Since 1954, the Fender Stratocaster has set the bar for the electric guitar. Versatile and expressive—but originally conceived as an affordable, workingman's instrument—the Stratocaster has become ubiquitous across all genres of music as a Swiss-army-knife guitar.
By the 1980s, Fender had grown enormously as a company, and on regular production instruments, the original hands-on approach was long gone. In 1987, the Fender launched the Fender Custom Shop—a special division of elite builders whose intention was largely to create high-end quality guitars in the history of Leo Fender. Nowadays, the Fender Custom Shop produces the finest Fender instruments available. These special-order guitars show the accuracy, detail, and quality—as well as customization and personal touches—that were lost as Fenders became more mass-produced.
The "Wildwood 10" series was conceived as a collaboration between the Fender Custom Shop and Wildwood Guitars in Louisville, Colorado. This Limited Edition of run of guitars seeks to combine the mojo of a true-to-vintage reissue with modern handfeel and comfy modern ergonomics.
This 2011 Wildwood 10 '57 Stratocaster combines authentic 1957 specs with a modern 10" fingerboard radius and modern 6105 Narrow Tall frets. The result is a guitar that captures the vibe and tone of one of Fender's most sought-after years, but its modern 10” radius is suitable for a wide variety of styles and techniques. Modern arrow tall frets allow you to expend less energy with your left hand, especially when bending strings. Its body is one piece of solid Ash, and it has nice natural resonance. John Cruz custom-wound Stratocaster pickups capture the right sound, too. With a thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish and tasteful "Relic" treatment, this Custom Shop Strat can hang with any sought-after pre-CBS examples, but with feel and playability you'll never find on a vintage original.
- Finish Color: '57 Two-Tone Sunburst
- Finish Type: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Aging: Relic
- Weight: 6 lb 15.2 oz
- Body Wood: Ash
- Neck Wood: One Piece of Quartersawn maple
- Neck Shape: Mid-'60s C
- Neck Dimensions: .797" 1st - .956" 12th
- Fingerboard Radius: Exclusive Wildwood Custom 10" Radius
- Inlays: Dot
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- Width at Nut: 1.650"
- Nut Material: Bone
- Frets: 21 6105 Narrow-Tall
- Pickups: 3 John Cruz Limited Single-Coils
- Controls: 1 Volume, 2 Tone, 5-way Switch
- Hardware: Relic Nickel
- Bridge: Vintage Tremolo
- Tuners: Vintage-Style with Nickel Buttons
- Pickguard: Single-Ply Parchment
This 2011 Fender Custom Shop Wildwood-10 '57 Stratocaster Relic appears to have hardly spent much time outside of the case. It is set up to play like it should, and it includes all of its original paperwork and case candy.