Vintage Fullerton Flair Meets Modern Performance
Hunting after a Strat that merges the best of vintage-era tone and cutting-edge playability? Look no further than the Fender Custom Shop’s ’56 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic! This guitar’s resonant ash body and Custom Shop hand-wound ’55 Stratocaster pickups come together to deliver the lush resonance, snappy attack, and chimey top end that’s made early-era Strats some of the more sought-after guitars on the planet. A Custom Shop vintage Synchronized Tremolo and classic vintage-style tuners continue this guitar’s vintage-style blueprint, but Sweetwater’s performance-minded players appreciate how the neck veers from the retro playbook. Instead of the round radius and speed-bump frets found on Leo Fender’s early creations, the ’56 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic’s 1-piece flat-sawn maple soft “V” neck boasts an endlessly playable setup of 21 medium-vintage frets in a compound 7.25–9.5-inch radius. An ultra-thin Journeyman Relic flash-coat lacquer finish seals the deal, adding up to a world-class Strat that goes toe-to-toe with any Fullerton factory creation!
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Hand-selected for vintage sound
Fender’s Custom Shop selects all its wood by hand, guaranteeing an aural arrangement befitting its timeless heritage. Ash populates the 2-piece body, pairing high shock resistance with a strong sonic profile, ripe with a robust midrange and warm lows. The flat-sawn 1-piece maple neck and fingerboard deliver clear, cutting tones with great note separation, tight low end, and powerful projection. Together, the ’56 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic’s tonal character is even-keeled, with striking articulation across every register, sustaining solid voicing and underpinned with warmth.
Time-honored tones
Under the hood, this ’56 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic is loaded with Custom Shop hand-wound ’55 Strat pickups, known for their reliable sustain and crystalline clarity, wired up to a 5-way switch. Dial in this carefully-crafted tone with a master volume and two-tone controls, elegantly mounted on a matching single-ply parchment pickguard. Lastly, the Fender Custom Shop vintage Synchronized Tremolo provides springy sway and classic surfy flutter, while a set of vintage-style Fender tuners ensures your tuning stays stable.
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 investing in a unique guitar like the ’56 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic or having them build-to-order the Fender of your dreams, the Custom Shop earns its nickname — The Dream Factory — with every masterpiece they create. Custom Shop instruments are made from only the highest-grade, hand-selected materials, including impeccable tonewoods, high-end electronics, and premium hardware. And 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 ’56 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic Electric Guitar Features:
- A visual and sonic tribute to Leo Fender’s earliest Strats, with a few performance upgrades thrown in for good measure
- 2-piece select ash body produces a rich, balanced response with a forward midrange push
- 1-piece flat-sawn maple neck in a grip-filling ’54 soft “V” profile
- 21 medium-vintage frets in a 7.25–9.5-inch compound radius grants you effortless bends in the upper register, along with comfortable chording in the lower positions
- A trio of Custom Shop hand-wound ’55 Stratocaster pickups captures all the bouncing lows and bell-like sparkle of a true mid-1950s Strat
- 5-way switch and RWRP middle pickup for hum-canceling 2-and-4-position quack
- Period-correct hardware, including a Custom Shop vintage Synchronized Tremolo and Fender vintage-style tuning machines
- Ultra-thin Journeyman Relic flash coat lacquer finish for all the feel and vibe of a perfectly played-in vintage model
