Fender '56 Relic Stratocaster

Basic features of any strat. 3-way blade toggle, nitrocellulose finish, maple neck/fingerboard, vintage hardware, relic treatment.

Although i've tried to find the make of the pickups, fender only lists them as being "custom '50s pickups" and they can't be bought (as far as i'm aware) as a separate unit, which is a shame as they are fantastic. In any case, the neck takes a little while to get used to as it's a soft-v shape, though it's quite comfy (although somewhat unusual) once you learn to play around it. Also, this model seems to be a fair bit lighter than the standard USA strats, which is nice.

Although I play metal and rock, primarily, this guitar will do just about anything. Stock, it has a great approximation of NIN's "Love Is Not Enough", when you roll the tone knob all the way off for the neck pickup. Sounds range from absolutely incredible clean (rich, full, defined and just a little bit dark on the neck) to chunky rhythm, bluesy overdrive and Manic Street Preachers-style crunch when fully distorted. Moreover, for single coils, they're not *that* noisy. There's hum, but it's not terribly obtrusive and only really becomes noticeable with heavy distortion. This guitar mates perfectly with the Bassman LTD, and is easily shaped with pedals such as the Big Muff. Although it's expensiive, every time i play this guitar, it reminds me of just how much value is really there, unlike my Gibson Les Paul:(

My personal guitar was set up very well. No complaints whatsoever, though i've heard there is great variation between fenders. I played mine in the store before i bought her, so i knew what i was getting. I wouldn't necessarily buy one sight-unseen (especially considering how much they cost). The closest thing i could find to a flaw was a small bubble over the 12th fret dot (maple necks are finished in nitrocellulose, whereas rosewood necks are not). This bubble eventually "popped" and now there's a small chip where it used to be. No big deal, though now i know it's there i cant' stop looking at it. Considering the relic treatment on the rest of the neck, it doesn't really matter.

The guitar is incredibly solid and i regularly (almost every day) play hard rock or straight-up metal on her. She keeps tune very well, though not the best i've seen (the ESP LTD 30th Anniversary seems to tune itself), and nothing's broken or fallen off as yet. The case it comes with has a nice tween finish on it, so im' a little worried about tearing or staining it, though the guitar itself seems pretty hardy. A few marks down for the pretty, yet fragile case.

I Try not to deal with fender.

Absolutely fantastic. I would sell my other guitars just to buy another one. when i've finished paying this one off, i plan to get another just so i can say i have two :)

this guitar is incredible and in its stock setup, can do anything at all. I contemplated changing pickups, but there's just no reason to do so. also, as has been mentioned before, the black relics definitely sound the best. i don't even like black guitars, and i bought this one after trying it out in the store (i was after a Vintage White Esquire).

The best things about this gutiar are simply that it's light as heck, resonant, "cool", sounds great, is comfy to play and seems as though it enjoys being played as much as you enjoy playing it. It really does have a soul, and has an aire of wisdom about it. A very unique experience. to be perfectly honest, i'm surprised a guitar like this has been produces *at all*, at any price, let alone being offered for sale to the public. a true work of art.

U.S. Fender Custom Shop made '56 Relic Stratocaster. Features aged knobs, switch tip and trem arm tip, worn-in maple neck, dinged up Fiesta Red body with lightly checked thin nitro finish. The single-ply 7-hole pickguard and pick-up covers are not aged as originally they were of a different plastic that kept it's color. The bridge pieces are slightly corroded. The neck is boat-shaped and heftier than the '60's necks. The feel of the neck and the light weight body are the reasons I couldn't put this guitar back on the rack. It has a 3-positon switch installed but the case candy includes the 5-position if ya wanna sound like Knopler and Cray. While the neck is worn, the frets are not and I'd say they are medium in size.

It has the very classic Strat sound, I don't get a lot of bottom even out of the neck pick-up. It has the typical noise of the single coil strat pick-ups.

