 FENDER | | Stratocaster: Custom Shop Time Machine/Relic Series | In 1994, Fender Custom Shop manager John Page, Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Jay Black, and Black's friend Vince Cunetto developed the first Fender Relic prototype guitars. Cunetto had established himself in building Telecaster replica bodies and Page and Black from the Custom Shop took note of his abilities. At the 1995 Winter NAMM show, Fender displayed two new Relic prototype guitars that were built by Black and Cunetto. Response from dealers was strong and Fender decided to add these guitars to their catalog; however, they decided that the Fender Custom Shop was not properly equipped to produce these guitars, so they hired Cunetto as an independent contractor to "Relic" the guitars. The first Relic guitars were introduced in 1996 with a '50s model and a '60s model and Cunetto continued to age and relic these guitars through 1998. It should be noted that Cunetto and his crew did not build, cut, or assemble any of these guitars - they simply did prep work, finishing, and distressing/aging of the guitars.
In 1999, Fender reorganized their effort and moved all production into their Custom Shop. They also introduced two new finishes/wears along with Relic: NOS and Closet Classic. Built to exacting specifications of their respective vintages, body contours and radii, neck shape, fingerboard radius, pickups, electronics and hardware. Original materials, tooling and production techniques are employed whenever possible, available in three distinct finish packages: NOS (New-Old Stock), as if the guitar was bought new in its respective year and brought forward to the present day; Closet Classic, as if guitar was bought new in its respective year, played perhaps a dozen times a year and then put carefully away (has a few slight dings, lightly checked finish, oxidized hardware and aged plastic parts) Relic, shows natural wear and tear of years of heavy use - nicks, scratches, worn finish, rusty hardware and aged plastic parts. Instruments are stamped on the headstock and into the body under the pickguard to avoid market confusion with actual vintage guitars.
In 2009, Fender discontinued the Closet Classic finish leaving only the NOS and Relic models. Fender also introduced the Classic HBS-1 Stratocaster that combines elements from both vintage and modern designs. The body, neck, and overall design are styled after a 1950s Stratocaster, but the pickups, electronics, and bridge are from modern designs. | | '50S RELIC STRATOCASTER (U.S. MFG. NO. 010-5802/5812) | | - offset double cutaway light ash body, bolt-on maple neck, 21-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlay, six-on-one-side tuners, vintage-style tremolo, aged white pickguard, three Custom '54 single coil pickups with aged covers, three aged knobs (v, two tone) aged nickel hardware, available in 2-Color Sunburst or Vintage Blonde finish, mfg. 1996-98. |
| '56 STRATOCASTER NOS (NO. 015-0402/0412) | | - double cutaway alder or ash body, bolt-on 10/56 shaped maple neck, 21-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays, six-on-one-side tuners, vibrato bridge, single-ply white pickguard, three Custom '50s single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way switch, available in 2-Color Sunburst, Black, Desert Sand (new 2009), Fiesta Red (1999-2008), or White Blonde (1999-2008) finish, mfg. 1999-present. |
| '56 Stratocaster Closet Classic (No. 015-0502/0512) | | - similar to '56 Stratocaster NOS except with Closet Classic finish/wear, available in 2-Color Sunburst, Black, Fiesta Red, or Vintage Blonde finish, mfg. 1999-2008. |
| '56 Stratocaster Relic (No. 015-0602/0612) | | - similar to '56 Stratocaster NOS except with Relic finish/wear, available in 2-Color Sunburst, Black, Fiesta Red, or Vintage Blonde finish, mfg. 1999-present. |
| '60S RELIC STRATOCASTER (U.S. MFG. NO. 010-6400/6410) | | - offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, six-on-one-side tuners, vintage-style tremolo, aged white pickguard, three Custom '60s single coil pickups with aged covers, three aged knobs (v, two tone) aged nickel (6400) or gold (6410) hardware, available in 3-Color Sunburst or Olympic White finish, mfg. 1996-98. |
| '60 STRATOCASTER NOS (NO. 015-0700/0710) | | - double cutaway alder body, bolt-on C-shaped maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, six-on-one-side tuners, vibrato bridge, three-ply white/black/white pickguard, three Custom '60s single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way switch, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Black (new 2009), Daphne Blue (1999-2008), Fiesta Red (1999-2008), Olympic White (1999-2008), or Surf Green (new 2009) finish, mfg. 1999-present. |
| '60 Stratocaster Closet Classic (No. 015-0800/0810) | | - similar to the '60 Stratocaster NOS except with Closet Classic finish/wear, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Daphne Blue, Fiesta Red, or Olympic White finish, mfg. 1999-2008. |
