#6096 – Fender Custom Shop 57 Heavy Relic Strat – used/2009 – 2 tone sunburst

With well over 30 years of sales now behind them, Fender have certainly found a successful formula, via a host of vintage replicas, crafted by the Custom Shop team – Almost from day one and somewhat of a contentious  ‘Marmite’ issue, the option of buying a new guitar with an aged finish, has been a regular talking point, be it a subtle relic finish,  or looking like someone has beaten the crap out of it – Despite a host of critics, the bulk of Custom Shop sales is based on classic replicas of models from their own pre CBS golden era, with an aged finish, 9.5″ fingerboard radius and a set of chunky frets – So this used Fender Custom Shop 57 Heavy Relic Strat, from 2009, with a seriously aged  2 tone sunburst nitro finish on an alder body, for many is part and parcel of a popular theme – In particular order let me update you with a host of product details and info :-

• Complete with tweed vintage style case – few scuffs and grazes to the tweed material
• Complete with certificate, copy of shop floor traveler, 50’s style leather strap, factory tag and trem /ash tray cover
• Select 2 piece alder body with seriously aged 2 tone sunburst finish
• Whole guitar weighs 7lbs and 7oz
• One piece maple neck – hence rear skunk stripe
• Large Oval C neck profile – measures .870″ around the 1st fret and then fattens out to .970″ around the 12th fret
• 9.5″ fingerboard radius
• Sanko 6105 medium/tall frets
• Nitro finish cut back for that ‘played in’ from day one character, with a silky smooth dirty worn finish
• 56/60 era headstock decal
• All vintage spec’d hardware – all aged accordingly
• Single ply parchment trem back plate
• 8 hole, single ply parchment relic scratchplate
• ‘Coffee white’ aged control knobs, switch tips and trem arm tip
• 5 way switch
• Master volume pot + tone neck + tone middle
• Fender Custom Shop Fat 50’s pick-ups with RWRP middle pick-up – formvar windings + alnico v magnets – neck measures 5.99K – middle measures 6.45K – bridge measures 6.33K
• Re-strung and set-up with 10-46 gauge strings and a sensible/slinky action that responds to a light touch
• Condition wise – Always hard to tell if a used relic finish has acquired additional wear n tear, especially if it is over 15 years old – Not looking at a set of clean frets, I see no reason to suggest it has seen a lot of work – Any additional subtle graze to the aged nitro finish only adds to the guitars played in character

Feel/Playability :- Whatever magic is in this Strat, regarding the playing experience, can’t be seen – You feel it – The Large C oval profile instantly feels comfortable, somehow familiar and very much old school from the vintage era, with an extra ounce of meat on it – Take the classic 60’s C profile and add a gnats whisker of meat and this is the result – It can’t be considered fat, but it possesses a touch more meat than the regular 60’s C profile – Many Custom Shop 50’s models are spec’d with a chunky 10/56V profile – This sunburst 57 Strat was spec’d with an oval Large C profile – Similar size, with regards to depth, but more rounded on the back and less of that soft V character   – Spec’d with a nitro finish, that has been fully cut back for that silky smooth ‘played in character’ – Along with appropriate aged fingerboard marks – To further enhance a slick playing performance, you’ll find a set of narrow/jumbo 6105 frets, along with a 9.5″ fingerboard radius – You can still dig in and attack those big pentatonic blues bends, but equally a slick playing actions awaits without any choking out – All in all, such modern tweaks, allow for a slick and user friendly playing experience

Tonal character  : – The lively crisp natural acoustic tone transfers into an electric tone that is loaded with character, soul and expression – Plenty of that Strat snap and attack, with crisp highs – No shortage of expression and dynamics, so you can make a lively Strat more mellow by rolling off the volume and tone pots, but you can’t make a Strat that sounds as dead as a card board box into a lively Strat – If you play this Strat with the volume and tone pots wide open on 10, the vintage flavoured Fat 50’s pick-ups have a musical edge to them that will drive the amp – Not shrill like with nasty peaks, but they posses that extra amount of juice in them,  to deliver that classic vintage Strat tone with a touch of edge – Blues/Rock players will adore this voicing, on both clean and overdriven amp settings – For a softer voice, that still retains the snap and attack, then just roll off the volume and/or tone pot – Note a more angelic voice is clearly apparent – On both clean or overdriven amp settings I found the ‘rolled off’ option was the best way to play this Strat, then when you need that extra amount of edge, attack and dynamics, then you can take the guitar back to 10 as and when required – The out of phase tones are so melodic, full and sweet, that the second you hear them, you know this is that classic tone and as such they are so infectious – As I mentioned earlier a good Strat should possess expression, soul and emotion and this Strat is loaded with all of these attributes

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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.