It came up so beautifully set up with very low action, and no buzz or fret out. Guitar Center tells me they had a guy who does the set up. There are no flaws other than the intended body dings and nicely worn neck.

I've played several gigs with the guitar. I find it highly reliable so far.

I've seen it reported before that relics bought at Guitar Center are often missing the case candy and cert of authenticity. That was the story with mine. But Guitar Center did come through with the case candy about 3 weeks after my purchase. They tell me the cert will take longer. I never got the proper cert for a Closet Classic Strat I purchased there two years ago. I'm not so much into collecting as playing the guitar so I don't lose sleep over certs, but it would be nice to have.

I've been playing consistantly for more than thirty years. I have long hands so I favor Fenders with the 25.5" scale greatly over Gibsons and other shorter scale guitars. Scale length, light weight, playability, great sound, cool appearence, this guitar has it all. Unfortunately it also has a high price so I knock of a point.

Its a '56 relic..fiesta red.......,maple neck, 3 way switch...........you can get all the specs on the website or from the other reviews.

Great vintage sound...love the pickups..they have a nice "airy" open sound.....planned on swappin' for frailin's.....but pleasantly surprised that I CAN leave things as is. I am playing her thru a Vibro King and a 66 FenderDR.........along with a Boss DD3 Delay, budda wah and fulltone OCD.........just straight up dry, however, this guitar delivers the classic strat tone.......very touch responsive in terms of using picking to sound louder. Guitar has a nice woody tone.........sounds like its been played for 50 yrs! Set up is was so atrocious , however, that prior to having it refretted, I would have given it about a 4 or 5..........now, with the fret job and neck leveling...she gets a 10!

This where I rip Fender a new one.............Because their fret work absolutely sucks D&(*&)*ck.....since I already had such low expectations for their fret work, I knew that before I even took the guitar out of the case.......it was gonna need fret and neck work...... This is my second relic ( the first was a 60's relic. rosewood......) and both came from the factory with totally fuc&*^%&7ed up necks and unplayable conditions..........both necks had to be leveled!!!!!! What are those guys smoking at Fender? How could a guitar leave the custom shop with an un even playing board? I am no rocket scientist, but, I could figure out that an unlevel playing surface would affect sustain in the negative ...I would understand this if they came from mexico and were made by some teenager on the assembly line.....but this is the Mo F'ing custom shop! C'mon!!!!.......again, I bought the guitars knowing full well what I was dealing with........and I knew I'd toss in another $200 bucks for fret work for each one............and I did this because asidse from the crappy "action" they come with........my 2 relics both had great overall vibe, nice tone, nice relic-ing and real "lived in" mojo...........and the good news is that with the extra $, they play and sound like M f'ing vintage monsters.......and still a whole lot less $ than the real Mc Coy's.......

I am super super happy about the 2 relics I own..love 'em and cherish 'em to death...........now they are the very sweet strats I have always dreamed of owning and playing.........


again..if you are afender custom shop tech, designer..quality control person..whatever...then shame on you!!!!!!!

its 55 years old! Not really, but seriously, its solid.....built to last.

I owned a custom built..swamp ash Tom Anderson Classic.........bought it to avoid the crappy fretwork inherent (in my opinion) with fender strats......but.even though the anderson was a perfect beast with beautiful hottie looks and awesome quality control..great fret job etc........it actually lacked the vintage vibe that I find my "relics" have. I have the utmost respect for the anderson camp and cannot believe I am saying this..........none the less, I would buy another relic if the 56 were stolen........of course she'd go right back in the shop for neck work!

Mine was bought new in July 2003, the guitar having sat in a shop since being made on 28th Feb 2001. As a result, I got it for a bargain. The features of this guitar are well known, so will not bore you. Only difference with mine had the gold hardware and colour Salmon Pink (I don't care what the so-called experts say the colour is, we called it Salmon Pink in the 60's, at least in the UK!!). I was a bit unsure of whether to go for a guitar that has had chunks of wood gouged out of the body AND pay Fender extra for it. However, as soon as I plugged it in, I fell in love. Jamming the 3 way switch in the in-between positions takes me back to the pre CBS Strat of the same colour I used to own. How can people change it to the 5 way switch supplied, takes the fun out of it. In contrast to the battered condition of the guitar, the tweed case was in superb condition. Other extras included strap, 5 way switch, cleaning cloth and some extra tremolo springs. I fitted the extra springs to make a full compliment of 5. I don't use the tremolo bar and anyway, that's what we had in the 60's.

