A Road-Warrior ’63 Strat with a Story to Tell
This isn’t just a guitar; it’s a time capsule. The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Stratocaster Super Heavy Relic looks and feels like a guitar that’s seen a thousand smoky bars and written a hundred classic riffs. The first thing that hits you is the Super Heavy Relic finish on a beautifully worn-through Black coat, revealing a classic 3-Color Sunburst beneath. It’s a stunning visual that tells a story of decades on the road, with every ding, check mark, and worn-down patch earned honestly. This guitar doesn’t just play notes; it speaks with the wisdom of a seasoned veteran.
The Soul of ’63
Beneath the relic’d nitrocellulose lacquer finish is a resonant, lively-sounding 2-piece select ash body. Paired with a rift sawn maple neck, it delivers the woody, percussive snap that made Strats from this era legendary. The neck is carved into a comfortable 1963 “C” profile that feels instantly familiar and broken-in, supporting your hand perfectly for both chording and single-note runs. The round-laminated AAA rosewood fingerboard with its modern 9.5″ radius and 21 narrow-tall frets makes for buttery, choke-free bends.
Hand-Wound Vintage Power
The heart and soul of this Strat’s tone comes from a trio of Custom Shop Hand-Wound ’60/’63 Single-Coil Strat pickups. These pickups are meticulously crafted to reproduce the glassy, bell-like highs, punchy mids, and warm lows of the originals. The middle pickup is reverse-wound/reverse-polarity (RWRP) for hum-free operation in positions 2 and 4. The special Fat ’50s 1/2 Blend wiring lets you blend the neck pickup in with the bridge, unlocking a whole new palette of fat, Tele-like tones you can’t get on a standard Strat.
