Nash Guitars 50's Relic Stratocaster

I have both a nash tele (54) and a strat (57) , both about 1 year old, both with lollar pups, both medium reliced, medium maple 10" radius, standard vintage hardware

both have a great retro sound equal to or better than most real fenders

best relic job out there, played great right out of the box. I tweaked them to my taste but the factory setup was pro all the way

better built than most

no contact needed

I have a pretty big collection of guitars but I only use about 20 or so in my work. Both nash's are included.

It's a strat - you know the features. This is Bill's S-57 with the Louisiana Roadhouse heavy relic. Lollar pickups, medium C neck with nice medium jumbo frets and nice fretwork. One or two piece ash body with gorgeous grain. Well put together and nice set-up. It has everything a guitar needs in the right hands and requires no additional features.

It sounds the way a quality vintage strat should sound. Lollar pickups are up there with the best of them. The wood is high quality and the guitar resonates with a nice light finish. The guitar is set-up beautifully, intonation is good, stays in tune, etc. what more could you ask for?

Guitar is very well assembled from good quality parts, pickups, woods and the neck is straight with good fretwork. The feel is incredible due to the authentic relic job. It is possible to put together a nice strat or tele from good parts and electronics yourself but you wouldn't get close on the feel. Bill is an artist who adds the mojo to the guitar that makes it special. Let's face it, all strats/teles are "parts" guitars. It still takes quality craftsmanship to do it right!

No problems here!

A guitar of this quality in the right hands lasts a lifetime. Most pros know how to adjust their guitars and maintain them or have a tech who does. I may send Bill an e-mail to thank him for the inspiration but I will never need to bug him about anything else.

I've been playing for 30 years and have tried just about everything. One thing I have learned is that you don't have to spend a fortune to find tonal nirvana. You do have to learn how to play and you have to have experience. Anyone writing a bad review of a Nash Guitar is lacking in one of these categories or bought the guitar from someone who abused it. You'll notice that anyone with some guitar playing years under their belt gives these guitars a 10. These guitars are an amazing value-pick one/two up while you can.

Sunburst finish, typical strat

Nash uses parts from the same suppliers you or I can buy from. He can put them together right and does set the guitar up nicely. There is no magic or mystery here. These guitars have no mojo other then a really good setup.

Nash also uses various pickups. These are Fenders aftermarket pickups and they are good. Its what Fender uses in their high end guitars. Regardless of what people think, Fender actually makes god parts for their high end stuff. Those who think Fender is mass market crap needs to get out of the Mexican section and the $800 US standards. You have to spend over $1000 to get a good guitar and if you want a great one closer to $2000. Thats just the way it goes if you want an American made guitar with a little attention put into it.

I rate an 8 as its a trat like any ohter. I took off 2 points cuz he is just reguitating what been done for decades. Fender is likely going to stop licensing their headstock to aftermarket neckmakers due to Nash and others. We all know Nash was decalling them up as with this 50's "reissue". He'll tell you the store did it but he put the decals on there himself.

Sounds good. A good strat is a good strat. Its not great, its good. Fender, Nash, anybody else with half a brain could make the same strat. Nash doesnt use the best quality wood. I dont think this matters either. I've gotten great results with cheap bodies and poor results with some expensive cuts. I think its luck of the draw to get a real nice singing tone. This one is good but again - nothing special.

Nash does a good nut job and fretjob. I think this is how he got a name (along with a huge load of luck) Other than that this is no different then any other strat. If you got a pro setup on any strat it would play just like this.

Finish is weak. Frankly I think this is where Nash falls flat on his face. This thing does not look at all authentic. The wear looks completely fake. The dings, you can tell which where a philips head driver and where he rolled the body in coins. The sandpaper wear is all too sandpaper evident and the dremel neck wear is hilarious. The pickguard is the dumbest and he seems to do this on all his guitars. He sands it down and stains it and it looks like someone sanded it and stained it. He also sprays yellow paint on the edges and thats obvious too. It doesnt look old. Its looks fake.

