A Strat with a Feel All Its Own
Over the long and iconic history of Fender Custom Shop, its talented team has produced thousands of Stratocaster variations. However, none are like this one. The GT11 starts with the concept of a well-loved, beautifully broken-in Strat, augmented with modern hardware. This creative combination provides the feel of a vintage instrument as well as the benefits of an upgraded bridge, tuners, and electronics. An RSD Custom Shop trem anchors the strings while also bringing in the string spacing, lending a more modern string spacing feel, with vintage staggered tuners keeping things in tune. Meanwhile, a trio of hand-wound Mike Lewis-designed Sweet ’64 pickups — designed specifically for the GT11 — bring you the best of the Strat sound, with fat lows, sparkling highs, and just the right amount of mids. Finally, an 11-inch fingerboard radius truly elevates the GT11 Stratocaster’s special status. Only available at Sweetwater, this unique radius is paired with an oval C-shaped neck for a comfortable playing experience like none other.
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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 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. Additionally, 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 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 exclusive 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.
Upgraded hardware for a better playing experience
For the bridge, the GT11 Stratocaster is outfitted with an RSD Custom Shop floating trem. At a glance, the RSD looks like any other vintage-style Fender trem. But upon closer examination, you’ll see that the string spacing is just slightly more narrow than a vintage trem. This slight condensing of the string spacing gives the GT11 Stratocaster a more contemporary feel while maintaining the vintage look. Custom Classic staggered tuners line the headstock, adding to the aesthetic while providing modern stability.
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 dual tone controls. The volume boasts Fender’s Fat ’50s hookup wiring. You also get a Half Blender tone control that blends the neck pickup into positions 1 and 2, along with a master tone control. Finally, the middle pickup is reverse-wound/reverse-polarity, for humbucking operation in switch positions 2 and 4.
Fender Custom Shop GT11 Stratocaster:
- Custom Shop Stratocaster available only at Sweetwater
- Handpicked roasted alder body produces a balanced tone with equal doses of lows, mids, and highs
- ’60s Oval C-shaped neck fills your hand perfectly in all positions
- 11-in.-radius 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
- 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
