A Maple-capped Tribute to the Mid-1960s
Inspired by the legendary maple-capped Strats of the mid-1960s, the Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition ’65 Stratocaster NOS is a masterfully crafted 6-string, gleaming with a factory-fresh NOS nitrocellulose lacquer finish. This Stratocaster’s AAA flame maple neck and matching round-lam AAA flame maple fingerboard is the key to this guitar’s 1965 designation — after almost exclusively producing rosewood-fingerboard Strats in the early 1960s, Fender began reintroducing maple back into their fingerboard formula en masse starting in 1965. Next, the 2-piece alder body houses a powerful set of Custom Shop hand-wound Fat ’60s Stratocaster pickups, supplying a fatter, bolder take on sparkling Stratocaster sounds. You also get a Custom Shop Vintage synchronized tremolo and vintage-style tuning machines for expressive pitch-bending possibilities with optimum tuning stability. A slightly modernized 9.5-inch radius paired with old-school vintage-style frets seals the deal, all adding up to a truly stylish Strat with a spec sheet rarely seen on the Fender Custom Shop’s top-class creations.
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Three single-coils nail the classic Strat sound
When channeling the sound of one of the first-ever mass-produced 6-strings, special attention needs to be given to the electronics. That’s why Fender equipped the Limited-edition ’65 Stratocaster NOS with three spectacular Fat ’60s single-coil pickups to deliver the spank, twang, and grit of an original model. The overwound design gives these pickups extra low-end punch for an added shot of high-octane attitude. Spec’d with beveled Alnico 2 magnets, Custom Shop Fat ’60s pickups capture the sound of aged pickups from the early ’60s — warm lows, rich midrange, and mellow highs — for sumptuous vintage-inspired tone. The middle pickup is also reverse-wound reverse-polarity (RWRP) for hum cancellation in positions 2 or 4.
Myriad high-class aesthetic appointments
From the top-quality timbers to the rock-solid hardware, the Limited-edition ’65 Stratocaster NOS is the epitome of Strat-style luxury. Even the neck boasts a set of elegant aesthetic features, including a beautifully figured AAA flame maple base, topped with a matching 9.5-inch-radius slab of AAA flame maple. It’s all finished off with vintage-style frets and a full-feeling ’65 “C” profile that’s slightly chunkier than your standard Strat neck shape — a longtime Sweetwater-favorite neck profile, as it gives you a full-yet-fast foundation to light up the fingerboard with expressive bends, soulful rhythms, and rapid-fire leads.
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 vintage callback like this Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition ’65 Stratocaster NOS 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.
Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition ’65 Stratocaster NOS Electric Guitar Features:
- 2-piece alder body supplies a well-balanced and articulate response
- AAA flame maple neck topped with a round-lam AAA flame maple fingerboard
- 9.5-inch fingerboard radius complete with 21 vintage-style frets for an old-school feel
- Custom Shop hand-wound Fat ’60s Stratocaster pickups produce a fuller, more powerful spin on vintage-style Strat sonics
- Custom Shop Vintage synchronized tremolo offers expressive pitch-bending possibilities, kept in perfect tuning by vintage-style tuning machines
- Spotless NOS nitrocellulose lacquer finish will gracefully age and develop the more you play