The sound... fantastic, never had so many compliments given me since I started using it. Loads better than my early 90's Strat. I use a Fender Blues Junior for most small bookings and occasionally a Marshall AVT 150 combo for bigger ones. The Blues Junior is a brilliant amp and with this Strat is amazing. Only slight issue is that the pickups are a bit noisy, so you need to be away from the amp. Still give it 10 though

Guitar was superbly set up. Not sure if this was done by Fender, considering it had been in the shop for a while. I don't bother with shop setups, preferring to take my lot to my own guy. Took this along and he was very impressed, not wanting to make any changes. Shop must have done it, can't believe Fender would have. Can't really moan about finish for a guitar that is supposed to be battered.

I have gigged this guitar about 3 times a week since buying it, so yes, live playing no problem. Strap buttons really solid, although I do use a Planet Waves strap, with locks, just in case. I do normally take a second guitar, usually a Gibson, for one or two numbers, but the Strat bears the brunt for most of the night. The Relic finish does mean that you don't have to worry about knocking or chipping the guitar!!

Never had to bother with Fender support. I( tend to get any repairs/modifications done by my friendly guy.

Been playing over 40 years, although I did take a 20 year rest. Currently have 12 guitars:
Gibson Les Paul, 135, 335, SG, Melody Maker
Fender Strat , Tele and the 56 Relic
Guild Slim Jim, Bluesbird AAA
Heritage 516
Martin D28.
Would definitely replace it, if it were stolen. Best guitar of my collection, I may get a NOS 56 Strat, to keep as an investment.

This is a black 56 Relic Strat made in 2003. You know the features. They meet expectations.

Sound is the only reason I bought this guitar. It is the best sounding guitar I've played. I have several Les Pauls, PRSs, B. Moore, and other Strats. I don't know what they do to those pickups but they sound like the ideal tone I've carried in my head after decades of listening to music. What is remarkable is that other non-relic 56 CS don't come close to it, not EVEN other 56 Relics do. I had a vintage blonde 56 Relic (premium ash), which while sounding great by other standards it wasn't the best sounding Relic, it didn't come close to this guitar -- The Great One -- in sound. For some reason black 56 Relics seem to sound best, to me. It has a fundamental clarity and ringing tone not found in other production Strats today. To that it adds a certain amount of growl and biting authority that one can only find in hambuckers. Yet, compared to it a humbucker sounds as if you are playing through a blanket. I use a POD XT. The Line 6 Clean setting is really marvellous for that Hank Marvin tone. The Brit J800 amp emulation gives you the perfect growl for pieces like "All Right Now," typically played with a Les Paul. And the Soldano 100 setting makes this guitar howl with trememdous force.

This guitar stay in tune remarkably well.

I sounds just as good played through my Marshall DSL401. I've been sleeping little lately because this guitar is hard to put down. My finger tips are really tender -- it hasn't happened for years.

While some find the Relic process cool, I find it ridiculous. I avert my eyes each time I see the poor wretch. It looks like the victiom of the Thousand Cuts Chinese Torture. It looks stupid. It's all Keef's fault. I wish I could have a three-tone sunburst sounding like this and looking like an oil painting.

The action is just fine, like most CS guitars. The fit is great due to the boat-shaped neck, which fills the hollow of your hand nicely. This is a very light guitar of excellent quality components sadly made to look like junk. Why?