| '60 Stratocaster Relic (No. 015-0900/0910) | | - similar to the '60 Stratocaster NOS except with Relic finish/wear, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Black (new 2009), Daphne Blue (1999-2008), Fiesta Red (1999-2008), Olympic White (1999-2008), or Surf Green (new 2009) finish, mfg. 1999-present. |
| '65 STRATOCASTER NOS (NO. 015-2700) | | - double cutaway alder body, bolt-on C-shaped maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, six-on-one-side tuners, vibrato bridge, white pickguard, three Custom '65 single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Charcoal Forst Metallic, Lake Placid Blue, or Olympic White finish, mfg. 2003-06. |
| '65 Stratocaster Closet Classic (No. 015-2800) | | - similar to the '65 Stratocaster NOS except with Closet Classic finish/wear, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Charcoal Forst Metallic, Lake Placid Blue, or Olympic White finish, mfg. 2003-06. |
| '65 Stratocaster Relic (No. 015-2900) | | - similar to the '65 Stratocaster NOS except with Relic finish/wear, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Charcoal Forst Metallic, Lake Placid Blue, or Olympic White finish, mfg. 2003-06. |
| '66 STRATOCASTER NOS (NO. 150-6600/6602) | | - double cutaway alder body, bolt-on C-shaped maple neck, 21-fret maple (6602) or rosewood (6600) fingerboard with dot inlays, large late 1960s-style headstock with six-on-one-side F-key tuners, vibrato bridge, three-ply white/black/white pickguard, three Custom '65 single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Candy Apple Red, Firemist Gold Metallic, or Teal Green Metallic finish, mfg. summer 2004-08. |
| '66 Stratocaster Closet Classic (No. 151-6600/6602) | | - similar to the '66 Stratocaster NOS except with Closet Classic finish/wear, available in Candy Apple Red, Firemist Gold Metallic, or Teal Green Metallic finish, mfg. summer 2004-08. |
| '66 Stratocaster Relic (No. 152-6600/6602) | | - similar to the '66 Stratocaster NOS except with Relic finish/wear, available in Candy Apple Red, Firemist Gold Metallic, or Teal Green Metallic finish, mfg. summer 2004-08. |
| '69 STRATOCASTER NOS (NO. 015-1700/1702) | | - double cutaway alder body, bolt-on U-shaped maple neck, 21-fret maple (1702) or rosewood (1700) fingerboard with dot inlays, large late 1960s-style headstock with six-on-one-side tuners, vibrato bridge, three-ply white/black/white pickguard, three Custom '60s single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Black, Olympic White (1999-2008), or Vintage White (new 2009) finish, mfg. 1999-present. |
| '69 Stratocaster Closet Classic (No. 015-1800/1802) | | - similar to the '69 Stratocaster NOS except with Closet Classic finish/wear, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Black, or Olympic White finish, mfg. 1999-2008. |
| '69 Stratocaster Relic (No. 015-1900/1902) | | - similar to the '69 Stratocaster NOS except with Relic finish/wear, available in 3-Color Sunburst, Black, Olympic White (1999-2008), or Vintage White (new 2009) finish, mfg. 1999-present. |
| RELIC FLOYD ROSE STRATOCASTER (U.S. MFG. NO. 010-6802) | | - offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 21-fret maple (6802) or rosewood (6800) fingerboard with black dot inlay, six-on-one-side tuners, original Floyd Rose tremolo, aged white pickguard, two Custom '69 humbucker pickups with aged covers, three aged knobs (v, two tone) aged nickel hardware, available in Black or Olympic White finish, mfg. 1998 only. |
| CLASSIC HBS-1 STRATOCASTER NOS (U.S. MFG. NO. 015-5192) | | - offset double cutaway Strat-style two-piece lightweight premium ash body that looks like it was purchased new and brought forward in time, bolt-on one-piece '57 soft V-shaped maple neck, Custom Shop Limited Edition neck plate, 21-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays, Strat-style headstock, Gotoh vintage-style tuners, American vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, three-ply mint green pickguard, two Custom '69 single coil Strat pickups with Grey Bobbin (neck and mid) and one Seymour Duncan SH-4 humbucker pickup (bridge), three aged knobs (v, two tone), five-way pickup switch with aged tip, S-1 switch in tone knob to allow blending of neck pickup, chrome hardware, available in 3-Color Sunburst or Black thin-skin nitrocellulose lacquer finish, 25.5 in. scale, deluxe black hardshell case with black crushed velvet interior, strap, cable, ash-tray bridge cover, and certificate of authenticity included, new 2009. |
| Classic HBS-1 Stratocaster Relic (U.S. Mfg. No. 015-6192) | | - similar to the Classic HBS-1 Stratocaster NOS, except has a Relic body, neck, fingerboard, hardware, and plastic parts designed to show natural wear and tear over years of use, available in 3-Color Sunburst or Black thin-skin nitrocellulose lacquer finish, new 2009. |
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