Top Results for Stratocaster
The Fender Custom Shop’s 1954 Stratocaster Relic represents a meticulously crafted recreation of the iconic first-generation Stratocaster. Built in 2023, this instrument features three single-coil pickups and utilizes vintage-spec components to emulate the sound and feel of early Strats. It is prima...
Why this score
Custom Shop 1954 Stratocaster Relic represents a first-year Strat benchmark, with elite acclaim for historical importance, feel, and tone.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1957 Stratocaster Relic is a meticulously crafted electric guitar based on a classic 1957 Stratocaster design. Utilizing original parts and expert hand-finishing techniques, it replicates the tone and feel of this iconic instrument. It’s notable for its authentic vintage appea...
Why this score
1957 Stratocaster is one of Fender's most revered templates; Custom Shop relic versions draw broad acclaim for tone and feel.
Scoring methodology
This Fender Custom Shop 1955 Stratocaster Relic represents a meticulously crafted recreation of a classic electric guitar. Built during a pivotal era for the Stratocaster design, it features a maple neck and body finished with a distinctive relic treatment. The instrument is prized by experienced pl...
Why this score
Highly acclaimed early Stratocaster recreation with Custom Shop craftsmanship and classic tone; slightly less landmark status than 1954.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1956 Stratocaster Relic is a meticulously crafted recreation of a classic 1956 Stratocaster. This instrument showcases the iconic contoured body design that defined early Fender electric guitars. The custom shop process involves hand-selecting materials and applying a unique r...
Why this score
Custom Shop 1956 Stratocaster Relic has excellent consensus for soft-V feel, vintage tone, and build quality among Strat players.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1959 Stratocaster Relic is a meticulously crafted electric guitar designed to emulate the iconic Stratocasters of 1959. This instrument features a rosewood fingerboard, reflecting a key design shift during that era and offering a distinctive tonal character. It’s valued by ser...
Why this score
1959 Strat Relic is highly respected for slab-board era appeal, Custom Shop quality, and strong vintage-style playability.
Scoring methodology
This Fender Custom Shop 1957 Stratocaster Heavy Relic represents an exceptional example of vintage guitar replication. Crafted to exacting standards, it meticulously recreates a 1957 Stratocaster with a dramatically aged appearance achieved through a heavy relicing process. The instrument is notable...
Why this score
Elite 1957 Strat foundation with excellent build and tone; Heavy Relic wear is more divisive than standard relic presentation.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster replicates a 1963 guitar purchased by the iconic Irish blues-rock artist. This relic Stratocaster authentically captures Gallagher’s playing style and instrument appearance through meticulous aging techniques. It is designed for guitarists...
Why this score
One of Fender's most admired signature relics, praised for feel, pickups, and convincing tribute accuracy.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1960 Stratocaster Relic represents a meticulously crafted recreation of a classic electric guitar from the early 1960s. It features a slab rosewood fingerboard and vintage-style components reflective of that era’s design. This instrument is notable for its authentic feel and s...
Why this score
1960 Stratocaster Relic has strong acclaim for rosewood-board tone and Custom Shop execution; slightly less iconic than 1954 or 1957.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Stratocaster Relic represents a meticulously crafted recreation of a classic American electric guitar. Built in the United States, this instrument utilizes components and construction techniques reminiscent of Fenders from the early 1960s before CBS ownership. It’s partic...
Why this score
Highly regarded pre-CBS Strat spec, Custom Shop build quality, broad player demand; expensive but consensus flagship-tier.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1961 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic represents a meticulously crafted recreation of a classic American electric guitar. Built in the United States, this instrument embodies the tones and aesthetic of early Stratocasters from the 1960s. The Journeyman Relic finish simulates age...
Why this score
Fender Custom Shop Strat benchmark, strong expert reputation, high resale; Journeyman aging less polarizing than heavier relic finishes.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop’s Michael Landau 1963 Relic Stratocaster replicates a 1963 Stratocaster meticulously crafted for renowned session guitarist Michael Landau. This instrument features authentic relicing techniques to simulate the look and feel of a vintage guitar. It is suitable for professional...
Why this score
Strong player reputation, Landau association, excellent Strat platform; boutique-level feel with broad professional approval.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Stratocaster is a renowned American electric guitar introduced in 1954. Notable for its distinctive contoured design and three-single-coil pickups, it delivers a versatile sound highly favored by musicians across genres including rock and blues. It remains an iconic instrument appreciated...
The Fender Custom Shop Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Stratocaster is an electric guitar model manufactured as a replica of the instrument used by blues rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Vaughan's original guitar, nicknamed "Number One," was a 1960s Stratocaster heavily modified with a left-handed trem...
Why this score
Meticulous Number One recreation, powerful tones, and major historical significance; extreme price and specialized specifications keep it from universal status.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop Todd Krause 1960 Stratocaster Relic is an electric guitar modeled after the 1960-specification Fender Stratocaster. Built by Todd Krause, a master builder at the Fender Custom Shop, the instrument is part of the company's Time Machine series. It features an artificially worn "...
Why this score
Todd Krause craftsmanship, balanced playability, and authentic early 1960s tones are strongly regarded; scarcity and cost limit accessibility.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Stratocaster Heavy Relic is a meticulously crafted electric guitar designed to emulate the character of vintage instruments. Built in the United States, this instrument achieves an exceptionally aged appearance through a process that replicates wear patterns and finishes...
