A Semi-hollow Strat for the Postmodern Performer
The Fender Custom Shop’s exquisite 6-string offerings range from period-correct vintage classics to modernized masterpieces — the Postmodern Stratocaster Journeyman Relic forges past these time-tested conventions with a ground-up reimagining of the Stratocaster’s traditional solidbody foundation. This Strat charges right out of the postmodern gate with a 2-piece select ash thinline body, optimizing resonance and drastically reducing weight. Next, a sturdy quartersawn maple neck and fingerboard in Fender’s ’60s Oval “C” profile come complete with a compound 9.5-inch to 12-inch radius and a comfortably contoured neck heel to ensure fleet-fingered performance across all 21 narrow-tall frets. The Postmodern Strat’s tone is equally boundary-pushing, combining a trio of Custom Shop hand-wound Master Design “Bone-Tone” pickups, Vintage Modified #2 wiring, a Greasebucket tone circuit, and Tone-Saver treble bleed mod that split the difference between spanky vintage-style Strat sonics and contemporary tone-shaping versatility. It’s all finished with a Closet Classic hardware configuration, comprising vintage-style slot-in tuners and rock-solid synchronized tremolo with bent steel saddles.
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Singing semi-hollow ash body
The Fender Custom Shop Postmodern Stratocaster Journeyman Relic’s defining feature is its lightweight thinline body, which forms a comfortably contoured counterpart to the classic semi-hollow Telecasters of yore. This Strat’s resonant 2-piece select ash thinline body results in a warmer, more resonant, and airier tone than any solidbody Stratocaster. Plus, removing all that extra wood has the added benefit of shaving down this guitar’s overall weight for a lighter feel during marathon multi-hour gigs. Finally, this guitar’s postmodern formula is finished with a contoured neck heel that allows your hand to more naturally stretch up to the highest reaches of the fingerboard.
Electrifying character
The devil is in the details, and the namesake pickups are master designed and hand-wound. They’re set with a generous amount of headroom, thanks to fewer turns of the historic heavy Formvar wire. Bone-Tone pickups feature beveled Alnico II magnets and ’54 pickup covers. Connected through a classic configuration, the 5-way blade switch includes a Greasebucket tone circuit and Vintage Modified #2 wiring with Tone-Saver treble bleed to retain your top-end chime when rolling down the volume.
’60s Oval “C” neck profile
There’s a reason why the “C” neck profile has served as the standard Fender neck shape for decades — it’s a great middle-ground neck style that all types of players have come to love. That being said, the “C” has quite a few minor variations, and if you’re a player who likes a slightly chunkier neck, you’ll love the Postmodern Stratocaster Journeyman Relic’s Oval “C” profile. This profile offers all the comfort of a standard “C” but with a greater heft to better fill your hand. Plus, this vintage-style neck is topped off with a thoroughly postmodern 9.5-inch to 12-inch compound radius to grant you comfortable chording down low and effortless bends up high.
Fender Custom Shop Postmodern Stratocaster Journeyman Relic Features:
- 2-piece select ash thinline Stratocaster provides a more open and resonant twist on traditional Strat sonics, along with reduced weight
- Quartersawn maple neck and fingerboard offer exceptional stability
- ’60s Oval “C” neck profile captures the full-bodied feel of Fender’s classic mid-1960s Strats
- Contoured heel gives you superior access to the fingerboard’s upper register
- 9.5-in. to 12-in. compound radius with narrow-tall frets supplies effortless chording down low while flattening out for a more bend-friendly feel up high
- Custom Shop hand-wound Master Design Bone-Tone Stratocaster pickups utilize fewer turns of heavy Formvar wire for a postmodern spin on Stratocaster sparkle
- Greasebucket tone circuit, Vintage Modified #2 wiring, and Tone-Saver treble-bleed circuit to keep your high end crisp when rolling down the tone
- 6-saddle vintage-style synchronized tremolo with heavy-duty bent-steel saddles
- Stylish and stable vintage-style slot-in tuners