I don't use the tremolo arm much but I don't trust its strength much. I returned the previous Relic I had -- vintage blond/gold harware -- because I could not attach the tremolo arm. It appears that the gold plating makes that difficult. This tremolo arm in chrome finish went on just fine. I would much prefer the push-in type. But that is what you have for getting a faithful reproduction of a model featuring systems that have long been improved.

Except my concern for the tremolo arm, which is speculation at this point. I have not had it long enough to test its reliability and durability. But it is like my other strats, I have no worries.

I have not gone to Fender directly but I dealt with Chuck Levin's Washington Guitar Center in Wheaton, Maryland.

They have a very bad return policy. When I returned my vintage blonde Relic because I could not attach the arm, they charged me $150 for damaging the arm screw (?????) The call me a liar saying that I have put it on and pushed it past its stop, but it's not true the arm never went on. I know how to operate a screw and nothing would make that gold plated arm go in. Why would anyone buy a Guitar at Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center I don't know, when they can go to the Guitar Center nearby which has a wonderful return policy. 30-day money back no questions asked, and match any price out there.

I tried to to tell the manager a Chuck Levin's that the guitar was defective. A tremolo arm should go on without any problems. Yet he took a different view. Now I found out that gold plated tremolo arms are troublesome and that one must rub them with steel wool to remove the plating before putting the on. Of course tha Fender manual says nothing about that. Not cool in a $2000 guitar.

I bought my new black 56 Relic, reviewed here at the Guitar Center, and I am quite happy with their service.

I've been playing for thirty years I've had all kinds of gear, but currently I only have a Marshall DSL401 and a POD XT, with the Line 6 pedal shortboard. Also a Dunlop Cry Baby Wah.

If this guitar was lost I would look high and low for its twin.

Its sound is supreme. Here is the story.

I wanted to buy an Eric Clapton/Buddy Guy Strat with that mid-boost thingy. They sound find. That night at the Guitar Center I A/B's lots of Strats, new and used, of all prices. I hated the look of those Relic and never touched them. But *by mistake* the sales associate put a black 56 Relic next to me, and almost without looking I picked it up and plugged it in, and then... ZAP!

That glorious sound hit me as if I was in a cavern. Dozens of bells ringing and chiming. I look at it and it is a darned Relic. Who cares? I played if for at least half an hour and I was in a daze. Learning that it was a 56 repro and that it was available in NOS (New Old Stock) finish -- the brand-new look -- I set out to find a NOS sunburst that sounded like that black Relic -- The Great One (TGO) -- but it proved impossible, NOSs and Closet Classic models just don't sound as good. Finally, I returned to the Guitar Center to buy the Relic despite of it looking like Herman Monster's guitar. But Fortune had arranged for me to witness a guy snatching it in front of my eyes. I'd been about five minutes too slow -- a shattering experience. That guitar became The Great One That Got Away.

I was broken hearted and on the rebound I bought the vintage blonde Relic, telling myself is sounded great but knowing deep inside it didnt' sound like The Great One.

After all the tremolo arm problem and returning it to Chuck Levin's Washintong Guitar Center and losing $150 in the deal I was in a dark mood and went to the Guitar Center to relax in familiar territory. Then, it happened...

I SAW HER STANDING THERE.

She was not seventeen, you know what I mean. She couldn't be, she was born in 1956, or at least looked that way. Yes, folks another Black 56 Relic. With the heart racing, thingking it could be the twin of TGO, I picked it up and plugged it in... and VOILA!

Yeeees! It was its twin. The same killer tone, the stunning clarity, the musicality, the bite, the mojo. All there.

I felt in my pocket for my pepper spray. Anyone coming near this guitar was going to be shocked and awed big time. Only frindly faces around, back to Code Yellow.

The sales associates may have wondered why I almost demanded that HE put on the tremolo arm. No problem, it went in at the first try as it should -- are you listening Chuck Levin's?