Why this score
Same strong 1963 Strat platform, but Heavy Relic finish is more polarizing among players and collectors.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop’s Mike McCready 1960 Stratocaster Relic replicates a specific guitar owned by Pearl Jam's Mike McCready. Constructed as a modern instrument with detailed aging techniques, it aims to capture the appearance and feel of his original 1960 Stratocaster. This model is for guitarist...
Why this score
Strong artist association and Custom Shop build, praised by Strat fans; less established long-term consensus than older signature models.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop John Cruz 1961 Stratocaster Heavy Relic is an electric guitar designed to emulate the precise structural and aesthetic details of a 1961 Fender Stratocaster. Built by Master Builder John Cruz, the instrument features period-correct components, such as a rosewood fretboard with...
Why this score
Highly regarded masterbuilt feel, period detail, and tonal response; John Cruz controversy affects resale perception, while price and wear divide buyers.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1962 Stratocaster Relic is a reproduction from Fender's Custom Shop that replicates a Stratocaster from 1962, before Fender's acquisition by CBS in early 1965. The Relic treatment simulates decades of wear and use on the body and hardware. Specifications typical of the era inc...
Why this score
1962 rosewood-board Stratocaster format is a consensus high point, supported by Custom Shop reputation, ratings, and vintage-market esteem.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1969 Stratocaster Relic represents a meticulously crafted recreation of a classic electric guitar. Built in the United States, this instrument replicates the design and features of late-1960s Fender Stratocasters produced during the CBS era. The extensive relicing process crea...
Why this score
Late-60s Strat styling has Hendrix-era appeal, but larger headstock and CBS-era associations divide traditionalists.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1959 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic is an electric guitar produced by Fender's Custom Shop division. It replicates specifications from 1959 Stratocasters, including a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, which became standard that year. The "Journeyman Relic" finish treatmen...
Why this score
Desirable 1959 profile, convincing tones, and excellent finishing attract strong reviews; expensive and still subject to individual variation.
Scoring methodology
The Fender American Professional II Stratocaster represents a modern evolution of a timeless classic. Featuring upgraded V-Mod II pickups, a redesigned neck profile, and improved hardware, this Strat delivers exceptional clarity, sustain, and playability. Its HSS pickup configuration provides a wide...
The Fender Custom Shop 1960 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic is a solid-body electric guitar built to replicate the specifications of early 1960s Fender instruments. Its historically accurate details typically include a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, clay dot inlays, and vintage-style hardware...
Why this score
Praised for comfortable playability, vintage voiced pickups, and tasteful wear; substantial cost and traditional features restrict appeal.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1957 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic is an electric guitar produced in the United States to replicate the design features of 1957 models. Typical period specifications include a maple neck, a synchronized tremolo bridge, and three single-coil pickups. The Journeyman Relic finish...
Why this score
Classic specifications, polished craftsmanship, and manageable Journeyman wear make this broadly admired; value remains difficult to justify.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1960 Stratocaster Heavy Relic is a limited-production electric guitar built to replicate the specifications and worn appearance of an early-1960s Stratocaster. It features an alder body, a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, and single-coil pickups voiced to period specifi...
Why this score
Early-1960s Strat relics are among Fender Custom Shop staples, with strong expert praise, high demand, and enduring blues-rock association.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1956 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic is a limited-production electric guitar produced by Fender's Custom Shop in Corona, California. It is modeled on the Stratocaster as configured in 1956, when the model featured a one-piece maple neck, three single-coil pickups, and a two-colo...
Why this score
Excellent build, comfortable vintage profile, and restrained aging receive broad praise; pricing remains the principal weakness.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1956 Stratocaster Heavy Relic is an electric guitar produced by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation's Custom Shop division. It is built to replicate the precise specifications of the mid-1950s Stratocaster, which originally debuted in 1954 as a double-cutaway solid-body...
Why this score
Mid-1950s Stratocaster specs are canonically prized, and Fender Custom Shop execution is acclaimed; heavy relicing is more divisive.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1962 Stratocaster Heavy Relic is an electric guitar produced in the United States to mirror the componentry of early-1960s Fender Stratocasters. Its design incorporates a rosewood slab fretboard, clay dot position markers, and three single-coil pickups. The defining characteri...
Why this score
Period accurate design, strong vintage tones, and excellent setup support its reputation; Heavy Relic aesthetics are polarizing.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1961 Stratocaster Relic is an American-made electric guitar that replicates the specific design elements of early-1960s Fender Stratocasters. It features a "Relic" finish, a proprietary aging process intended to visually and tactically mimic a vintage instrument that has susta...
Why this score
Exceptional construction, vintage accuracy, tones, and playability; high price and divisive artificial aging limit universal approval.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic is an electric guitar produced by Fender's Custom Shop division, recreating features associated with 1963-era Stratocasters. The Journeyman Relic finish treatment simulates moderate, natural playing wear, sitting between lighter and heavier r...
Why this score
Strong early 1960s character, reliable Custom Shop quality, and moderate aging; expensive relative to equally capable modern alternatives.
Scoring methodology
The Fender Custom Shop 1961 Stratocaster Heavy Relic is an electric guitar produced by the Fender Custom Shop, the limited-production division of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation based in Corona, California. It recreates specifications associated with Stratocasters from the early 1960s, includ...
Why this score
Highly regarded for early 1960s feel, responsive pickups, and workmanship; conspicuous aging and cost remain frequent objections.
Scoring methodology
