Since 1987, the Fender Custom Shop—affectionately known at CME as “The Dream Factory”—has grown to a band of over 50 veteran guitar artisans who take Leo Fender’s legacy to its utmost heights by bringing dream guitars and basses to life.

Taking an amp builder’s sensibility to instrument design, Leo Fender’s modular approach emphasized swappable components. This foundational design philosophy portended a future that we now inhabit, in which it’s not only easy to replace individual parts and maintain the longevity of each instrument—but, players also have the ability to customize every component of an instrument, giving them innumerable options when dreaming up their ideal guitar.

Here at Chicago Music Exchange, we’ve collaborated with the best minds at Fender to build the best instruments from top to bottom, tirelessly going over each spec to ensure that we offer you the best of what Fender has to offer—from neck shaping and fretwork to finishing and aging.

As a result of our ongoing collaboration, the instrument you see here is, of course, much more than the sum of its parts. Imbued with history, alive with the spirit and devotion of those who crafted it, this Fender Custom Shop creation is brimming with intangible, electrifying elements, that add new dimensions to every playing experience. 

General:
Brand Name: Fender
Case Type: Hardshell Case
Hardware Color: Nickel
Made in: Made in the USA
Product Color: Taos Turquoise
Relic or Aging Level: Relic
Serial Number: XN18841
Series: Fender Custom Shop
Weight: 8lbs

Body:
Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Material: Lightweight Alder Body
Body Shape: Stratocaster

Neck:
Fingerboard Inlay: Dots
Fingerboard Material: Dark Rosewood
Neck Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Joint: Bolt-On
Neck Material: Tinted Quartersawn Maple Neck
Neck Shape: 60 Style Oval "C" Back Shape
Number of Frets: 21 Frets
Side Marker Inlay: Dots
Truss Rod: Adjustable

Electronics:
Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound Ancho Poblano Single-Coil Strat Bridge Pickup
Controls and Switching: 5-Way Switch
Electronics Notes: Vintage Modified #2 Wiring with Tone-Saver Bleed
Neck Pickup: Custom Shop '65 Strat Middle (RWRP)

Hardware:
Bridge: Vintage Stratocaster® Bridge
Fret Wire: Narrow Tall (6105) Frets
Knobs: Parchment Strat Knobs
Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment Pickguard
Saddle Material: Metal
String Tree: American Vintage 65 w/Nylon Spacer String Tree
Switch Cap: Parchment
Tuning Machines: Vintage-Style Tuning Machines with Fender Logo