A Superb Send-off to the Last Strats of the ’60s
Clad in a half-century’s worth of battle scars, the Fender Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster is a modded-out tribute to the last of Fender’s 1960s Stratocasters. This guitar’s lightweight 2-piece select alder body comes equipped with an idiosyncratic trio of pickups pulled from throughout Fender’s history, including a mellow 1969-style Stratocaster neck pickup, a gritty RWRP Fat ’50s in the middle position, and a screaming overwound Custom Shop Texas Special locked into the bridge slot. Players who prefer a full, palm-filling feel are sure to love the Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster Heavy Relic’s chunky 1969 “U” profile, topped off with a modern 9.5-inch radius and narrow-tall frets. You also get a supremely stable Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo and vintage-style tuning machines for quick string changes with no excess wire poking out. A tasteful suit of Heavy Relic dents, dings, and scratches rounds it all out, ensuring that the Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster Heavy Relic feels like an old friend from your very first strum.
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Traverse three of the Strat's distinct tonal eras
Far from your typical Custom Shop Strat setup, the Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster Heavy Relic comes equipped with three unique single-coils from throughout Fender’s history. It all starts off with a period-correct 1969 Stratocaster pickup in the neck position, supplying a lush, mellow response that’s perfectly suited towards soulful cleans and smoky blues leads. The RWRP Fat ’50s pickup takes your tone about two decades back in time — an era when the Strat featured a brighter, more cutting tone. However, as a “Fat” take on original 1950s Stratocaster pickups, this single-coil offers enhanced output and a fuller bottom-end. Finally, the Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster Heavy Relic’s more modern-sounding bridge-position Custom Shop Hand-wound Texas Special Stratocaster ties it all together with a screaming overwound Texas blues bite.
Substantial 1969 “U” neck profile
The Fender Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster Heavy Relic’s 1969 “U” profile maple neck is a perfect fit for any guitarist seeking a somewhat robust, grip-filling neck shape. It’s quite a bit fatter than your typical Fender “C” shape, but Sweetwater guitarists find it equally nimble, especially for players with larger hands or those who favor a chunky feel. It’s topped with 21 narrow-tall frets in a 9.5-inch radius — a common spec swap for vintage-style Fender guitars that’s particularly suited to bend-heavy styles.
Aged to perfection
The most extreme aging that the Fender Custom Shop typically offers is their Heavy Relic package — an aesthetic tribute to the world’s battle-scarred 6-strings, with all the dents, dings, and scratches to reflect a lifetime of music making. From the all-too-common missing patch of finish where your forearm rests to the rubbed-through finish on the back of the neck, Fender Custom Shop Heavy Relic instruments are perfect for the player who requires a perfectly worn-in feel from day one. Plus, since the Fender Custom Shop’s instruments are finished in a period-correct nitrocellulose lacquer, guitars such as the Fender Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster Heavy Relic will only continue to age and develop character the more time you spend with them.
Fender Limited-edition 1969 Stratocaster Heavy Relic Electric Guitar Features:
- Premium 2-piece select alder body provides a midrange-rich response with a lightweight feel
- 1-piece quarter-sawn maple neck in a full-feeling 1969 “U” profile
- 9.5-inch-radius maple fingerboard and narrow-tall frets supply a modern-feeling foundation that’s purpose-built for comfortable chording and clean, buzz-free bends
- Idiosyncratic pickup combo that pulls from throughout Fender’s history, including a Custom Shop Hand-wound Texas Special in the bridge, a middle-position RWRP Fat ’50s Stratocaster pickup, and a period-correct 1969 Stratocaster neck pickup
- Vintage-style tuning machines and a Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo offer super tuning stability with lively tremolo usage
- Battle-scarred Heavy Relic nitrocellulose lacquer finish for an aged-in feel from first strum
