[NAMM] New Fender Custom Shop Models

The Custom Shop pays homage to Fender’s original early-’50s workhorse guitar with the Time Machine 1953 Heavy Relic Telecaster. Features include an ash body with a Nocaster Blonde lacquer finish given a worn “Heavy Relic” treatment, tinted one-piece maple neck with mid-’50s soft V shape, maple fingerboard with 9.5” radius and 6105 frets, vintage-design 1950s Telecaster pickups, three-way pickup switch with modern wiring, single-ply black Bakelite pickguard, vintage-style hardware, center pocket tweed case and certificate of authenticity.

The Time Machine 1958 Relic Stratocaster evokes the first-decade glory of the model, with features including an alder body with a Relic lacquer finish in Chocolate Three-Color Sunburst, tinted one-piece maple neck with mid-’50s (10/’56) large V shape, maple fingerboard with 9.5” radius and 6105 frets, Master Design pickups with five-way switching, single-ply parchment pickguard, vintage-style hardware, blonde case and certificate of authenticity.

The Custom Shop honors the '60s Strat with the Time Machine 1960 Relic Stratocaster with Matching Headstock, in period-correct Fiesta Red, Shoreline Gold and Surf Green. Features include an alder body with a Relic lacquer finish, lightly tinted maple neck with large C shape and matching headstock, rosewood fingerboard with 9.5” radius and 6105 frets, 1960 Stratocaster pickups with five-way switching, three-ply mint green pickguard, vintage-style hardware, wing string tree, brown hard-shell case and certificate of authenticity.

The Custom Shop honors the mid- to late-’60s era of the Telecaster with the Time Machine 1967 New Old Stock (NOS) Telecaster and 1967 Relic Telecaster models, both of which feature an alder body with respective New Old Stock and Relic lacquer finish treatments (in Candy Apple Red and Aged Vintage White), maple neck with large C shape, round-laminated rosewood fingerboard with 9.5” radius and 6105 frets, vintage-design 1967 Telecaster pickups, three-way pickup switch with modern wiring, three-ply parchment pickguard, vintage-style hardware, wing string tree, black hard-shell case and certificate of authenticity.

Rounding out the new Custom Shop Time Machine instruments are the 1960 New Old Stock Jazz Bass and 1960 Relic Jazz Bass. Both were designed to pay tribute to the original version of the model, with features including an alder body with respective faded New Old Stock and faded Relic lacquer finishes in Three-Color Sunburst, lightly tinted quartersawn maple neck with 1960 U shape, dark Indian rosewood fingerboard with 7.25” radius and vintage frets, vintage-style Jazz Bass pickups, stacked concentric control knobs, tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage-style hardware, brown hard-shell case and certificate of authenticity.

The 2011 Closet Classic Pine Stratocaster Pro and 2011 Closet Classic Pine Telecaster Pro feature bodies fashioned from 100-year-old pine and a Closet Classic lacquer finish that imparts the look of “a long-lost but newly rediscovered instrument, ” according to Fender. Both feature a lightly tinted quartersawn maple neck with a large C shape and vintage-style butt-end truss rod adjustment, round-laminated 22-fret maple or rosewood fingerboard with 9.5” radius and 6100 frets, single-ply parchment pickguard, custom bridge, blonde case and certificate of authenticity. The Stratocaster model features Master Design pickups with five-way switching, a no-load middle/bridge tone knob, and Gotoh Magnum locking tuners; the Telecaster model features a Twisted Tele neck pickup and new Master Design Twisted Tele bridge pickup with three-way switching and modern wiring, and a Greasebucket tone control circuit. Both instruments are available in Aged White Blonde, Black and Copper.

The 2011 Closet Classic Precision Bass Pro is said to combine “the best of the Precision and Jazz Bass models into a truly distinctive instrument” with a special faded Three-Color Sunburst lacquer finish and Closet Classic wear treatment. Features include an alder body, lightly tinted quartersawn maple neck with a 1960s Jazz Bass U shape, rosewood fingerboard with 10” radius and 20 medium jumbo frets, Jazz Bass pickup in the 1970s Precision Bass position, two volume controls and a master tone knob, side output jack, three-ply tortoiseshell pickguard, Badass bridge, vintage-style paddle tuners, black hard-shell case and certificate of authenticity.

The 2011 Custom Deluxe Stratocaster features modern refinements not found on other Stratocaster guitars, including a Custom Classic tremolo bridge, locking tuners, Master Design pickups and a carved heel designed for easier access to the upper frets. Other features include an ash body with urethane finish (in Candy Red, Candy Blue and faded Three-Color Sunburst), satin-finished AA birdseye maple neck with large C shape, 22-fret maple or rosewood fingerboard with 9.5” radius and 6105 frets, five-way switching, three-ply parchment pickguard, blonde case and certificate of authenticity. Its sibling, the 2011 Custom Deluxe Stratocaster Flame Top, shares those features and finishes but has the additions of a AA flame maple veneer top and a Seymour Duncan TB-11 humbucking bridge pickup.

The 2011 Custom Deluxe Telecaster has the traditional look of a Telecaster guitar. Its bright, bell-like Twisted Tele neck pickup and Seymour Duncan BG-1400 Lead Stack bridge pickup are designed to deliver maximum output and hum cancellation. It has three-way switching with modern wiring and Greasebucket tone control circuit. Other features include an ash body with access heel and urethane finish (in Aged White Blonde, Dakota Red and faded Two-Color Sunburst), satin-finished AA birdseye maple neck with mid-’50s (10/’56) large V shape, 22-fret maple or rosewood fingerboard with 9.5” radius and 6105 frets, black Bakelite pickguard, custom bridge, staggered tuners, blonde case and certificate of authenticity.

Visit www.fender.com/customshop for more details.