Fender 1964 Gold Sparkle Relic Stratocaster LTD Custom Shop Limited Edition Series Greg Fessler Master Builder Run of 100 Globally Fundamental Piece for an Important Collection

The Master Design Series began in 2004 as a celebration and culmination of the individual tastes and techniques each Master Builder brings to the Custom Shop. Each year, two Master Builders are given the opportunity to create a unique instrument that they would play day in and day out. In 2006, Greg Fessler answered the call by designing and building his own "Sparkle Stratocaster" guitar. Greg will handcraft 100 guitars and oversee the limited run of instruments, which will be team-built in the Custom Shop in limited quantities while supplies last. Each guitar comes complete with a special certificate, a biography of the Master Builder, and reproductions of the relevant specifications and notes from the Master Builder. As an added bonus, a DVD featuring interviews with the Master Builder discussing the inspiration and challenges of creating the instrument is included. All this collateral is housed in a luxurious leather binder.

Greg began by selecting a '64 alder Stratocaster body and painting it Gold Sparkle. He then paired it with a smooth-grained maple neck with a round, laminated rosewood fingerboard with a 9.5-inch radius and American Standard frets. The guitar's most unique aspect is its pickup configuration, which consists of a Texas Special (bridge), a reverse-wound, reverse-polarity Fat '50s (middle), and a '69 Stratocaster (neck). Additional details include vintage nickel relic hardware and a full lacquer finish on the neck with heavy wear for a smooth, worn feel.

Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Body Shape: Stratocaster

NECK

Neck Material: Regular-Grain Maple

Neck Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Neck Shape: 1965 "C" Shape

Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)

Fingerboard Material: Round Lam Rosewood

Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)

Nut Material: Bone Nut

Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)

Position Inlays: Clay Dot Style, Narrow Spacing

Truss Rod: Vintage Style

Skunk Stripe: None

HEADSTOCK

Type: Small

Logo: Transition

Other Decals, front: "STRATOCASTER", "WITH SYNCHRONIZED TREMOLO", "ORIGINAL Contour Body Pat. Pend.", "PAT 2,573,254 2,741,146 2,960,900 3,143,028"

Other decals, back: Custom Shop logo (Team Built) or Greg Fessler logo + serial number (GFxxx)

ELECTRONICS

Bridge Pickup: Texas Special single-coil Strat pickup

Middle Pickup: Custom Shop Fat '50s single-coil Strat pickup

Neck Pickup: Custom '69 single-coil Strat pickup with gray coil

RWRP Middle Pickup: Yes

Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1 (Neck), Tone 2 (Mid, Bridge)

Switching: 5-way blade

Configuration: SSS

HARDWARE

Bridge: American vintage synchronized tremolo

Saddles: Vintage-style, reverse direction "FENDER"/"FENDER".

Tuners: Fender/Gotoh Vintage Style Tuning Machines

String Shaft: Wing

Hardware: Nickel/Chrome

Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green

Neck Plate: 4-Bolt, Serial (Team Built only) or Custom Shop V "F" Logo (Master Built only)

COLORS

(600) or (601) Gold Sparkle

MISCELLANEOUS

Strings: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046

ACCESSORIES

Custom black hardshell case with emerald green crushed velvet interior and "Master Design Series" embroidered inside.

Greg Fessler Interview DVD

Limited Edition Certificate

Master Design leather binder with copies of the maker's notes