• Model: Masterbuilt Limited '64 Stratocaster Relic
• Builder: Greg Fessler
• Finish: Gold Sparkle Nitrocellulose Lacquer, Relic
• Body: Select Alder
• Body Shape: Stratocaster
• Neck: Plain Grain Maple
• Neck Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Neck Profile: 1965 "C" Shape
• Fingerboard: Round-Lam Rosewood
• Radius: 9.5"
• Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo
• Nut: Bone, 1.650"
• Inlays: Clay Dots
• Scale Length: 25.5" / 648mm
• Truss Rod: Vintage Style
• Pickups: Texas Special Bridge, Custom Shop Fat '50s RWRP Middle, Custom Shop '69 Grey Bottom Neck
• Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1 (Neck), Tone 2 (Middle / Bridge)
• Switching: 5-Way Blade
• Bridge: American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
• Saddles: Vintage Style Fender
• Tuners: Fender / Gotoh Vintage Style
• String Tree: Wing
• Hardware: Nickel / Chrome Relic
• Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
• Neck Plate: 4-Bolt, Serial
• Case: Custom Black Hardshell Case with Emerald Green Crushed Velvet Interior and Master Design Series Embroidered Cover
• Accessories: Greg Fessler DVD Interview, Limited Edition Certificate, Master Builder Design Binder with Builder’s Notes
• Country: USA
• Year: 2005
• Production: Limited to 100 Greg Fessler Masterbuilt examples

This is one of the scarcer mid-2000s Custom Shop sparkle Strats, and it is important to distinguish it from the related Masterbuilt Design Series / Team Built version. Greg Fessler’s Masterbuilt run was limited to 100 guitars worldwide, while the team built Masterbuilt Design Series version was also limited to 100, but was built by the wider Custom Shop from Fessler’s design rather than by Greg himself. That makes the true Masterbuilt examples more collectible and helps explain why they sit above the team built versions in desirability.

What makes it especially appealing is that it is not just a sparkle finish guitar with a fancy name attached to it. Greg Fessler clearly built this around a very deliberate spec, and that comes through in the pickup combination, neck carve and overall feel of the guitar. The Gold Sparkle finish is obviously the headline feature, but the rest of the recipe is just as strong. The round-lam rosewood board, 9.5" radius and medium jumbo frets should make it far more forgiving and playable than a strict vintage-spec Strat, while the custom pickup mix gives it a much broader palette than a standard three-of-a-kind setup. I also really like the fact that it combines a '69-style neck pickup, Fat '50s RWRP middle and Texas Special bridge, which should give it a really useful spread from sweeter neck sounds through to a more aggressive, cutting bridge voice. Being one of only 100 Greg Fessler Masterbuilt examples makes it properly collectible too, and the included design notes and Master Design Series extras really add to the appeal.

Excellent condition. Relic wear is factory correct as part of the original build style. Aside from the intentional ageing, it presents very cleanly overall and remains a very attractive example of a scarce Greg Fessler Masterbuilt limited run.

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