The Best of Fender — ‘50s Style
Fresh from the acclaimed Fender Custom Shop, this Limited-edition ‘55 Stratocaster Relic loads the best aspects of mid-‘50s Fender Strats into a single guitar. True to the period, this ‘50s re-creation channels a time when the Stratocaster grew more refined and player-friendly with its balanced ash body, streamlined hardware, and a rift-sawn maple neck that shows off lots of wood grain. Together with a soft “V” profile, a vintage tremolo system, and a compound radius neck, the ‘55 Strat Relic can pull double duty either as a rhythm machine, a lead monster, or both. Powering the ‘55 Relic Strat’s tone are three hand-wound Fat ‘50s with hand-beveled magnets that enhance bass response and tame excessive midrange for a truly vintage sound. Plus, Fender’s proprietary Relic nitrocellulose finish gives this limited edition pre-loved looks and exceptional tone that mirrors every great guitar’s natural aging process.
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Custom Shop Fat ‘50s pickups
A trio of onboard Fat ‘50s pickups from the Fender Custom Shop deliver beefy vintage-style tone with enhanced bass response and balanced midrange that’s never harsh. These pickups look and sound period correct with staggered hand-beveled alnico magnets and formvar magnet wire for refined harmonic response to dynamics. The middle Fat ‘50 is reverse wound, a welcome modern touch that cuts pickup hum when playing in position 2 or 4. Fat ‘50s are often called a workhorse pickup that are balanced but never flat or bland. With three of them and a 5-way pickup selector, there are endless tones to explore. Plus, these pickups were built with period-correct cloth wire and fiber bobbin, proof of Fender’s immaculate attention to detail.
Painstaking vintage accuracy
With genuine 1950s Fender instruments fetching exorbitant prices nowadays, they’re out of most players’ price range. Thankfully, Fender Custom Shop re-creations such as the Limited-edition ‘55 Stratocaster Relic provide access to vintage titans of tone via exhaustive Fender analysis. You’ll find the Limited-edition ‘55 Stratocaster Relic remarkably faithful to the original. An ash body delivers the same resonance and feel of the mid-‘50s prior to Fender’s alder body switch in 1957. Pair that with an authentic Soft “V” profile maple neck with a round feel that adds little extra grip to hold onto, and you have the perfect recipe for vintage tone and playability. Plus, this model features a rare compound radius neck (7.25–9.50 inches), which makes it easy to make big leaps up and down the neck without missing a note.
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 ‘55 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 Limited-edition ‘55 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 Limited-edition ‘55 Stratocaster Relic Features:
- A blends of mid-‘50s Stratocasters best elements with an emphasis on the ‘55 Strat
- Authentic mid-‘50s ash body
- One-piece rift-sawn maple neck with 21 medium vintage frets
- 3 Fender Custom Shop Fat ‘50s pickups with 5-way pickup selector and period-accurate materials
- Breathable nitro lacquer finish
- Vintage tremolo system
- Soft “V” neck profile for a round feel with extra grip
- Compound radius neck (7.25–9.50 inches)
- Relic’d finish for a worn look and feel
- Fender Custom Shop neck plate with stamped serial number for authenticity