Now I am in hog heaven, I hope to get use to seeing the horrible aging marks, if not I can just close my eyes and strum that musical wonder. Hmmmmm.

has everything a strat should have, three single coil vintage pick-ups,full vintage neck, small frets n/c finish

I bought this guitar based on the reviews on this page, it seems that paying $2000 for a guitar must make your ears deceive your brain, or vice - versa. This guitar does not sound particularly great. Its probably pretty close to how an original 56 sounded, ear bleeding and high screeching. Not a versatile guitar. I prefer a late 60s, early 70s, much fuller and warmer.

This guitar felt fantastic. Light as hell, nice relic job, great worn neck. This guitar was put together really well. Very comfortable to play. I bought it for this reason.

would probably last forever like a fender should

Been playing a while. I purchased this guitar based on comfort alone,and the misconseption that price would buy perfection, and I beleived that I would grow to appreciate the tone of this guitar. I beleive that a guitars tone is subjective, but I think all of you tone fanatics are just in love with the idea of owning a custom shop product. Do yourselves a favor and buy 52 tele reissue, beautiful full sounding guitar. Make beleive its a custom shop !

Mine is a 8/00 black heavily reliced Stratocaster that I got used. Tons of birdseye maple on the neck with alder body. It has the basic stratocaster features: volume control right next to your finger for easy volume adjustments, easy reach tone controls for wah wah effects and the classic vibrato. What else could you ask for. Except for the bridge/strings not being grounded its perfect.

The other great features are the light weight and the nice soft "V" neck. I have very long skinny hands and long thumbs and it fits in my hand perfectly.

Im lucky to live near a guitar store that stocks tons of custom shop fenders. I have tried dozens and just wasnt sold. I saw this guitar pulled out of a case for another customer and he was crazy enough not to buy it. The guitar is very loud acoustically and the body and neck resonate against your body.

I tend to play typical guitar music:blues, rock and ocassionally surf music. I have a 20 year old Mesa Boogie amp and it sounds great. I plug straight in so guitar tone is very important. I demoed it through a Victoria fender deluxe copy and that was a wet dream. The amp is on my list. I have been playing stratocasters as my main guitar since I started playing over 20 years ago. My style is so intertwined with the model I dont feel secure playing in front of people with anything else.

Is it noisy? Yep. More so than my other stratocasters. But it is only noisy on higher gain settings that I rarely use.

The sound is suprisingly full. It seems the pickups are fairly low on the ohm meter (5.5) but is a full sound with a very musical high end. Very impressive for a maple necked guitar. The sound is slightly compressed for a strat with a nice little growel.

The only thing i dislike is the strings are not grounded and I am a bit worried about getting a shock while singing. I can fix this if it is a problem.

I got it used so im not sure of the factory settings, but previous experience with Fender CS their guitars are pretty consistantly set up very well.

I set up my guitars with about 5/64 at the twelvth fret. The guitar has 7.5 radius neck and I would be worried about fretting out on the first string if it were lower. The action allows for great bending. The lacquer isnt stick like some other CS guitars and is so nice verses the non-CS vintage reissues. My skin doesnt seem to build calouses and other maple necked guitars have ripped my fingers apart. (hey, I play 1 - 4 hours a day and nothing!)

The guitar is reliced so heavily it almost looks like a dog chewed on it. The birdseye maple neck is so pretty is wish the finish wasnt so worn. It has the simulated arm wear which is ok but im sure it would have worn on its own quickly enough as the guitar is hard to put down. Otherwise the finish is just superb and very realistic looking. The best sounding Fender CS guitars always seem to be relics, but im not totally sold on buying a guitar that is excessivly reliced. This guitar picked me so in not really concerned how it looks.

The guitar has only one weak spot and thats the vibrato arm. They break and often at the worst time especially when your style relyes on it. Strings are so good today that floating the trem is no biggie and I rarly bring a spare guitar. Otherwise the guitar is bullet proof.

Another note. The case is tweed and leather. Very pretty but not so durable and a mess if it gets wet from rain or beer. Im considering lacquering this one like the old Fender amps from the '50s.

