The 2 piece Ash body and roasted flame maple neck combine to create a very lightweight, acoustically loud, and sustain-rich guitar - and this is just when playing acoustically. The aging on the body, which doesn't use pore filler to create a more textured finish, gives off the vibe of a well-loved Strat that's seem more than a few stages and studios.

A highlight for us is the Modern V neck carve. It feels quite a bit like a mid-50s Strat with its comfy V profile, and the 6150 frets and 9 1/2"-12" compound radius bring the playability and feel into the modern world - ie, it's super easy to play and would appeal to a wide range of players.

Nestled under and incredibly well-aged pickup covers & pickguard are a trio of mismatched Josefina pickups - ('69 Strat (neck), '60/'63 (middle - reverse wound), Fat '50s (bridge) - whick, as you'd expect given her reputation, sound phenomenal. Levi's choice of pickups really maximizes the tones you get from each position on the 5-way switch. Strat heaven here? For us Strat nerds, undoubtedly yes.

Lastly, Levi has infused this Masterbuilt '69 Strat with that elusive "it" factor that great vintage - and new - guitars can have. It's got vibe, soul, life...and whatever "it" is makes us better players because we find ourselves exploring picking techniques and touch in ways that a less dynamic and alive guitars just don't inspire us to do.