At Nash's price point you cannot expect a totally great finish. He also relics them so why bother? This whole relic thing has been a blessing for nash. He cah finish he guitars with spray bombs. Who cares about overspray? No need to wetsand and buff to a mirror finish and he's just gonna beat it up anyway. Mine has a hair stuck in the laquer. Paint is amatuer and that is covered up by the relicing.

If it werent for a good setup he'd get a zero from me here.

Nash guitars are overated. If you anre going to buy a relic then its not bad. Fender relics are overpriced. However I have no idea how Nash got a name for himself. Other people make relics like this and many do a better job. I guess he got lucky and it just shows how once hype gets rolling people love to keep it going.

The finish will not last. It chips real easy. ITs not properly done and the relicing is easy to spread. Also I think he underfinishes the neck as the backs are always exposed. This does not protect teh wood from moisture.

Dont know

An OK strat that you could build yourself then pay a pro to do a full setup for a few hundred.

This guitar is a medium aged relic, black S-57. It is a standard configuration Strat with tremolo. The body is alder and it has a 9.5" radius, "fatback" maple neck, with medium jumbo S/S frets. The switching configuration is 5-way. Tone control is available for all three pick-ups. Voodoo 50's pick-ups are in the neck and middle position. The lead pick-up is a "Hot Voodoo 50".

The finish is 100% nitrocellous laquer. The body is reliced a bit more than my liking with no "luster" However, this is not a criticism, just personal taste. The feeling of the finish is very reassuring and comfortable. It is just about as authentic as possible. The aged appearance on the neck is "spot-on". The lacquer has been removed from the back of the neck from the third to the fifth fret. At first I did not like this. However, after many hours of playing, I have come to appreciate the "feel" of the neck. This "play wear" looks and feels 100% like a Strat that has been "jobbed" most every weekend for 50 years. The hardware is "aged" and rusted but fuctions perfectly.

After having spent years playing the gamut of pre-requisite, current, "hits" and originally intriqued by jazz, I have settled firmly and irrevocably into the Blues. Without question, this guitar fits the bill. I am a "plug & play" type-no effects just strait into the amp. I run this Nash almost exclusively through a "blonde" Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb. This amp has been rewired "point-to-point" to "black face" specs by Torres Engineering. It is glassed with NOS black plate RCA tubes and upgraded with Weber Speakers. My back-up amp is a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, re-glassed with Phillips NOS Tubes and a Weber Speaker.

It sounds just like a great Strat should. It cries, chimes, crunches, quacks and if pushed, will scream or sing depending on who is playing.

Noisy? Few authtentic vintage Strat are not to some degree. This isn't too bad. It depends on adjacent electrical influeces like all vintage single coils. After playing humbuckers for years I first thought it was too noisy. I bought shielding material with the intention of taking it apart. I have gotten past that. I like the sound of the guitar. There really is little to be gained by the effort. I do find that the Voodoo pick-ups amplify the "click" of pick contact. Acoustically, the guitar is alive and dynamic. The neck mass and fret size add dramatically to the guitar's sustain over most stock Strats.

It does Stevie Ray & Jimi well, makes a pretty good run at "country" and, with the right amp settings, is no slouch with jazz and standards.

I do find I prefer it with the Vibrolux as opposed to the Deluxe Reverb, even after experimenting with various amp settings. This could be that the Vibrolux allows more head room and is famous for pick sensitivity and note articulation.

At first, I stayed mainly with either a 2 or 4 switch setting. Now, anything is fair game. I find I am playing the lead pick-up, something I infrequently did with other Strats. It is well suited for Chicago style blues.

You would be hard pressed to find a better fret job than one done by Bill Nash. The frets are perfectly crowned with no sharp edges. The action was not utra-low. I usually prefer a higher string height. However, I have made no adjustments. Just the way it was set up seemed "right". The intonation was right on. There are no dead spots on the neck. The nut cut is great. There is no pinging or hang ups when tuning. There were no lose knobs, or screws. There is no play in the neck pocket.

I have now become quite fond of the aged finish-think Clapton's Blackie. The main attraction is no hazzels no worries. Dings are not an issue. I do not worry about leaving it in the trunk of the car for a while. It is the perfect "beater" finish. It has that "been there, done that" major cool vibe.

