The mystique and mythology of the supposed Fender custom color Tahitian Coral, has understandably spurred modern takes on this fabulous faded "fiesta" finish. At near Masterbuilt-level execution, this NAMM LTD '60 Stratocaster sounds and performs as special as the finish it wears. An immediate staff favorite!

Fender's Custom Shop does a lot of things right. We'd go so far as to say that this '60 Stratocaster built specifically for NAMM is not only one of the best representatives of that quality of work, but it reminds us even of some of those transcendent Masterbuilt instruments.

Rocking a rarely seen Faded Tahitian Coral finish with a light relic treatment - no doubt a special build for NAMM 2020 - along with some killer specs, this Strat just oozes personality.

Fender stays fairly period-correct with this Strat, with its slab Rosewood fingerboard and mint 3-ply pickguard along with a slender (but not too skinny) C neck profile, but adds those modern touches that elevate playability to new heights with a slightly flatter radius, bigger fretwire, and a 5-way pickup selector switch to easily access all of those in-between tones.

Overall weight and balance is spot-on, and the handwound Texas Special pickups provide equal parts clarity and fatness for some major tonal versatility. This Strat has also got some great acoustic resonance and liveliness that makes it hard to put down.

Now that we've seen it and played it, we're looking for our next opportunity to get the folks at the Custom Shop to get us another one! It's a true standout, even in a sea of impressive tone machines here at TME.

Includes original case, COA, and case candy.