The guitar was practacally unplayed when I got it. It has the perfect neck bow and has no twist at all. The only thing that will happen on this guitar is over time the frets will protrude a bit on the side and for $20 a good luthier will file them nice and smooth. This will be less of an issure on guitars that have all the lacquer on the neck to protect the wood, but it will happen to all of them.

Steve Mesple will fix any problem that comes up, but I cant imagine what could go wrong.

I have been playing about 22 years with a few years off in the early '90s.

I have my second strat i got in 1980 and another custom shop 1960s strat i got in '93, a '88 Gibson 335, a few Martin acoustics, and a Taylor 12 string. My amp for 20 years is a Mesa Boogie Mark IIB.

I dont need to buy specific guitars anymore as my '93 CS will always be it for me. Guitars just seem to find me once and awhile. I would be very upset if it were stolen as this is a VERY nice instrument.

I would like to add Fender CS guitars are all really nice. I am fortunate enough to have played dozens of them and this one found me. When it was pulled out of the case for another customer I got a vibe that this was a special guitar. I went in to buy a Victoria amp and tried this guitar as the demo guitar. The amp is going to have to wait a bit as a great instrument is more than a nice amp. Try as many as you can and let the gutar pick you.

You know the relic features. Mine is a fiesta red relic with gold hardware, beaten up but not too severe lovely feeling maple neck in fact the most comfortable one I've ever felt.

The best sounding strat I've ever heard, and I've played quite a few over the years. Played through my Univalve it just sounds so organic and raw. It really shows your 'natural' sound.

Don't know what it was like out of the box, but my local shop (manson's in the UK) set it up perfectly.

Have yet to find out but all my other Fenders over the years have been totally bullet proof so I expect no different.

Have not answered a couple of my emails although the Fender UK forum is very helpful. Trying to acquire Custom Shop guitars in the UK is virtually impossible at the moment. Apparently they've just bought Gretsch and Charvel so they've got too much on their hands.

An absolutely wonderful guitar, for all those critics of these guitars, as I was a year ago, at least try one and see. If you like it good for you, if not I guess you were unlucky as I've played five different ones and they were all fantastic although a guitar is one of the most subjective things in the world. My friends Ibanez, which he thinks is the best thing in the world, I think sounds like a chain saw!!

This guitar does not have many "features" per se. It is a bread and butter Strat. Mine is a Blonde Swamp Ash w/ light Birdseye maple neck made in 2001.

For what it is, this is the Holy Grail of Strats. Amazing FAT neck, great body wood and that certain "heavily played" Mojo that only the Fender Custom Shop seems to be able to pull off. The relic guitars are typically lighter than most (thin nitro finish, light woods) and this really comes through in the resonance that oozes from this guitar even when unplugged. The PUP's are not particularly hot but they have magical "chime", better even than any of the boutique ones I've been through (Fralin, Kinman, Van Zandt, Torres, Rio Grande, Fender, Barden, etc...). Although the guitar is a dream stock, I put in a 5 way switch, had Lindy Fralin rewind the middle pickup to be RWRP (hum cancelling in positions 2 and 4) and had John Carruthers refret mine with Dunlop 6100 frets. I hesitated to mess with a $2000 guitar but this is now my dream guitar, probably the last one I'll buy in this lifetime.

Perfect fit and finish, aside from the intetionally crappy relic'ed parts.

It's a tank.

Really good, easy to reach on Fender Forum site. www.fenderforum.com

I'm a complete miser when it comes to rating gear; a lot of it is hype and people seem grade on a curve that says 9 is average (to me 5 is average). The only reason I give this guitar a 10 all the way through is that it IS the best guitar I have even seen or played and therefore I have to rate it in that context. Probably the last electric guitar I'll ever buy.