This guitar is a solid as a rock. If what they say is true that the only things surving nuclear holocaust will be cockroaches, Kieth Richards and a Telecaster, the Tele will probably be made by Nash.

Everything is fit, form and function-no excess. I take it to a job and play without a back-up. Now, the same is true with either of my 335's. However, with the Nash I do not worry about it getting nicked or falling over. With the Nash it would be "check the tuning and get back to work" not being in despair over a broken neck on a "pretty" 335 that cost over 3-1/2 times the money.

I have not spoken with Bill Nash by phone. I have exchanged emails. He makes it clear that he stands behind his work. The guitar comes with a two year bumper to bumper warranty.

I have had no problems with this guitar and only one issue. That issue was my fault and had nothing to do with the guitar. I felt that the guitar was a bit "too used" at first. After a week or two I decided to clean up the pick guard. Next time I played it I noticed a great deal of noise and static, especially when fingers came into contact with the pickguard. I called Junior's. Junior contacted Bill Nash. Within a few days I received an email from both Bill Nash and Peter Florence of Voodoo Pick-Ups. Peter offered to exchange the pick-ups. Bill offered to inspect/repair as needed or send new pick-ups. Both offered other advice.

By cleaning the pickguard I created a staic charge. In a few weeks the charge disipated-no more static. I have had no other issues. If I did, I would not hesitate contacing Bill. I feel he would make things right.

This S-57 was purchased in November 2006. Six weeks prior, I had not heard of Bill Nash guitars. I discovered them during an internet search for "Custom Stratocaster". I did the research, read the reviews at this site and called the Dealers listed on Bill's website. Even though I recieved nothing but glowing reviews, I was hesitant to buy a guitar that was not from a brand name, high end, custom shop.

Having been a player for forty years I had been through the top end lines and had owned (and regretfully sold) 50's & early 60's Strats when we were buying and selling them for under $200. At the time of purchase, my other electric guitars were two Gibson Custom Historic 1959 ES 335's and a Fender 1952 Reissue Telecaster. After deciding to press the "I believe button". I found a Bill Nash guitar was not easy to get. They were going as quickly as the came up for sale. I purchased mine on-line from Junior's (a great shop to deal with).

If it were stolen I would not be happy. My hope would be that it would eventually end up in the hands of a good player who could make use of it. I have another Nash S-57 on order with Junior. This one is a fiesta red hardtail with Lollar pick-ups. I placed the order just before the fire at Junior's. I was initially told 8-12 weeks. It has now been five months and waiting.

I have heard rumours that the wait is actually 13 months. Time will tell if that is true. Bill Nash is a one man shop. He does it all. He does it well.

I am quite happy with this guitar. I have not abandoned the 335 altogether but it would be a hard decision if I had to get down to one guitar. If it was going to sit under the bed and hope that it had a distant high future cash value it would probably be the CH 335. If I had to make my living off it, I'd have to choose the Nash. It would be more versatile and more bullet-proof.

I am a firm believer now but it took a few weeks. I purchased an headstock decal of the correct period for a Strat. Just before I sprayed lacquer on I hesitated and thought, "no this guitar does not need it. It stands on its own." But there was still a bit of doubt. I sold my Tele and bought a "real" Custom Shop Relic for twice the price of the Nash. I compared the two daily for a few weeks and decided to off-load the Custom Shop and keep the Nash. The price of the Nash is on the rise. The supply is low. These are player guitars. If you can get past the ego needs of having a name brand you would be hard pressed to find a better guitar, especially at the price.

Every player who has picked up my Nash says the same thing, "this is the best playing....or this is the best sounding..." You don't need that headstock decal to have a good guitar. I sent an email to Bill Nash complimenting the quailty of the guitar. In part, he replied, "all it takes is; good wood, good pick-ups, not too much sound killing finish and a good fret job."

