Custom Fender USA Custom Shop 1957 Stratocaster Heavy Relic

One of the most popular instruments in history, the Fender Stratocaster, is among the most imitated electric guitars ever. Though it was born in 1954, 1957 was a benchmark year for the instrument, evolving from its early incarnations into an archetype and the high point of the era of the maple neck Strat. Special touches on this Fender Custom Shop rendition of the '57 Strat include a lightweight ash body, Fat '50s middle and neck pickups, a 1969 Custom Shop bridge pickup, and a 1-piece tinted quartersawn maple neck -- everything you'd expect to find on a premium Strat and then some!

While the Telecaster (and the single pickup version, the Esquire) was a success, Leo Fender listened to players who were looking for an instrument that was a step up from the "plain vanilla" Tele. The company had moved into a new factory and now had the ability to build an upscale solid body electric. In 1954, the Fender Stratocaster made its debut and a true American icon was born. By 1957, some would say the maple-neck Strat had been perfected with features like the "custom contoured" body.

The '57 Strat's sleek, stylish lines in some ways seem to owe more to the automobile designs of the 1950s than traditional guitar building. This recreation features a two color sunburst with a thin-skin lacquer finish over a solid ash body, along with all the other features that made the original instrument such an overwhelming success.

Leo Fender wasn't afraid to "think outside the box" when it came to guitar designs. In the 1950s and well into the 1960s, the blond natural maple neck turned more than a few heads and became almost synonymous with Fender guitars. The '57 Strat comes with a one-piece maple neck and fingerboard with a soft "V" shape. To complete the picture, the neck has been lightly tinted to duplicate the effect of a naturally aged vintage guitar that was played in smoky clubs and dance halls -- a perfect match for the Heavy Relic finish.