• Model: 1957 Stratocaster Reissue Hardtail
• Finish: 2-Color Sunburst
• Ageing: Relic
• Body: 2-Piece Alder
• Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Body Style: ’56 Stratocaster
• Hardtail Construction: String Ferrules Flush with Body
• Neck: Plain-Grain Maple
• Fingerboard: One-Piece Maple
• Neck Finish: Light Tint Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Neck Profile: 10/56 V
• Neck Depth: .880" at 1st Fret / .980" at 12th Fret
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Fingerboard Radius: 9.5"
• Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo 6150
• Nut: Bone
• Nut Width: 1.650"
• Side Dots: Micarta Black 3/32"
• Headstock: Small Vintage-Style
• Neck Joint: 4-Bolt
• Truss Rod: ’50s Style
• Pickup Configuration: SSS
• Neck Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound ’57 Strat
• Middle Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound ’57 Strat
• Bridge Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound ’57 Strat
• Electronics: Strat Vintage Modified Wiring #1
• Controls: Master Volume, 2 x Tone
• Switching: 5-Way Blade Pickup Selector
• Bridge: Fender Custom Shop Vintage Hardtail Stratocaster, Relic
• Pickguard: ’54–’58 Strat .060" Parchment, Relic
• Plastics: Aged White / Parchment
• Hardware: Aged Chrome / Nickel
• Case: Original Fender Custom Shop Strat / Tele Tweed Case
• Certificate of Authenticity: Included
• Shop Floor Traveller: Included
• Country: USA
• Year: 2021

This is a particularly cool ’57 Custom Shop Strat, with the hardtail construction making it quite a different proposition from the usual tremolo-equipped reissue. The 2-Color Sunburst, one-piece maple neck and parchment guard keep the appearance firmly rooted in the late ’50s, while the Relic treatment gives it the look and feel of a genuinely well-used vintage instrument.

 

The hardtail is the defining feature. With no tremolo cavity or moving bridge assembly, these guitars tend to have a wonderfully immediate, direct response, with a solid attack and excellent sustain. The flush-mounted string ferrules through the rear of the body keep the design beautifully simple and make this a particularly appealing specification for players who never use a Strat tremolo anyway.

 

The neck is equally strong, with Fender’s substantial 10/56 V profile measuring .880" at the first fret and .980" at the twelfth. The 9.5" radius and medium-jumbo 6150 frets make it considerably easier to play than a completely period-correct ’50s setup, while retaining plenty of vintage character in the hand.

 

A full set of hand-wound ’57 Strat pickups keeps the tonal character firmly in classic Fender territory, with plenty of clarity, snap and glassiness. Combined with the hardtail construction, it makes for a particularly punchy and responsive Strat with a little more fundamental note and immediacy than the conventional tremolo version.

Excellent condition. The checking, edge wear, finish loss and hardware ageing are part of Fender Custom Shop’s original Relic treatment rather than subsequent damage. Beyond the factory ageing, the guitar presents very cleanly overall with only light signs of careful use. Supplied with its original Fender Custom Shop tweed hardshell case, certificate of authenticity and Shop Floor Traveller.

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