The actual model of this is called the S-56. What you have here is an outstanding take on a '56 strat with some real over the top items added. First, the body is a very light weight, one piece, swamp ash, two tone sunburst body. I have never played a lighter strat -- ever. Second, the maple neck is a very large, but very playable neck with large frets. I have a friend who has an original '56 neck when they made them like baseball bats, and this one if very close to his, except it's easier to play. The way I can describe it is that it doesn't really taper all that much from the 12th fret on down (just a little). Feels like an old broadcaster neck. No matter, it's great. I'm a firm believer that a lot of the tone comes from the neck -- the bigger, the better. Just my opinion here. The headstock has the round string tree. Has three Duncan stacked pickups, and just like the other reviewers Nash strat, it has push/pull pots on the three controls so you get all kinds of tone out of this guitar. Where you get totally different tones is in the 2 and 4 position of the five way switching. The combination of the push/pull controls in those positions really provide very cool and different results. It's like a strat with a little Les Paul Deluxe and/or Les Paul Jr thrown in. Not a bad deal at all, and yes, it does the strat thing in outstanding order. Comes with a tremolo bar that stays put (doesn't fly around) and works great. The finish on this guitar is relic'ed somewhat, but not over the top. In fact, it has plenty of finish (shine) left on it. This is my third Bill Nash guitar and this is one of the less relic'ed than most. Not a bad or good thing, just the facts. As usual, the "ware" or relic stuff that Bill does is spot on showing ware where really played guitars get ware. This guitar is more like a "closet classic" from that "other" company whos name I can't remember right now. Buy a Bill Nash guitar, and you won't remember them either. Vintage saddles, tuners, and even a nice little touch on the backplate (serial number). Came with a gig bag.

This is one very quite strat, even when you engage those all too cool push/pull controls. The neck pick-up has that "Wind Cries Mary" thing - pull the volume up and you get almost a mini-humbucker tone. Very cool. See other comments on the sound/tone on the feature section. The bridge pick-up sounds fantastic and when you pull up the tone control, you are in Tele land. What this strat does that is totally unique is when you play it unplugged, you get almost an little echo/reverb thing going. It's the most resonant strat I have ever played. Played it through a lot of tweed amps (princetons/harvard/champ/tremolux) and it sounded oustanding through all. This guitar nails the strat tones as well as giving you those extra tones with the push/pull controls. Strats normally give you about five usual tones (may a few more if you play with the tone controls). This guitar doubles that and let me add again, these are very usable tones.

I don't think Bill Nash puts together anything other than outstanding build guitars, and this is no exception. His usual set up is VERY low, just a tad too low for my tastes, so I always need to tweak the saddles up a tad. The neck/pocket fit is TIGHT. The entire guitar is tight. This is the only strat that I will play with the tremolo bar inserted because it stays put when you don't need it and when you do need it, the guitar stays in tune. A good thing. The one piece body is killer and very light. It's so nice, I think that is why Bill didn't do his usual amount of relic-ing on it. Since he uses Fender licensed products, the saddles are vintage Fender, a nice touch. Frets are nice and big and feel and play great. This, like his other guitars, are build to be played and will hold up.

Solid, tight, build like a tank, feel free to add whatever other phrase you have. I would gig with this guitar without any back-up (and I have). Never had a problem with any Bill Nash guitar and don't expect to. If I ever do, please read on to the next section...

I have bought all three of my Bill Nash guitars from Phil's Guitars and have emailed Bill to ask a few questions and he has always written back promptly and answer everything. This is the type of guitar maker you dream about. He "gets it". Warranty is two years but I think he also has a "return it for any reason - only happy customers" warranty as well for a few days after the guitar is received. I'm sure that if something happened to this guitar, Bill would make it "right". If it was over the warranty period, I would gladly pay him to fix things up.

