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Description

The Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster is a distinguished member of the electric guitar family, revered for its exceptional craftsmanship and timeless sound. Handcrafted in Fender's Custom Shop, this Stratocaster embodies the pinnacle of guitar artistry, combining vintage aesthetics with modern playability. It features a select alder or ash body, which provides a balanced tonal range, from bright, crisp highs to warm, resonant lows, making it a versatile choice for any musical style.

The neck is crafted from premium maple, with a smooth satin finish that ensures effortless playability across the fretboard. Its comfortable "C" shape is designed to fit naturally in your hand, allowing for extended play without fatigue. Custom-wound pickups deliver a rich, articulate sound that pays homage to the legendary tones of classic Stratocasters, while offering enhanced clarity and dynamic response for today's musicians.

Whether you're on stage or in the studio, the Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster promises reliability and performance. Its vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge provides smooth action for subtle vibratos or more intense dives, without sacrificing tuning stability. Each instrument is meticulously inspected and set up by Fender's master builders, guaranteeing that your guitar is ready to inspire from the moment you pick it up.

Key Features:

  • Handcrafted in Fender's Custom Shop
  • Select alder or ash body for balanced tonal range
  • Maple neck with "C" shape profile and satin finish
  • Custom-wound pickups for rich, articulate sound
  • Vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge
  • Meticulously inspected and set up by master builders
Ola Englund

Ola Englund

MY GUITAR - FENDER CUSTOM SHOP STRATOCASTER

Video thumbnail for MY GUITAR - FENDER CUSTOM SHOP STRATOCASTER by Ola Englund

MY GUITAR - FENDER CUSTOM SHOP STRATOCASTER

Ola Englund

Ola Englund

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster.

Features and functionality

  • Direct-mounted pickups reportedly offer unique overtones, especially when played with high drive.

    Source
  • The SD Seth Lover pickup in the neck position is praised for its exceptional tone.

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  • Texas Special pickups are preferred by some owners for their tonal qualities compared to other options like Fat '50s.

    Source

Comparisons

  • The guitar is likened to a Nashville Tele with a "Keef" style HB at the neck, combining Strat and Tele elements.

    Source

Build quality

  • The binding on the guitar is frequently highlighted as a visually appealing feature.

    Source
  • The Time Machine Relic series appears less common at lower prices, with owners expressing satisfaction in their unique and "broken in" feel.

    Source

User experience

  • Owners appreciate the 2 and 4 pickup positions for delivering the classic Strat "quack" sound.

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  • Owners report a "worn out" feel that provides no neck friction, enhancing playability and producing inspiring sound.

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Value and pricing

  • A secondhand Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster at $2,000 is considered a significant bargain by experienced players.

    Source
  • Prices for these guitars often exceed $4,000, making anything below this a potential bargain, particularly in international markets like Perth.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Fender Custom Shop Guitar Center Dealer Select Stratocaster HST Journeyman review | Guitar World

guitarworld.com

The Fender Custom Shop Dealer Select Stratocaster HST Journeyman is a dream for collectors and players alike, offering top-tier craftsmanship and a broad tonal range from vintage to modern. Its unique pickup configuration and relic'd finish deliver distinct aesthetics and sonic versatility. While its exclusive availability through Guitar Center could be a hurdle for some, and its price is high, it's more affordable than many other premium guitars. Overall, it's a lifetime guitar for those willing to invest in quality and exclusivity.

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5.0 out of 5

Based on 6 Reviews and 26 Ratings

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jspark01

Incredible

the dynamics and resonance is the reason why they cost so much more than a regular American strat, they are worth every cent the craftsmanship, tone and weight are all perfect

peasinafookinpod420

awesome custom

I got a custom strat some time ago. It has a Floyd rose, a Gretsch steel guitar bridge pickup and Seymour Duncan Antiquity Lap Steel middle pickup and a Lace Alumitone single coil neck pickup. It also has a in/out of phase switch and is in a heavy relic 2 tone sunburst finish.

davidcrickett

I love it!

I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it! :D

chris_klondike_masuak

An ugly purple sparkle but a beautiful tone!

Picked up on a whim at a music expo in Sydney, this Strat instantly "spoke" to me. A little on the heavy side, even unplugged it seems much cleaner and richer sounding than most other Strats I've played or owned.

skylinerr

Number 1

natural custom shop strat big headstock rosewood board replaced bridge pickup with duncan ssl-5 with a black cover to the others white but its what I had

Genres:
ryan_ha

Abigail Ybarra

Abigail Ybarra pickups in mine -- love it.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Rabea Massaad uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Rabea Massaad

Guitarist

Vower

...
Verified via YouTube

in this video Rebea does a shootout of his fender strats. one of these strats is his customshop 50s reissue strat

See how Buddy Guy uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Buddy Guy

Guitarist, Singer

Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

...
Verified via YouTube

"This is his main axe here...He likes this one, the tone of it, specifically. It actually was made in 89," says Buddy Guy's guitar tech, in this rig rundown video.

