Specs:
• Model: 1960’s Stratocaster Reissue (Cunetto Era Relic)
• Finish: Three Tone Sunburst, Nitrocellulose Lacquer, Relic
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple (Stamped by John Cruz in Neck Pocket)
• Fingerboard: Rosewood Slab Board
• Neck Profile: 1960 Oval “C”
• Radius: 7.25"
• Frets: Vintage
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Nut: Bone, 1.650"
• Pickups: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound 60s Strat Set
• Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1 (Neck/Middle), Tone 2 (Bridge), 5-Way Selector
• Bridge: Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo
• Tuners: Vintage-Style w/ Fender Logo
• Hardware: Nickel, Aged as part of Relic Spec
• Case: Original Fender Custom Shop Tweed Case
• COA: Included
• Country: USA
• Year: 1997 (Cunetto Relic Era)
Personal Thoughts:
This 1997 Fender Custom Shop Cunetto Stratocaster is a piece of Fender history. The Cunetto-era guitars were the very first to feature the now-iconic Relic treatment, and they remain some of the most sought-after Custom Shop builds to this day.
Finished in Three Tone Burst with tasteful aging, this Strat looks and feels like a true vintage instrument while offering the flawless playability of a Custom Shop build. The rosewood slab board delivers warmth and smoothness, while the hand-wound 60s pickups provide all the glassy chime, quack, and bite you’d expect from a ’60s-style Strat.
Adding to its collectability, the neck pocket bears the John Cruz stamp — a detail that makes this one especially desirable given Cruz’s later reputation as one of Fender’s most respected Masterbuilders.
A rare and historic Custom Shop Strat that captures the spirit of the ’60s while marking an important era in Fender’s modern history.
Condition Report:
Excellent condition overall. Light impressions in a few places, but very clean for its age. Frets, hardware, and finish show minimal wear outside of factory relic spec.
Part Exchange Welcome:
Part exchange welcome. Video demos are available via our YouTube channel at Squealing Pig Guitars. Personal consignment service available via our site at a 10% rate.