With relics being sold for way over $2,000.00 from that "other company", the Bill Nash guitars are a fantastic value. They are the only guitars I have purchased sight unseen and have never been disappointed. This is because of the guitar and also because of the store that sells them in the US (Phil's Guitars). When Phil tells me "it's a killer guitar", I send the check without any worries. In this case, there were two Bill Nash strat guitars and I let Phil pick the one to ship without even seeing a photo (just like my last Nash guitar). Of course, if you want to see this guitar, it's now on Phil's website awaiting the "sold" sign over it. I own two other strats, both custom shop models ('57 and '60) and I do like those guitars, but the tone on this Nash version is to die for. Not knocking the other two, because I do like them as well, but when I go out to gig, it's the Nash guitars that get the call..end of story. When I do play, there is usual somebody that comes up and asks me what I'm playing. They are taken in by the looks of it, and when I let them play it, they offer to buy it from me (this has happened three times). It's not for sale. I have no idea how much these guitars will hold their value, but I didn't buy them to "make money", though I have been offered more money than I paid for them (by a long shot). I also have a Bill Nash E-63 and a Broadcaster (have done an review on the E-63 but not on the Broadcaster). I have a ton of guitars and amps. I have been playing way too long and have few guitars that are older than me (which would be prior to 1960). If this guitar were stolen, I would get another one. If this guitar wasn't stolen, I would still get another one. enough said. Go to Phil's Guitars website and check them out now before the price goes up.

Well, I wanted a vintage strat with modern features hidden beneath. It has a one piece alder body and a maple neck with a fantastic v-contour. Hardware is the standard chrome with a trem bridge (vintage style of course). Pick ups are Seymour Duncan Classic Stacks. Bill Nash wired them so I could use them in ultra-low noise mode or, via a push-pull knob, in high power mode. Basically turned the glassy sound of a single coil into a mini humbucker. With a standard strat you get 5 pick up combinations. With this one I got 14. easily the most sounds I have ever gotten from a guitar. The frets are big old 6105s. The fretboard has a compound radius (basically feels like a vintage neck at the headstock and a bit more modern-flat approaching the heel...lets me bend notes very far). Plays itself!

I had Bill finish the guitar in a classic burst. Bill was very good at getting the fade to be very very smooth. I'm an artist...so this really mattered to me for some reason (no idea why).

Finally, I wanted mine aged. Why? Well, here's my theory. I love the look of an aged guitar. I wish i could have a real 55 strat, but I can't afford it and I wouldn't play it outside my house if I could. It's not just the sound that I like of vintage instruments, it's the feel. Picking up a a guitar fresh of the assembly line feels like a cold hard guitar. It takes a while for it and you to warm up. An aged guitar feels like a million bucks the second you pick it up. Finally, an aged guitar causes a lot less stress. Imagine sitting on the far side of a room and watching, in slow motion, your brand new shiny guitar fall over. Arg!! I don't worry about that with this one. Laugh if you want, but I'm not the only one who plays these things. Pick one up and you'll wonder why you didn't before. By the way, I have owned two Fender Relics....and Bill's work puts them to shame...watch out Fender, this guy is making you look bad!

Rating? The features of this machine are killer! Amazing neck, awesome frets, state of the art electronics and drop-dead gorgeous body.

The most important feature and yet the most difficult to describe. I'll describe this guitar's sound in one word: diverse. I can get classic strat tones. I can get humbucker tones. I can get combinations that I can't describe! How cool is that? 14 pick-up combinations!!

Other than that, I'll add this. The sustain is great, the response is crisp and predictable and the voicing is even and strong.

Lemme put it this way, it puts every Fender Custom Shop guitar I have ever played to shame.

Would you want your guitar made on an assembly line or by hand? Exactly. As you can imagine, the action, fit and finish of this guitar are far-and-away superior to anything I have ever owned (over two dozen guitars plus the hundreds I have played).

Think about this folks, a guitar is a creative instrument. The mega-huge guitar makers have us believing that the best way for us to express ourselves musically is with their guitars. Yet, their guitars are made a thousand at a time. The craziest part is that many of these mass production guitars cost more than a hand-made guitar from Bill Nash. I'm not advertising for Bill here, I'm pointing out that a brand new guitar from Bill is given far more attention than a mass produced guitar ever gets.

