Masterbuilt by John Cruz, the '61 Strat Relic comes in 100 pieces only

Apr 20, 2007 10:51 GMT  ·  By

Yesterday I was telling you about the mind-blowing snakeskin-covered Parker guitar and it's only a 50-piece edition. Well, today another limited-edition guitar model announcement came on my desk and it was related to the all-time favorites, Fender.

I don't care if you're a player or not, having at least the vaguest idea on what does Fender mean is common knowledge. Fender has been building exceptional guitars since the very dawn of the electric guitars era and never have they failed their customers or the audience. Classic models, more than 40 years old are still in business and are craved for their vintage sound, proverbial sturdiness and smooth playability.

The new guitar is actually an old one, as I assume you've guessed already. It's the antiqued replica of one of the Fender classics, the 61 model. It will actually look like the old model, including dents and scratches and the visual felling will leave you a very thorough impression of a "used and abused" guitar.

Select alder body will pair with plain grain maple neck and dark rosewood fretboard, all in a nitrocellulose lacquer (3 -color sunburst for the body). The Dunlop 6100 jumbo frets will come in as expected and the pickguard will be a very vintage 4-ply tortoise shell piece; Fender/Gotoh tuners and American Vintage Synchronized tremolo complete the hardware for the Builder Select 61 Strat.

The old-new axe will pump notes through 2 single coil, John Cruz-designed PUs (neck and middle) and a DiMarzio ToneZone humbucker for the bridge position. (The DiMarzio pickup clearly states that Fender plans to head for some "not-that-vintage" future series as well).

This fantastic guitar is reportedly scheduled for the end of April or the beginning of May and still, Fender has not come up with the price quotes. As a bonus, you can opt in for a Deluxe Limited Edition Blonde hardshell case, strap, cable, Limited Edition Certificate and a LTD embroidered Patch.