My '56 Relic Strat is dated October 4, 2000 from the custom shop in Corona, CA. It's Fiesta red with a gorgeous, highly figured maple neck which has been worn in nicely - you'd never guess it's not an original 1956. The body is alder and also shows the type of wear that makes it hard to believe it's not 46 years old. The hardware is chrome with all the right aging, same for the plastic parts. It came with a beautiful G&G tweed case. Before I brought it home, I dropped it off at the shop of a respected luthier in Boston to be set-up with Original Bullet .009 strings & had him install the 5-way pickup selector that came with the guitar while he was at it.

I play Classic Rock & Blues and this guitar has KILLER TONE! Played through a good Fender tube amp (I've tried several) like my Deluxe Reverb with gain overdrive it's SWEET! I recently bought a custom modified (www.analogman.com) Boss DS-1 distortion pedal, which makes it sound great even with the amp set totally clean. I get the Hendrix sound from the neck pickup and everything else from the other 4 pickup postions, including Clapton on the middle/bridge.

I give the Custom Shop a 9 in this category because the luthier needed to adjust the truss rod to take a slight bow out of the neck. The action is beautiful. This guitar plays like a dream. I feel like I was born with it in my hands, the neck shape is perfect.

It stays in tune even after heavy bending and vibrato arm use. It's a solid guitar that seems able to handle anything.

Never even thought about a warranty.

I've been playing off & on since 1979. Never really felt I was good. I quit for almost 10 years before buying this beauty, now I play 10 times better than I ever imagined I would. This guitar inspired me to learn. I'd buy another one if this one were ever lost or stolen, no question about it. My favorite feature is the neck, it's just so SWEET! I've played a hundred other guitars and none, not even another Stratocaster ever felt so much like an extension of my body. It just feels like I'm home.

2001 Fender Custom Shop Relic 1956 Stratocaster, made in USA - 2 tone sunburst. Maple neck, Alder body, three single coil pickups wired to 1956 specs (3-way switch, etc.)

Includes vintage strap, 5-way switch, ashtray cover, springs and all goodies. Nice case with blood red lining.

OH MY GOD! This guitar sounds unbelievable. I have no clue how they made these pickups but I have never heard a guitar come close to the vintage tone these produce. I run the guitar through a Maxon Compressor and a Maxon OD808 (the holy grail of pedals?) into a Mesa Boogie Rect-O-Verb (the holy grail of amps?)....The tone almost brought a tear to my eyes. The pickups are not totally noiseless but I like a little hum, it adds to the vintage vibe.

The guitar was set up fine. Some adjustment was needed, which is usual with any new guitar that goes through climate changes. ( I live in Wisconsin ) I readjusted the neck to use light top/heavy bottom strings and lowered the action a little bit. The neck takes some time to get use to but once you go to a 7 1/4 radius neck, you never go back. Unbelievable comfort. The necks and pickups are everything on these guitars....as with most guitars, but this guitar is simply the best guitar I've ever played.

Everything is fine. It's really nice to have a top quality guitar and not be afraid to scratch it............ Top notch construction and detail.

Never dealt with them.

The best guitar I've ever played. In my opinion, these guitars are the best to come from fender in the last 25 years. I've been playing for 17 years and one thing I've learned in that time is it's always cheaper to buy top quality gear that you will keep for a lifetime instead of lesser quality gear that you will hate in a year or two. If you can't afford one of these, at least go to your local music store and play one everyday for a week and you will understand what a quality guitar this is. If you have any other questions, contact Todd at Good-N-Loud Music in Madison WI. Hands down the best guitar/amp store in the country!....or at least the best that I've been to....

2001 Fender Custom Shop Relic 1956 Stratocaster, made in USA - 2 tone sunburst. Maple neck, Alder body, three single coil pickups wired to 1956 specs.
Relic treatment which includes body wear, fretboard wear, aged parts and even the pickups are aged and sound different than the N.O.S pickups of the same model! this is an especially cool feature.
Includes vintage strap, 5-way switch, ashtray cover, springs and all goodies. Nice case with a rather bright (wow!) yellow inside. This guitar gets a 9, just because the 5 way switch wasn't set up. but hey, this is the way they were made, so i can't complain that much.