Ok, some details that I have noticed. As I mentioned above, Bill aged this guitar for me...so my critique of it's finish is in comparison to the Relic series from Fender. Bill is a MASTER of aging guitars. This is not some guy with a sander working in the evenings to get the guitar looking sorta old....this is some very serious research to achieve an authentic look. The nitro-cellulous finish has "micro-cracking" everywhere (imagine thousands of tiny little cracks in the finish). How the %$#@ does he do this?! The chrome parts are amazingly tarnished, the neck feels like it has been played for decades and the plastics look faded and worn. Simply amazing. I have owned two Fender Relics and Bill's work is light years ahead of their work.

One of the coolest parts about getting a guitar from Bill is that you get to "dial-in" the exact amount and type of aging you want. Try asking Fender to do that for you!

A few more things. Don't let the aged finish fool you. This is an extremely well-built guitar. Solid as a rock, yet surprisingly light. The frets are beautifully dressed. The intonation and action were set perfectly.

Wonderful. I can bang on this thing for hours it takes it with ease.

When the guitar arrived it had a small problem with one of the pickups not working in one of the switch positions. This was a simple problem that I fixed in less than five minutes by adjusting the wires behind the knobs.

I am a one-guitar kinda guy. This guitar is all I need. 14 sounds, have I mentioned that? :)

Bill excels in this area. When you call you talk to Bill Nash...the guy who will make your guitar. Not a clerk or a salesman. Emails are the same way. Bill creates a progress page for you to watch the as each step in the guitar building process is completed. It's a very cool way to see what is happening and it points out how hard-working this guy is.

The guitar came with a 2 year warranty. I know Bill will help me with any problem I have with it.

If you are reading this, then you have stumbled on a real jem in the guitar making world. As most companies try to find ways to build trendy cheap guitars as quickly as possible, Bill Nash is building guitars for artists one at a time at an amazingly low price. I'm glad to have purchased a guitar from him before his talent is more widely recognized and he raises his prices!

I paid $1400 for this guitar. A new Fender Relic would have cost around $2000 and would not have the special features (fret size, neck shape, pick-up configuration, switching configuration or dial-in aging) that I wanted. Even a mass-produced American Fender costs about the same amount as my 100% custom guitar from Bill. I don't need to go into how superior this guitar is over a mass-produced guitar.

Yes, I would buy another if it were stolen.

I wish I could buy stock in NashGuitars. Bill is an artist building guitars for artists.

If you are on the fence, get one. You won't regret it for a second.

Two Piece Lighweight Alder Body in Three Tone Burst

Clapton V Contour Flame Maple Neck. 10-16 Radius Medium Large Frets. Incredible action!

Duncan Antiquity in Neck, Duncan Alnico II in Middle and Duncan Twangbanger in Bridge.

All Vintage Style Aged Hardware and Parts

This is Just a fabulous big, sweet and woody sounding Strat that has wonderful playability and sustain. Killer tone, with custom ordered master volume / master tone setup. Blues, rock, classic, whatever you need , this guitar rips right out of the case!

Comments: 6 Lbs 15 Oz. The neck plays itself! Right out of the case it was set up better than ANY Fender I have owned! The relic job on this guitar is to die for! Bill is the "Murphy" of relicing if you ask me.

That's the beauty of at all. The guitar looks, feels, and sounds like a vintage strat, but you don't have to get a 2nd on your home to own one! All parts are top quality, and built to last!

The BEST I have ever come across in my 15 years of buying and selling. Bill sets up a webpage so you can watch your guitar being built. He works with your every need and desire so that you end up with what you want!

I'm 40, and I've been playing since I was 9. In and out of cover bands for the past 15 years. I've owned over 25 vintage Fender guitars. If stolen I would buy another the same day. I love everything about all three of my Nash Guitars and I wouldnot change a thing.
I had Bill build me a custom 1963 Stratocaster in gold to match my 1982 30th Anniversary Gibson Les Paul. After receiving the guitar I was hooked! I went back and bought two more strats, one in 3-tone sunburst and a Blond Mary Kay with gold hardware. When I think of playing a strat these days I don't think of Fender, I think of Bill Nash of Nash Guitars. This guy could teach the custom shop a thing or two. . . .