still retaining the feel of a vintage maple neck

Tonal character :- First of all play this Strat unplugged and you’ll instantly notice a big acoustic voice – You can actually feel the vibrations, through the neck, on to your left hand – ‘It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that ring’ is a regular phrase of mine, to talk about the acoustic qualities of a good Strat  – So add a set of hand wound Custom Shop Fat 60’s pick-ups to compliment the acoustic properties it offers – Vintage flavoured, yet slightly overwound SRV style, to add just an extra hint of sizzle and muscle, so they don’t sound thin – They still retain all the magical vintage attributes of a 60’s Strat, but with an extra helping of some spicy Tabasco sauce, for a touch of extra muscle – On overdriven amp settings you’ll notice the bridge pick-up is far less fizzy or brittle – Big piano like lows that are rich, sparkling and rounded – Sizzling clear highs that are warm and smooth, with just enough mids to beef up the overall character – Overall, a very rounded and smooth voice, with that percussive snap and attack that a good Strats possess  – The neck pick-up delivers that classic SRV style chilled out voice, with the volume pot rolled off a touch, or with more of a percussive attack for those walking bass lines and shuffle rhythm styles when the volume pot is back 10 – The two ‘out of phase’ tones are totally infectious – Crisp, clear and full with more depth and body on the neck/middle combination and more snap on the bridge/middle combination – You’ll hear almost a full Tele like twang, with a musical bite, from the bridge pick-up that possesses a good level of depth and body, making it ideal for power chords, riffs and scorching solos

This Strat is loaded with soul, expression and emotion, so to maximise these attributes utilise the volume pot accordingly, as subtle tweaks produce effective variations – To me the base camp is with the vol pot on/around the 6 mark, were it will handle most applications, be it with the amp set up for  a clean voice or an overdriven amp setting – Then roll the volume pot back towards 10, as and when you have a statement to make, that requires that additional boost with a touch of edge to it – On more subtle overdriven amp settings this approach allows you to clean up the voice for more of a laid back approach – On hi-gain amp settings it will allow you to roll off the gain for a cleaner voice that still sings, but now less saturated, so take it back towards 10 for more of a full on approach – Hence you and the guitar control the amp and every level of expression that goes with it – It allows you to try subtle yet effective variations, so for example a subtle overdriven amp setting with the Strat on 10, sounds different to a hi-gain overdriven amp setting and the Strat rolled off to around 6 or 7 – So all the Strat snap and attack on 10, or more chilled and lush as you wind it back down to around 8 or less – It possesses more than enough character to be played through a clean amp setting – Equally very little gain is required on the amp, to bring out the best of this Strat and make it sing – So add more gain as required- Which ever you prefer, this Strat offers a monstrous voice that is ideal for the blues fans

Whatever magic that can be found in some old vintage Strats, the Custom Shop team sure know how to  capture it and deliver it into a new package – This is a very special Strat and should give years of unadulterated pleasure to any guitar player

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Guitars4You is not another corporate high street guitar store - My selection of premium grade guitars is about quality not quantity. Every guitar has been selected, inspected and approved by me, with particular attention to the set-up and playing performance. Every sale, phone call, email and mail order transaction is handled by me. A journey that is now over 40 years old, has fuelled my knowledge, experience, love, devotion and passion for exceptionally fine guitars.