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. None are like this one. The GT11 starts with a lightweight, roasted ash body and a roasted AAA flamed maple neck for a very open and balanced tone. With the 11"-radius fingerboard, the GT11 provides a playing surface that inspires and delivers more speed and precision. Add in three custom-wound Sweet ’64 pickups with the Half Blender switching system and Fat ’50s wiring, and you’ve got a premium guitar for any style of music. Topping off the feature-laden GT11 is an updated tremolo with improved string spacing and vintage staggered pole tuning machines. The Journeyman Relic body, neck, and hardware give the GT11 Stratocaster a vintage, worn-in look and feel with precision performance.
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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"-radius AAA rosewood 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" 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. And the middle pickup is reverse-wound/reverse-polarity, for humbucking operation in switch positions 2 and 4.
60-year-old visuals, modern playability
Fender Custom Shop's Journeyman Relic treatment creates instruments that are spitting images of the aged originals. Without sneaking a look at the neck heel stamps, you'd be hard-pressed to distinguish this GT11 Stratocaster from a genuine vintage guitar. Sporting a gorgeous relic'd nitrocellulose lacquer finish complete with artfully applied nicks, scratches, and aged hardware, this Stratocaster exudes the timeless, classic look of a well-cared-for instrument that nevertheless has seen decades of touring action. Nitrocellulose lacquer finishes — standard back in the day — are significantly thinner than today's polyurethane finishes, allowing the guitar to "breathe." They not only look vintage-y wonderful; they also enhance the instrument's tonal qualities. So your GT11 Stratocaster sounds every bit as wicked as it looks!
Fender Custom Shop GT11 Stratocaster Features:
- Custom Shop Stratocaster – only at Sweetwater
- Handpicked roasted ash body produces a musical blend of brightness, warmth, and midrange “pop”
- ’60s Oval C-shaped AAA roasted flamed maple neck fills your hand perfectly in all positions
- 11"-radius AAA rosewood fingerboard makes 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 and treble bleed
- Half Blender tone control blends the neck pickup into positions 1 and 2
- Reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup supplies humbucking operation in switch positions 2 and 4
- RSD Custom Shop Strat floating tremolo for effortless bending and diving
- Journeyman Relic flash coat finish for a lovingly worn look and feel
