General

1959 was a tumultuous, transitional year in which the Fender Stratocaster came of age. The shaping of the neck was reworked, the number of screw holes in the pickguard and body routing was adjusted and, since none of this happened in one day, the result was a range of instruments with a heady mix of different specifications and all the original models produced during this period now come with antique status and matching antique price-tags. As such, Fender offer devoted fans the opportunity to step back in time and wrap their eager hands around the 1959 Stratocaster Heavy Relic. This ode-of-a-model comes with all the oddities and evidence of ageing that its inspiration has; a maple neck and single-ply pickguard with 9 screw-holes or, the version with a rosewood fretboard and three-ply pickguard with 10 screw-holes, as preferred.

The 1959 Stratocaster Heavy Relic: The Time Machine

The Fender Custom Shop 1959 Stratocaster Heavy Relic has been dropped out of the Time Machine Series complete with a two-piece alder body and a brutally satisfying worn finish. The played-in look of the tinted nitrocellulose lacquer coating the neck and fretboard make this Strat look like its seen decades-worth of action and love. Supported by a 1963 C-profile and set of 6105 narrow tall frets, it doesn't just look played-in but as soon as it's in your hands, the authentic playing feel is there too. Meanwhile, the mounted set of three Custom Shop Hand-Wound Fat '50s Single-Coil Strat pickups offers the absolute assurance that the sound matches up. This irksome classic comes with a certificate of authenticity, a strap and luxury case.