This 1996 Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocaster Relic just came into the shop on consignment, and we'd be lying if we said this guitar wasn't one of the most inspiring Fenders we've played in a while.
As one of the earliest examples of the fabled first-year Custom Shop builds, it features a striking Birdseye Maple neck with a nice medium/chunky carve, and a near-perfectly aged Blonde finish that set forth the relic revolution. The 9.5 radius and slightly larger frets strike a balance between traditional stylings and modern feel that works so nicely.
The real unique spec of this guitar is the addition of the Bill Bores B-Bender. Widely regarded as one of the best bender units (and no longer available), the Bores Bender offers smooth action and an ease of adjustability that caters to just about any player who wants this kind of setup in their stable. The installation was done very cleanly and includes a black back plate and an additional spring to change tension.
The rest of the guitar remains almost entirely original with the exception of some splicing of the pickups back into the harness (possibly done during disassembly for the bender mod). There's an additional pickup rout under the guard for a Stratocaster pickup (Nashville style) as well. It includes the original lacquered tweed hardshell case, COA, tags and polishing cloth, ash tray bridge cover, and strap.

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