Fender Custom Shop LTD Fat 1959 Stratocaster Faded Aged Burgundy Mist Metallic/Relic

By 1959, Fender introduced a series of updates that marked the “second incarnation” of the Stratocaster, setting it up for a new decade with a refreshed look.

Most notably, the neck in 1959 saw a shift from a one-piece maple construction to a two-piece design featuring a thick rosewood fingerboard glued atop the maple neck - famously known as a "slab board".

This change eliminated the need for the iconic “skunk stripe” on the back of the neck and teardrop plug at the end of the fingerboard on the headstock.

These updates, along with refinements to the neck profiles, cemented the Stratocaster's evolving design as it moved into the 1960s. This Custom Shop '59 Strat captures these changes beautifully, yielding a tone-filled, excellent playing guitar.
On the spec front, we're looking at a 2-piece alder body (sorted for weight), riff sawn maple neck with an aforementioned "slab board" rosewood fingerboard, large C neck profile, 9 1/2" radius, 1.625" bone nut, and a trio of Fat 50s single coil pickups.

If chunkier necks are your preference, you'll love the worn feel and profile of the large C profile (.85"-.99"). That said, a lot of players should find this profile comfortable as it allows you to relax your left hand a bit, while the radius and jumbo frets up the ease of play.

Plugged into our trusty Carr Sportsman, the Fat 50s pickups lived up to their moniker. The tones are big, round, and clear without ever getting into shrill territory. Quite a few vintage Strats we've had the fortune to play have a similar tone, it should be noted.