A Strat That Goes to 11 – and It’s Only at Sweetwater!
Over the long and iconic history of Fender Custom Shop, thousands of Stratocaster variations have been produced, but few compare to the craftwork displayed with this GT11 Heavy Relic Stratocaster. This Sweetwater Exclusive Strat starts with a lightweight, roasted alder body and a roasted AAA flamed maple neck for lightweight performance and well-seasoned tones. An 11-inch fingerboard radius provides inspiring playability while enhancing your speed and precision across 22 frets. And the brightest star is, without a doubt, the included trio of Sweet ’64 pickups. These hand-wound single-coils are exclusively available through the GT11 line, and luthiers sweeten the deal with Fat ’50s wiring and an additional Half Blender tone circuit. Topping off the feature-laden GT11 is an updated tremolo, a slick nitrocellulose finish, and a smattering of Closet Classic hardware that perfectly frames the GT11’s distinguished Heavy Relic look.
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You’ve never felt a Strat neck like this one
Some necks feel good, while others feel great. The GT11 Stratocaster goes way beyond great — you’ll feel an immediate personal connection to this guitar. The 11-inch radius AAA maple fingerboard makes everything effortless. Play a chord by the nut or play a few licks at the 14th fret; it all feels the same — smooth and incredible. And the AAA roasted flamed maple neck features a ’60s-style Oval “C” shape that fills your hand perfectly, no matter where you’re playing. When we first got our hands on the GT11 here at Sweetwater, we were amazed at what a difference the 11-inch radius made — especially for players who were used to a radius wider than the traditional Strat.
The Holy Grail of Strat tones is right here
Trying to create the ultimate Strat pickup is no easy task, but Fender Custom Shop’s Mike Lewis pulled it off nicely with his Sweet ’64s. Voiced especially for the GT11, these hand-wound pickups deliver a full-range sound with fat, round lows, sparkling highs, balanced mids, and zero icepick frequencies. The pickups are under-wound, giving you unparalleled note separation and clarity. When we ran the GT11 Strat through its paces, we plugged into everything from vintage amps to high-end boutique models to uber-high-gain monsters, and the Sweet ’64s performed admirably through each. The search for the Holy Grail of Strat tones ends here.
All the most player-requested features
The GT11 Stratocaster gives you all the most player-requested features. You get a modern 5-way position blade switch, along with one volume and two tone controls. The volume boasts Fender’s Fat ’50s hookup wiring with treble bleed to avoid tone loss with volume changes. And you also get a Half Blender tone control that blends the neck pickup into positions 1 and 2, along with a master tone control. Moreover, the middle pickup is reverse-wound/reverse-polarity for hum-free operation in switch positions 2 and 4.
Relic’d finish and hardware are packed with vintage appeal
The GT11 Stratocaster is a classic Strat all the way through. Its roasted alder body sports a relic’d nitro finish, for the look of a vintage guitar that’s been played lovingly for decades. Many guitar aficionados like the Relic look, but a larger number of players get these guitars because they feel so comfortable and broken in. While the Relic look naturally calls for distressed hardware, many players prefer the smoother feel of Fender’s Closet Classic hardware for a slightly aged, vintage look. The GT11 Strat looks and feels like a well-worn instrument that will be comfortable and familiar right off the bat.
Fender Custom Shop GT11 Heavy Relic Stratocaster Features:
- Handcrafted by Fender Custom Shop luthiers — available only at Sweetwater!
- Roasted alder body produces a musical brightness and sustain with superb harmonic depths
- ’60s Oval "C"-shaped AAA roasted flamed maple neck and 11-inch radius AAA maple fingerboard make playing effortless
- Hand-wound Sweet ’64 single-coil pickups exhibit a full-range sound with fat, round lows, sparkling highs, balanced mids, and zero icepick frequencies
- 5-way pickup switching with Fat ’50s hookup wiring
- Half Blender tone control blends the neck pickup into positions 1 and 2
- Reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup supplies hum-free operation in switch positions 2 and 4
- RSD Custom Shop Strat floating tremolo for effortless bending and diving
- Combines worn Heavy Relicing with the fresh look of Closet Classic hardware
