A Breathtaking Hardtail Strat
This Fender Custom Shop '56 Hardtail Stratocaster is an exquisite solidbody electric guitar with an attention-grabbing Relic finish and luminous Closet Classic hardware. This '56 Hardtail Strat is built upon a balanced-sounding, 2-piece select alder body. Its rift-sawn maple neck and 21-fret, compound-radius fingerboard fit you like a glove. You also get three Custom Shop hand-wound '59 Strat single-coils with RWRP middle pickups and 5-way switching. A sturdy hardtail bridge and vintage-style tuners round out this '56 Stratocaster's hardware. You also get an eye-grabbing 3-ply pickguard and a lovingly broken-in nitrocellulose finish. This limited-edition '56 Hardtail Strat is the next best thing to owning a well-taken-care-of vintage electric guitar that's been enthusiastically played and gigged for decades. From the first note — and beyond — it will call to you like an old friend.
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Tones straight out of time
Fender's Custom Shop luthiers never fail to do their homework, so this '56 Hardtail Strat feels — and sounds — like an axe straight out of time. Hand-selected alder comprises a 2-piece body known for its balanced-sounding acoustic properties, yielding equal doses of lows, mids, and highs. This solidbody electric guitar's rift-sawn maple neck and flat-lam rosewood fingerboard impart incredible projection and note separation, with bright, clear mids and highs, alongside simple overtones and tight bass. This ragbag of tonewoods delivers a distinctive, historically accurate sonic profile, full through every register with tremendous articulation.
Classic Strat appeal
This Fender Custom Shop '56 Hardtail Stratocaster sports three Custom Shop hand-wound '59 Strat single-coil pickups, renowned for their bell-like jangle and smooth, bluesy tone. These pickups deliver bright and clear cleans with the perfect midrange bite. When we plugged this Custom Shop Strat into our favorite tube amplifier here at Sweetwater, we uncovered everything from mellow tones to outrageously aggressive leads — all within a casual twist of a volume knob. On top of that, you get a reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup with a 5-way blade pickup selector.
Vintage versatility
Taking a bit of creative license, the Custom Shop opted for a rift-sawn cut on this guitar's maple neck. The main benefit of a rift-sawn neck is how stable it is under string tension. Since all of the grain is orientated perpendicularly to the fretboard, the neck tolerates stress exceptionally well. You also get a 7.25 to 9.5-inch vintage compound-radius fingerboard with 21 medium-vintage frets. Its 1959 "D"-shaped neck profile feels substantial and chunky, delivering comfortable access to an array of playing styles. Vintage-style tuning machines and a bone nut adorn this timeless axe, along with a rock-solid — and rare —hardtail bridge.
Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition '56 Hardtail Stratocaster Electric Guitar Features:
- Custom Shop hand-wound '59 Strat single-coil pickups yield vintage tone with dynamic range
- 2-piece alder body is hand-selected to deliver musical acoustic characteristics
- Rift-sawn maple neck is eminently stable under string tension
- Flat-lam rosewood fingerboard ensures ample playability
- 1959 "D"-shaped neck profile accommodates a versatile array of playstyles
- 21 medium-vintage frets sprawl a 7.25–9.5-inch vintage compound-radius fingerboard
- Reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup yields quacky hum-canceling tone in the in-between positions
- Vintage-style tuners and bone nut provide stable, reliable tone
- Hardtail bridge ensures rock-solid tuning stability
- Head-turning Relic nitrocellulose finish and luminous Closet Classic hardware
- Deluxe hardshell case, strap, and certificate of authenticity included
