Handcrafted by Custom Shop Master Builder Kyle McMillin
Representing the highest echelon of Fender Custom Shop craftsmanship, Masterbuilt guitars are constructed from start to finish by a single master-level luthier. Given truly elite Fender’s luthiers are only permitted to build for this prestigious program, it’s always an event when a model such as this Kyle McMillin-built Custom ’57 Masterbuilt Strat rolls through Sweetwater’s doors! From the 2-piece alder body to the 1-piece soft “V” maple neck, each element of this Strat was sculpted by Kyle not only to replicate the most revered Strats of the past but to elevate them to a whole new level entirely. Every scuff, scratch, and ding of this guitar’s light finish was placed to mimic the wear of a genuine vintage Strat, right down to the subtle aging on the RSD Strat trem and vintage-style locking tuners. Lastly, a hand-wound duo of CS Josefina HW Fat ’50s pickups (with a ’56-style pickup in the middle) delivers a spank, sparkle, and bite worthy of standing beside the greatest of golden-age Stratocasters.
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Vintage feel, modern performance
Comprising a single 1-piece slab of master-grade maple, this guitar’s soft “V” neck profile is a tip of the hat to the chunky Fender necks that ruled the 1950s. It’s a natural fit for players who prefer a palm-filling grip, with a subtle ridge in the center that serves as the perfect place to rest your thumb. Topside, the matching maple fingerboard defies Fender fingerboard tradition with 22 medium-jumbo frets in a compound 9.5- to 14-inch radius — a wholly modern pair of specs that supplies comfortable chording down low and effortless bends the higher up the neck you go.
Capture the feel of a well-worn vintage classic
Crafted solely by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Kyle McMillin from start to finish, this ’57 Masterbuilt Stratocaster is a truly one-of-a-kind instrument. Nowhere is Kyle’s skill more readily apparent than in this guitar’s immaculately aged relic finish, with every nick, ding, and scratch precisely placed to match 6-plus decades of play wear. From the worn-down lacquer on the back of the neck to the classic spot of bare wood where your arm rests, each element of the ’57 Masterbuilt Stratocaster’s relic finish comes together to give you a perfectly broken-in instrument from first strum.
Hand-wound Josefina Fat ’50s pickups
Perhaps the most well-renowned pickup winder in history, Abigail Ybarra’s half-century-long tenure at Fender produced some of the most iconic electric guitar tones in music history. Before she retired from Fender, she taught everything she knew to her personal apprentice Josefina Campos, retaining the incredible legacy of Fender’s golden-age tones in this Strat’s Fat ’50s pickups! Based on Strat pickups from the late ’50s, these pickups deliver all the glassy highs, punchy midrange, and round bottom end that the best vintage Strats are known for, with the addition of increased bass response and a hotter output. Josefina individually hand-winds every one of these pickups in the custom shop, so every set delivers a one-of-a-kind tone that sounds straight out of the ’50s.
Fender Custom Shop Custom ’57 Masterbuilt Stratocaster Electric Guitar Features:
- Crafted from start to finish by Fender Custom Shop luthier Kyle McMillin
- Lightweight 2-piece alder body, fit with an RSD Strat tremolo bridge
- 1-piece maple soft “V” neck is sure to please players who favor a substantial neck profile
- 22 medium-jumbo frets in a high-performance 9.5–14-inch compound radius maple fingerboard grant you effortless bends up high with comfortable chording in the lower positions
- Custom Shop Josefina hand-wound Fat ’50s Stratocaster pickups (with a ’56 Strat pickup in the middle position) deliver clear, glassy highs, round lows, and classic Fender single-coil snap in spades
- RWRP middle pickup and 5-way switch unlocks quack in-between tones in the 2 and 4 positions
- Relic lacquer finish, masterfully aged to replicate the looks and feel of a true golden age vintage Stratocaster
- Vintage-style locking tuners allow for easy string changes while still retaining vintage-correct looks
