While picking out a great Strat or Tele (or any guitar, for that matter) is a subjective experience to be sure, we've played a ton of Strats - new, boutique, vintage, used - and this one jumps out as being "a good one." Great, in fact.

First off, we're suckers for a Shell Pink Stratocaster. Nothing sums up early '60s California culture in our minds than a Shell Pink Strat. So right off the bat, when we saw this guitar we were in. Sign us up.

The factory relic and wear on this '64 Strat looks awesome in person. Something about this color when it's aged well creates an instant connection to the guitar for us.

Beyond looking cool, the second we pickup this guitar up we knew it was a great one. How, you ask? The '60s Oval C (.79-.93") carve feels incredible in-hand, the setup is spot-on for our tastes (props to our repair shop!), and it weighs - for our money - the perfect weight for a Strat. 7lbs 7oz.

Plugged in, the Custom Shop / Hand-wound '64 pickups capture all of the chime, 2 & 4 position "cluck", glassy neck pickup tones, and subtle compression we love in vintage Strats from this era.