The pickups on this guitar sound wonderful. They somehow aged the pickups so that they have that old strat sound without the $20,000 price tag. nice! sounds better than the N.O.S. version, just because the guitar has been aged and that makes a guitar sound better.

A few styles:

Blues - Nails it. what more could you ask for? this is the exact guitar Eric Clapton used on the Layla album. Works great for SRV stuff, or basically any blues. Sounds so sweet, makes me wanna cry.

Rock - Sounds great for straight up rock and roll. When you add distortion, it grits up nicely . Bridge pickup has just the right bite. No problem with the output differences between pickups here. everything is great!

Country - add that 5 way switch and you will be pickin' and grinnin' easy. nice punchy tone for country. twang? yup.

Heavy Metal - i don't believe anyone would purchase this $2400 guitar for heavy metal, and if they do, they aren't very smart. of course it doesn't pull it off! it's a strat, not some tricked out ESP.

Eric Johnson - i thought i would add this because no other guitar i have ever seen could get 'THE TONE'. until now. this thing nails this too, as it should (EJ's guitars were a '54 and a '58 strats) so, yah. great tone.

My guitar was purchased with a relic finish. Most relic strats are beat to hell, and this one isn't. Has some nice dings, and the fretboard wear, but i wanted one without that huge gouge where your arm rests. boy was i lucky to find this one! someone had ordered it especially like this and didn't buy it. so now i got it!! the action was set up pretty good, but i think that the guys in the guitar shop had been messin' with it a bit. (Apparently they didn't want to let it go!)

Flaws? what flaws? it is a custom shop guitar!!

I give it a 9, because it is a beat up relic. but the wear is believable. some people think it would look corny, but it doesn't. fender gets it right.

it is a fender. hard as a rock. i probably wouldn't gig without a backup, just because strats go out of tune, and i tend to break strings once in a while. but i hope it lasts for a while! i can't really be sure, because this kind of guitar hasn't been around for very long. (The relic i mean) but if it is like any strat, it deserves a 10.

Been playing for 6 years, own a few other strats, a tele, a carvin, and a les paul. Marshall half stack.
this is by far the best guitar i have ever played. this has been my dream guitar for many years.

IF you are seriously considering this guitar, ask yourself why. if you can't tell the difference between the '57 reissue and this one, go with the '57. i have an obsession with tone, and this one just is everything i want in a strat. I went for the more expensive one because of the TONE it had, and also i liked the look of a beat up sunburst strat. But if you got the cash, there is no better motivator to get you going in your music than the best guitar fender makes, and the best guitar anyone makes, period.

This guitar is virtually identical to Leo's original stroke of genius
from 1954(without the Bakelite parts). It was born in 2000 and sports
the blonde transparent finish with chrome hardware. Most of the modern
"improvements" on this theme are interesting diversions but ultimately
prove to be solutions in search of a problem. This original configuration fills the bill for any blues or rock player as well as
a myriad of other styles. I rated this category a '10" even though it
it doesn't have locking tuners,a floyd or a sustainiac. To me it
represents perfection in it's simplicity(I could stand a 5-way switch
but not to worry because they included one in the case).

Most new Strats sound like, well, new Strats. On this one they
somehow managed to get that burnished, refined tone that usually
only comes with a $10,000 price tag and a smelly case(I know - I've
owned several 50's Strats).

The neck shape on this guy is as good as any I've found on the real
McCoys and, after taking a little relief out of it, is an absolute joy to play. The finish is a bit dinged-up and they've figured out that they can charge more for that. On the neck however, that broken-in feel is actually quite nice and hey, all the chicks will
think you're a regular veteran. Kidding aside, the relic thing is
kinda cool.

This design has proven it's reliability/durability over the past 46
years so this shouldn't be an issue(occasional exceptions notwithstanding).

Haven't needed it and really doubt that I will.

While I can't vouch for every one of these that comes off the line(no
two guitars are the same) I would highly recommend that you check it
out if you want virtual vintage vibe without a 2nd mortgage.