Fender Custom Shop 56NOS Stratocaster NOW SOLD

[scouserjoe2]

Hi All,

I am offering for sale my Fender Custom Shop 56 NOS Stratocaster in Fiesta Red with gold hardware and a beautiful AAA bird’s eye maple neck. I purchased the guitar from new at Peter Cook’s Guitar World on 9th April 2006, for which I have the original receipt. The instrument is entirely original and remains consistent with the Fender specification at the date of release (there were minor changes in subsequent years)

Since then I have played it often but always carefully, and only in the home environment, so I must say that it does display signs of very light use. Overall, given its age, the guitar is in excellent condition, the only mark on it is a tiny 2mm-sized knick in the body paintwork on the edge of the scratch plate below the upper tone control (shown in the photographs). Otherwise the paintwork is beautifully polished without any scratches or belt marks; the neck, headstock and all the mechanicals and electronics are in perfect working order.

Briefly, the specification of this guitar is as follows :-

The body is Nitro Lacquered Alder

The neck is AAA Bird’s Eye Maple with Light Tint Nitro Lacquer. It has 21 Medium Jumbo Frets with Black Dot inlays. The Fretboard Radius is 7.25” with a 10/’56 ‘Boat’ shape neck. The Nut width is 1.650”. The machine heads are Fender/Gotoh vintage style.

The pick guard is white single ply fitted with a 3-way pick-up selector switch, a Master Volume, Tone1 and Tone2 control.

The bridge is traditional vintage with a standard tremolo and cover.

There are 3 Fender Custom 50’s single coil Stratocaster pickups.

The traditional vintage hard tweed case comes with the usual accessories including a Fender strap, plectrums, polishing cloth and reference manual.

The Certificate of Authenticity is also included.

I was recently asked about the pick-ups on this guitar and their ability to produce Hank’s ‘early’ Shadows’ sound. In my opinion the sound of these pickups comes extraordinarily close to Hank’s early recorded sound, particularly when fitted with heavy (12-52) strings and fed though a TVS3 and Vox AC15 amplifier with Celestion Blue Alnico speaker.

Along with images of the guitar I have also supplied a sample recording of ‘Sleepwalk’ played with this guitar using the equipment shown above miked through a Shure 57 and then straight into Logic Pro X. The final take of this recording was EQ’d by Paul Rossiter (of the TVS team) and given his general ‘nod’ of approval.

The price of a similar this guitar to this, when ordered new (requires a special customer order), would cost in the region of £3500.

I am asking £1875 plus shipping (which will need to be discussed with any buyers), but I am open to sensible offers. The reason for the sale is simply that I have decided to reduce my collection of guitars and also own a Greg Fessler built Stratocaster with a similar specification.

Images of the instrument can be seen here : - https://app.box.com/s/qj4ot8hld08uk7fumwke9ebxaumwktnx
The sound file of Sleepwalk played on this instrument can be found here :- https://app.box.com/s/mujkwfhg439ze8fam9f8sl7xjz6c371f

Please PM me if you are interested or have any further questions (serious potential buyers only please who really understand what this guitar is about).

Thanks for looking

Ian

[Simon Underwood]

I can vouch for this guitar, it's an amazing instrument. This was one of three that I tried at Peter Cook's that same month. I ended up buying the other 56 NOS one they had only because it was a bit cheaper.

[AlanMcKillop]

Very tempted.

[Tone]

Go on then, Alan! I have an identical guitar and it's a lovely instrument which I can recommend without hesitation.

Cheers.

Tony

[scouserjoe2]

Hi Alan,

Sounds like another trip to Pitlochry might be in the offing here

Ian

[scouserjoe2]

Hi,

Many thanks to all those who were interest in, and commented upon, this guitar. It is now SOLD.

Ian