This Custom Shop ’62 Stratocaster Relic pairs a perfectly tapered ’60s Oval “C” neck with resonant, lightweight alder and punchy Fat ’60s pickups for an inspiring blend of vintage feel, tone, and modern versatility.

From the moment we sat down with this Custom Shop ’62 Stratocaster Relic, we were hooked (it doesn’t hurt that we’re suckers for Lake Placid Blue). But what really sold us? The neck.

It’s a quartersawn maple neck with a comfortable ’60s Oval “C” profile and a 3A rosewood fingerboard. On paper, it sounds straightforward enough, but in hand it’s something special - slim in the cowboy chord area, gradually filling out as you move up the neck without ever feeling bulky (.79"–.93" for those keeping score). Paired with a 7.25"–9.5" compound radius and vintage-style frets, it’s a neck that will feel right at home for almost any player, unless you live exclusively at either extreme - super fat or razor thin. The perfectly smooth, worn-in finish on the back makes it a joy to play for hours.

Its lightweight, two-piece alder body was expertly sprayed with a nitrocellulose finish, lightly relic’d for a naturally played-in look and enhanced resonance.

A trio of hand-wound Custom Shop Fat ’60s pickups delivers that unmistakable ’60s Strat compressed chime and snap, just with a touch more punch. Add the Vintage Modified #2 wiring with Greasebucket tone control, and you’ve got a remarkably versatile, inspiring take on a true classic.