Your New Piece of Fender History
Widely considered a quintessential year for '50s-era Stratocasters, the ’57 Strat refined then-new features like an alder body and powerful pickups built to handle emerging styles of intense playing. From aesthetics to electronics and hardware, this Limited-edition Fender Custom Shop ’57 Relic captures it all with spot-on period-correct hardware, a trio of hand-wound Custom Shop pickups, and a 1-piece maple neck with a “Soft V” profile. A Relic finish ties all of the vintage vibes together with a pre-loved feel. And the tone? Plug this gorgeous instrument into your favorite amp, and you'll be hard-pressed to put it down.
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True ’50s specs
This limited-edition’s body is comprised of alder, the definitive Strat tonewood, leading to bright, responsive playing with superior sustain and a glistening upper midrange. A sturdy 1-piece '57 “Soft V" neck profile and maple fingerboard give you plenty of anchor space for your thumb which puts barre, jazz, and inversion chords in easy reach. This neck is rift sawn and crafted from a single piece of premium maple that enhances stability and shows off more gorgeous wood grain. Even the tiniest details on this Custom Shop creation are vintage-spec, including the bone nut, vintage tremolo system, and parchment pickguard.
Three of Fender’s best pickups
The three onboard pickups are some of Fender Custom Shop’s most popular electronics: a Texas Special, a Fat '50s, and a '57 Strat. This collection is less like a sampler platter and more like a passionately assembled 3-course meal. The bridge Texas Special delivers razor-sharp midrange that’s great hefty rhythm playing that’s heard; a Fat '50s in the middle position delivers beefy tones with enhanced bass response and ample midrange that’s hot but never shrill; the downright hypnotic '57 Strat in the neck position is ripe with thumping lows, round mids, and smooth high end. Each pickup is hand-wound by the Fender Custom Shop, which means they feature period-accurate components like vintage fiber bobbins, wax potting, and more.
The Relic treatment
Relic’d guitar finishes are super common these days, but it was the Fender Custom Shop that first took the industry by storm with its groundbreaking synthetic aging process for guitars. Fender does Relic finishes better than all the rest, and the original Relic finish is still a smash hit. This Limited-edition '57 Stratocaster Relic has an authentic nitrocellulose lacquer finish — thinner than today’s polyurethane finishes — which allows the wood to breathe and the tone to bloom. You get a look and feel that feels like it has seen its fair share of front-line action with a played-in feel and perfect fretwork. And like every fine instrument in Sweetwater’s Guitar Gallery, it’s been through our 55-point Inspection for guaranteed splendid playability right out of the box.
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 picking up a unique limited edition like this '57 Stratocaster 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 Limited-edition ’57 Strat Relic Features:
- Solid alder body
- 3 Custom Shop single-coil pickups: Texas Special (bridge), Fat '50s (middle),'57 Strat (neck)
- 1-piece rift-sawn maple neck and fingerboard with a '57 “Soft V” profile
- 9.5-inch fingerboard radius with 21 frets
- Vintage tremolo system
- Bone nut
- Vintage Fender tuners
- Relic lacquer finish
- Parchment pickguard
- Deluxe hardshell case and Fender Custom Shop certificate of authenticity
