In the spring of 1954, Fender unveiled the Stratocaster, a guitar that would change music forever.

With its sleek, contoured double-cutaway body, innovative synchronized tremolo, and trio of single-coil pickups, the Strat would go on to become a legend, shaping the sound of countless artists over the past seven decades.

To honor this milestone, the Fender Custom Shop has crafted a limited-edition collection celebrating the Stratocaster’s rich heritage and lasting impact. Enter the LTD '54 Strat, a masterful recreation that pays homage to the first-year Stratocasters with exceptional attention to detail.

This guitar nails every aspect that made the original a game-changer. The 70th Anniversary neck profile, a soft V-to-C carve, feels substantial yet incredibly comfortable, inviting effortless playability. Authentic period details like skirted knobs, a 'football' 5-way switch tip, and a beautifully grained offset-seam two-piece ash body add to its vintage vibe. Topping it all off are the hand-wound '54 pickups, which deliver the twangy, open, and almost Tele-like tone that made those early Strats so distinctive.

One standout feature that might divide opinion? The bridge pickup is unpaired with a tone pot—just as it was in the originals. For us, this delivers an undeniable clarity and touch sensitivity that makes the bridge pickup sing with crispness and sparkle. And if you need to mellow the high end, a slight roll-off on the volume knob does the trick beautifully.