1993 Fender Custom Shop Tree of Life Shultz-O-Caster #003 of 29

What an exceptional guitar this is!

Just in on consignment is this beautiful 1993 Fender Custom Shop Tree of Life Stratocaster, also known as the Schultz-O-Caster. As you can see on the COA, this instrument was built in the end of 1992 and sold as a 1993 model. 

This incredible one-owner guitar, weighing in at 8.6 lbs, is serial number #003 of 29 pieces made, and appears to be the lowest serial number to be resold. Shortly after purchase in 1993, the Lace Sensor bridge pickup failed and was replaced under warranty by Fender at the shop where it was purchased. The original pickup is included with the sale, and all other pickups and electronics are original. 

The body is in mint condition with no signs of wear at all, and as you can see, the Quilted Maple is stunning. The birds eye maple neck is very smooth and fast, and the elaborate abalone Tree Of Life inlay is in pristine condition. The guitar just received a light fret level and polish along with setup for perfect playing condition.

This guitar is an all around fantastic looking, playing, and sounding instrument and will make its next owner very happy with their investment.

It will ship in its original case, with all candy and paperwork as pictured.

Please feel free to reach out for any questions or additional photos. 

A little history on the Tree of Life / Schultz-O-Caster

In 1993, Fender's Board Chairman and CEO William "Bill" Schultz challenged the Fender Custom Shop to design and build a limited edition, investment-grade Stratocaster that would exemplify the innovation, creativity, craftsmanship and high-quality capabilities of that recently founded facility. Only 29 of these instruments were made and they were to be used by Fender salesmen and distributors as Custom Shop samples.

The resulting design, created by Master Builder J.W. Black, far exceeded Bill Schultz's expectations and quickly set the standard for Custom Shop offerings. When finally made available for sale, these 29 collector-grade instruments immediately disappeared from the marketplace.

This series was very ground-breaking for Fender. This is the first Custom Shop guitar to feature a one-piece figured maple body in addition to a wonderful-looking chocolate sunburst finish and a vine inlay on the fretboard. This guitar is an amazing example of early Fender Custom Shop history and is definitely an investment-grade instrument.

Although the original name reflected its inlaid fingerboard design, this model became better known as the "Schultz-O-Caster" or "Schultzcaster" in honor of the man who most people credit with saving the iconic Fender brand from near demise under CBS and who had commissioned it's creation.