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Up for sale, a 1990 Fender Custom Shop '54 Stratocaster in 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original tweed hardshell case. A very early Custom Shop example when production totals were a fraction of today's output, this Stratocaster is a lively and vital-sounding instrument produced at the top tier of Fender's output in this era.
Adhering strictly to vintage spec, this Strat boasts a two-piece ash body, one-piece maple neck, and the original trio of black bobbin single coils. Chiming, sparkling top end is on tap in every selection via the five-way pickup selector switch, and while the bridge pickup has ample sparkle and cut, the neck position single coil is inherently fatter and fuller while retaining great articulation and a bell-like top end. Acoustically the instrument is very resonant, and striking a chord causes the whole guitar to vibrate with a liveliness typically reserved for genuine '50s examples. The guitar weighs 7lbs 13oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action and accurate intonation.
The lightly flamed maple neck has a very subtle soft V-shaped profile carve at the nut, filling out to a rounder conventional C shape with full shoulders in the higher registers, measuring .795" deep at the 1st fret and .945" at the 12th. The maple fretboard has lightly rolled edges and a 7 1/4" radius, with slender fretwire that has well-rounded crowns and just a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-3. The guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut measures 1.650" in width, and the headstock features both a vintage-correct Strat decal and early Custom Shop logo on the reverse side. The neck heel is stamped June 2nd, 1990, with a matching 1990 date stamp in the neck pocket. Both the neck heel and pocket retain their Custom Shop stamps, and there are additional early Custom Shop stamps in the pickup route and tremolo cavity.
All of the electronics are original, with untouched solder on the pots which date to the 22nd week of 1989 and a five-way pickup selector switch governing the original trio of black bobbin single coils. All of the hardware is original, with notably clean chrome plating, and all of the original plastics are intact too. The vibrato is floating fractionally off the body, actuating very easily with a smoother, more elegant feel than many Strats.
The two-tone Sunburst gloss nitro lacquer finish highlights the grain of the ash body, and cosmetic wear includes one ding of note at the bass-side waist on top just beyond the edge of the pickguard, and some additional smaller marks where the forearm crosses the top. There is a small area of light buckle rash just south of the belly carve, some small dings and finish scratches, largely on the back and body perimeter, and very faint stand rash on the lower bout body edge. The ambered nitro gloss on the neck profile is nigh-flawless.
The original tweed hardshell case is included.
Adhering strictly to vintage spec, this Strat boasts a two-piece ash body, one-piece maple neck, and the original trio of black bobbin single coils. Chiming, sparkling top end is on tap in every selection via the five-way pickup selector switch, and while the bridge pickup has ample sparkle and cut, the neck position single coil is inherently fatter and fuller while retaining great articulation and a bell-like top end. Acoustically the instrument is very resonant, and striking a chord causes the whole guitar to vibrate with a liveliness typically reserved for genuine '50s examples. The guitar weighs 7lbs 13oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action and accurate intonation.
The lightly flamed maple neck has a very subtle soft V-shaped profile carve at the nut, filling out to a rounder conventional C shape with full shoulders in the higher registers, measuring .795" deep at the 1st fret and .945" at the 12th. The maple fretboard has lightly rolled edges and a 7 1/4" radius, with slender fretwire that has well-rounded crowns and just a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-3. The guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut measures 1.650" in width, and the headstock features both a vintage-correct Strat decal and early Custom Shop logo on the reverse side. The neck heel is stamped June 2nd, 1990, with a matching 1990 date stamp in the neck pocket. Both the neck heel and pocket retain their Custom Shop stamps, and there are additional early Custom Shop stamps in the pickup route and tremolo cavity.
All of the electronics are original, with untouched solder on the pots which date to the 22nd week of 1989 and a five-way pickup selector switch governing the original trio of black bobbin single coils. All of the hardware is original, with notably clean chrome plating, and all of the original plastics are intact too. The vibrato is floating fractionally off the body, actuating very easily with a smoother, more elegant feel than many Strats.
The two-tone Sunburst gloss nitro lacquer finish highlights the grain of the ash body, and cosmetic wear includes one ding of note at the bass-side waist on top just beyond the edge of the pickguard, and some additional smaller marks where the forearm crosses the top. There is a small area of light buckle rash just south of the belly carve, some small dings and finish scratches, largely on the back and body perimeter, and very faint stand rash on the lower bout body edge. The ambered nitro gloss on the neck profile is nigh-flawless.
The original tweed hardshell case is included.
