A Rare, Red-hot, Feature-packed Strat
Fresh from the acclaimed Fender Custom Shop, this Limited-edition Red Hot Strat Super Heavy Relic combines several '50s Fender features with attitude-packed handwound Red Hot pickups and modern wiring. The body is deeply contoured for comfort and made from hand-selected alder. What’s more, this alder body is treated to Fender’s Super Heavy Relic process, with a nitrocellulose finish for extremely aged vintage tone and feel. A gorgeous flame maple neck and fingerboard show off plenty of rich wood grain as a perfect complement to the Relic’d finish. However, this guitar’s namesake and claim to fame are its three Red Hot pickups. These Southwest-style pickups are some of the hottest Fender single-coils ever produced, and Sweetwater guitarists love how they deliver familiar Strat tones with ample extra power for cutting through a mix.
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Old-school '50s tonewoods
This Limited-edition Red Hot Strat Super Heavy Relic hearkens back to early modern Stratocasters when, around 1957, Leo Fender began to favor alder for his guitars. Today, alder is closely associated with the Strat sound, and it’s the driving force behind the Strat’s bright, snappy tone. This guitar’s alder body is the best of the best, hand-selected for weight, resonance, and beauty. Pair that with a flame maple neck and fingerboard, and you’ve got the recipe for silky playability. The Red Hot Strat’s flame maple neck features a 1959 Strat “D” shape with broad chunky shoulders that vintage fans are sure to appreciate. What’s more, the fingerboard features 21 narrow-tall frets for easy bends and the unbeatable playability that makes the Strat a worldwide staple.
Cookin’ with Fender Red Hots
Fender Red Hot pickups are steeped in spice and made to be heard! These single-coil pickups capture the Texas-tinged Strat sound with overwound coils that easily cut through any mix. These pickups are inspired by the work of legendary Fender pickup builder Abigail Ybarra, with the initial Red Hot builds being some of the strongest single-coils she ever made. That extra output yields a strong, articulate voice when played clean, but really shines when pushed through an edge-of-breakup amp, dishing out classic bluesy tone with a dash of Texas heat.
Greasebucket tone circuit
Rolling back your tone knob can sometimes leave notes feeling floppy, muddy, or just plain dull. This effect comes from a perceived increase in bass as the tone knob cuts treble frequencies. Fender’s unique Greasebucket tone circuit remedies this common problem. Much like a grease trap at your favorite diner or a greasy spoon, a Greasebucket tone circuit siphons off mud and muck to leave you with pure flavorful tone in the bass and midrange. Perfect for clean or driven tones, the Greasebucket Circuit lets you sound thick and full without drowning in gravy. Our compliments to the chef!
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 Red Hot Strat Super Heavy Relic has an authentic nitrocellulose lacquer finish — thinner than today’s polyurethane finishes — which allows the wood to breathe and the tone to bloom. With the Relic finish, you get a guitar with a played-in feel and perfect fretwork, but also slightly worn visual character that feels loved and used, but never abused. 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.
Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition Red Hot Strat Super Heavy Relic Features:
- Limited-edition Stratocaster with select vintage-inspired features and premium electronics
- 2-piece hand-selected alder body for a premium take on the classic Strat sound
- 3 overwound Red Hot Strat pickups for smoky, Texas-tinged tone
- Vintage #2 wiring and Greasebucket tone circuit for incredibly responsive pickup controls
- Premium 2A flame maple neck with the comfortable chunky “D” profile of a 1959 Strat
- 25.5-inch scale 2A flame maple fingerboard with a 9.5-inch radius and 21 bend-friendly narrow tall frets
- Breathable nitro lacquer finish
- Premium hardware including bone nut, authentic 1-ply parchment pickguard, aged nickel/chrome vintage tuners, and synchronized tremolo
- Super Heavy Relic treatment looks and feels like it’s been played for decades
- Fender Custom Shop neck plate with stamped serial number for authenticity
- Made in the U.S.A.