See how Adam Levine uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Adam Levine

Singer, Guitarist

Maroon 5

...
Verified via YouTube

Adam has a few Custom Shop Stratocasters he uses, they usually have floyds and a humbucker on them. A close look at the guitar can be had at 4:08 into this video.

See how Neal Schon uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Neal Schon

Singer, Guitarist

Journey

...
Verified via YouTube

At 32:44 in this video rig rundown, Adam Day, Neal Schon's guitar technician, goes over Schon's Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster with many of his signature specs including "the Roland Synth pickup, as well as the Fernandes Sustainer, same pickup combination, frets and neck to Neal's specs, Neal's neck contour."

See how Tony Perry uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Tony Perry

Guitarist

Pierce the Veil

...
Verified via Photo

In this post fender master builder Brian trasher shows off a guitar he did for tony. His guitar is a custom Stratocaster. His guitar is based on the specs of the jim root signature

See how Robbie Robertson uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Robbie Robertson

Guitarist

The Band

...
Verified via Robbie-robertson

Robbie Robertson uses a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, characterized by its Capri blue finish, see-through amber pickguard, and brass hardware, as detailed on Robbie-Robertson.com.

See how Soccer Mommy uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Soccer Mommy

Singer, Guitarist

...
Verified via Photo

In a 1994 model photo shared on Tumblr, Soccer Mommy is seen with a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster.

See how Jim James uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Jim James

Singer, Guitarist

My Morning Jacket

...
Verified via Premier Guitar

Jim James is confirmed to use a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster as highlighted in the "My Morning Jacket Rig Rundown" by John Bohlinger on Premier Guitar.

See how Marty Schwartz uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Marty Schwartz

Guitarist

...
Verified via YouTube

Marty demos his custom shop 60’s Strat in Fiesta Red.

See how Tyler Bryant uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Tyler Bryant

Singer, Guitarist

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown

...
Verified via Photo

Tyler Bryant plays a Fender Custom Shop Reissue 1962 Stratocaster in Shell Pink. He's since swapped the pickguard to customize it.

See how Keith Scott uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Keith Scott

Guitarist

Bryan Adams's Band

...
Verified via YouTube

At 38:42 in the "Bryan Adams Rig Rundown with Keith Scott" video by Premier Guitar on YouTube, Dan Ely, the guitar technician for Keith Scott, confirms the use of a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster as part of Scott’s guitar rig.

See how Paul Leary uses Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Paul Leary

Guitarist

Butthole Surfers

...
Verified via reddit

One made by John Cruz is mentioned in an October 27, 2017 Reddit AMA reply.

kaygraphic What sort of signal processors do you use live and what kind of pick ups do you prefer? Also, thank you for all the inspiring sounds!

buttholesurfers_ These days I play a John Cruz Stratocaster with noiseless pickups that were custom-wound by John himself. I have an old Ibanez 808 Tube Screamer, a Boss DD3 delay, a Boss pitch-shifting pedal, a Boss chorus pedal, and a "Dirty Little Secret" distortion pedal. I'm exploring Earthquaker pedals now, they have a new one called a "Data Corrupter" (I think), and it is really fun

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

Community setups

Show yours
artifex_adrift

artifex_adrift

Gear IQ 903

qlyde

qlyde

Gear IQ 113

artifex_adrift

artifex_adrift

Gear IQ 903

beddau

beddau

Gear IQ 206

yusmars

yusmars

Gear IQ 1403

boris_atanasov

boris_atanasov

Gear IQ 189

boris_atanasov

boris_atanasov

Gear IQ 189

bradleyx

bradleyx

Gear IQ 114

3 alternative and related items for Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, curated by the Equipboard community.

Fender American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster

$1,960.03 - $2,499.99

similar sound cheaper alternative

With the American Vintage II Strat, Fender has now brought back the quintessential 1961 model with unparalleled authenticity. Built with alder and maple, and rosewood tonewoods and featuring an exclusive trio of single-coil Strat pickups, the ’61 Strat is a perfect emulation of a beloved axe classic. Considering it retains the same “C” neck profile and familiar fretboard access, holding an American Vintage II guitar feels akin to wielding an instrument rife with legendary 20th-century tone.

Shijie Guitars STE Relic Series

 

similar sound cheaper alternative

I have owned a Fender Custom Shop strat. At about 1/4 of the price, the Shijie that I own blows it out of the water. I'm not going to say that all Shijie STE's are Fender custom shop quality but the one that I own definitely is. I highly recommend this brand.

Nash S57

$2,179.00

similar sound cheaper alternative

Nash is not cheap by any means. They clock at around $2600 new, but that is still a lot less than a Fender CS which could set you back $5K depending on the amount of aging / relic. I've owned a Fender CS Strat and my Nash S57 (based on 57' strat obviously) is every bit as good as the Fender CS that I owned. I highly recommend Nash.

More Fender Custom Shop Solid Body Electric Guitars

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