In 1959, Fender switched from maple fingerboards - which were prone to premature wear - to rosewood fingerboards, which were more resistant to wear. A simple, brilliant solution to a production "issue" - makes sense given Leo Fender's vision for an easy-to-service, factory made instrument. 

These early rosewood board fingerboards are known as slab boards due to their flat laminate construction, featured accurately here on this beautiful, non-aged Custom Shop '59 Strat. You don't see many non-aged Custom Shop guitars these days and we welcome them (and order them) as often as we can. While we're fully onboard with the relic'ing idea, we 100% understand that not everyone is. Well, non-aged friends...this is your guitar! 

Built from a 2 piece Alder body (sorted for light weight), rift sawn maple neck with the aforementioned slab AAA rosewood fingerboard, handwound '59 Strat pickups, a compound 7.25"-9.5" radius, and '59 Esquire C neck carve (.79-.98"), this guitar feels great in-hand - and - similar to what it must've been like to buy a Strat brand-new in 1959. Cool! 

The neck carve feels great and is accurate to other real '59s we've experienced - which is to say, it's a classic, slightly tapered oval-ish Fender carve. Easy for both chord work and lead playing. 

Plugged in, the '59 pickups deliver balanced, warm yet clear Strat tones. Some of the vintage Strats we've played exhibit this sort of tone - they're warmer and a little rounder sounding than you'd expect. Usually Strats are thought of us bright, and at times, thin sounding. Great ones, however, don't do that at all - this '59 RI reminds us of an older, great vintage Strat in this way. 

Lastly, this Strat is wired with a 5-way switch, volume, tone, tone (none assigned to the bridge pickup it should be noted). 

Priced with hardshell case.

• Builder: Fender Custom Shop
  
• Model: '59 Stratocaster
• Serial Number: R118277
• Weight: 7lbs 15oz
• Materials: 2-Piece Alder, Maple, Rosewood
• Finish: Nitrocellulose, Chocolate 3-Tone Sunburst (Time Capsule)
• Neck Shape: '59 Esquire C, .79-.98"
• Electronics: Custom Shop '59 Hand-wired Strat Pickups
• Hardware: Fender
  
• Measurements: 25 1/2" scale, 1.65" bone nut, 7 1/4-9 1/2" radius, 47095 Medium Vintage frets
• Case/Papers: Fender hardshell, CoA, case candy