Masterbuilt Hardtail Strat Masterpiece
The Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt ’60 Stratocaster is the ultimate axe for ’60s hardtail Strat aficionados seeking unparalleled build quality, tonal flexibility, and modern playability. A supreme expression of the luthier’s art, this impeccable guitar was meticulously handcrafted by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Austin MacNutt using the finest tonewoods and components. Visually, its gently aged nitro finish exudes the vibe of a lovingly cared-for classic. Sonically, however, it tells a decisively modern story, courtesy of three hand-wound El Diablo pickups. From glassy cleans to chunky grind, these pickups serve up the classic quack and chime you’d expect, but they also deliver an arsenal of aggressive tones that make this Strat incredibly versatile. As befitting an instrument of this caliber, playability is off the charts, with a ’60s oval C maple neck capped with a slab rosewood fingerboard, buffed to perfection with rolled edges for a silky-smooth feel. Quite simply, the Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt ’60 Stratocaster is in a class by itself. We mean that quite literally because it’s one of a kind — so grab it while you can!
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Legendary spank ’n’ sparkle — plus!
This Strat's hand-wound Custom Shop El Diablo pickups are precisely output-calibrated and primed for incendiary tone. This devilish concoction yields more than the sum of its parts: fat, snarling tone so aggressive, you may be surprised to look down and find yourself playing a Strat. Even more impressive, the instrument's traditional spank and sparkle are also on tap. And the reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup enables humbucking operation in switch positions two and four. The Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt ’60 Stratocaster includes a typical Strat control set consisting of a master volume, two tone knobs, and a 5-way blade pickup selector switch. It all adds up to a Strat that can ace any musical challenge, onstage and in the studio.
Vintage-style hardtail string-through bridge
As inconceivable as it may seem to the world’s whammy-bar-wielding guitarists, there are plenty of Strat enthusiasts who prefer the iconic instrument without its patented Synchronized Tremolo (note: it’s actually a vibrato). This predilection is not as blasphemous as you might think — hardtail Stratocasters, although relatively rare, have been around since the model’s mid-1950s inception. But what could possibly drive a guitarist to want a Stratocaster without one of the model’s defining features? Two words: sustain and stability. As reliable as the Strat’s floating vibrato system can be, nothing beats the rock-solid simplicity and pitch solidity of a hardtail bridge. Plus, many guitarists find hardtail bridges — especially the string-through variety — provide superior sustain, thanks to their enhanced string/bridge-to-body contact.
Top-shelf solid tonewoods
The Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt ’60 Stratocaster is an heirloom-quality boutique instrument. Featuring a toneful, comfort-contoured body and a fast, comfortable neck topped with a silky-smooth fingerboard, playability is off the charts. It all starts with the choice of premium solid tonewoods — in this case, solid alder for the body and quarter-sawn maple for the neck. A quarter-sawn neck is the smart choice for tone-savvy guitarists. Quarter-sawn wood is much more rigid than flat-sawn wood, which means it offers superior stability and vibrates more freely for improved tone. This rigidity makes quarter-sawn necks more impervious to climatic conditions, resisting the warping and twisting that plagues many flat-sawn necks as the seasons change or as you travel between humid and arid climates. The result is a rock-solid neck built to withstand even the most demanding touring schedules.
AAA slab rosewood fingerboard
Leo Fender had a background as a radio technician — not a luthier — and so goes the reasoning behind his decision to fit his first round of guitars with 1-piece maple necks lacking separate fingerboards. In late 1959, Fender started offering slab rosewood fingerboards on its instruments, transitioning to thinner veneer rosewood boards in mid-’62. Much has been said about the relative sonic merits of maple vs. rosewood. Although rosewood-capped necks are undeniably warmer sounding, Mr. Fender’s reasoning, according to legend, behind the move to rosewood was simply that he didn’t like the visible wear on the maple. Players of all genres immediately lined up on both sides of the debate, which rages on. If you’re a rosewood fan, you’ll absolutely love the Masterbuilt ’60 Stratocaster’s thick, 9mm AAA-grade slab rosewood fingerboard. What’s more, instead of a vintage 7.25-inch radius, it features a modern 9.5-inch radius to facilitate more extreme string bends without fretting out.
Meet the Master Builder: Fender Custom Shop’s Austin MacNutt
Born into a family of musicians, Master Builder Austin MacNutt started playing guitar at age 10 on his father’s 1963 Fender Jaguar. He quickly developed a passion for improving its playability and tone, and by his teens, he became a sought-after repair tech for many bands passing through. After high school, he attended the Guitar Craft Academy in Hollywood, where he later taught. He then spent 11 years crafting boutique guitars for Ron Thorn at Thorn Guitars. From raw lumber selection, millwork, and CNC operation to fretwork and final assembly, Austin continues his craft alongside the matchless Master Builders in the Fender Custom Shop.
The Dream Factory
Since its founding in 1987, the Fender Custom Shop has been home to some of the finest luthiers in the world. Whether you’re selecting a unique limited edition from the Sweetwater Guitar Gallery or working with your Sales Engineer on the build-to-order Fender of your dreams, the Custom Shop earns its nickname — The Dream Factory — with every masterpiece its Master Builders create. Custom Shop instruments are made from only the highest-grade, hand-selected materials, including impeccable tonewoods, high-end electronics, and premium hardware. To protect your investment for many decades of playing enjoyment, your Fender Custom Shop instrument comes in a deluxe hardshell case, complete with a certificate of authenticity.
Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt ’60 Stratocaster Features:
- Solidbody electric guitar with premium tonewoods, electronics, and hardware
- Alder body, nitrocellulose lacquer finish
- Quarter-sawn maple neck, oval C profile, nitro finish
- 9mm slab AAA rosewood fingerboard, 9.5-in. radius, bone nut
- 3 hand-wound El Diablo single-coil pickups
- 5-way blade pickup selector switch
- Master volume, 2 tone controls
- Vintage-style Strat hardtail bridge
- Included hardshell case and certificate of authenticity
- Handcrafted in the US
