Don't love relic'd guitars and would prefer to add your own wear to your guitars - but perhaps don't want to wait 30 years to add said wear? Read on friend.

We've gotta tip our hat to the good folks at Wildwood Guitars in Colorado. For years now, they've been teaming up with Fender to produce some extremely cool guitars based on their shop's ideas/specs. This "Relic Ready" 1961 Stratocaster is one of those guitars, and the idea behind it is extremely cool.

The concept? Relic’d guitars can be polarizing—some players love them, others want to earn every bit of wear themselves. With that in mind, Wildwood and Fender pulled this Strat from the production line just before it went through the relic’ing process, giving players the chance to let the guitar age naturally over time. Since these were destined to be relic’d, the finish is incredibly thin—so unlike a standard production model, this one will break in much faster, developing that well-worn patina we all love in vintage guitars.

Concept aside, how’s the guitar? Awesome. Lightweight, super resonant, and effortlessly playable, with that slinky feel the best Strats have. The 60s Oval C (.79-.93") neck profile is beautifully carved—a comfortable taper that fattens up just enough as you move up the board—and a set of Wildwood Spec pickups deliver all the classic compression and 'cluck' you’d want from a ‘60s-style Strat. In short, it’s everything a great Custom Shop Strat should be—and it’s only going to get better with time.