There are many Stratocasters out there to choose from - new, pre-owned, vintage, expensive, inexpensive, boutique, factory-made, etc...- we find qualifying Strats by either 50s style or 60s style to be a helpful yardstick when trying to figure which one is right for you. Our approach breaks down like this:

50s Style - given that Strats were released not long after the Telecaster was introduced, and were meant to replace the Tele with a more evolved model, the 50s styles have more Tele twang to them - and - have slightly fatter maple necks.

60s Style - by the 60s, the Strat had evolved into what many of us know and love (think Hendrix, SRV, etc...) when we think of Strats. Rosewood fingerboards, alder bodies, skinnier neck carves, and compressed, slightly "round" tones.

With that as our baseline, this '56 Strat indeed embodies what we think of when we think '50s Strat - a 2-piece Ash body, soft V carved maple neck (.94-.97"), and open, twangy sounding hand-wired '55 pickups.

• Body//Style--Solid Body, Body--2-Piece Ash (off-center seam), Color--Aged Sherwood Green Metallic, Relic Level--Journeyman
• Hardware//Pickups--Custom Shop Hand-Wound '55, Controls--Master Volume / Tone 1 / Tone 2 / 5-Way Switch, Bridge--Custom Shop Vintage Synchronized Tremolo, Tuners--Vintage Style Fender, Pickguard--1-Ply Parchment
• Neck//Neck--Maple, Carve--'54 Soft V (.94-.97"), Radius--7 1/4-9 1/2", Frets--Medium Vintage/47095 (21), Nut--1.625", Inlays--Dots, Scale Length--25 1/2", Finish--Unfinished relic w/fret ghosting
• Other//SN--CZ574477, Weight--7lbs 5oz, Case--Hardshell Case

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The Music Emporium has been a fixture of the Boston music community since 1968. We're a shop built by musicians - players, luthiers, photographers, and gear obsessives - and that shapes everything about how we do business.

Every instrument we ship is inspected and set up by our in-house guitar techs before it leaves the shop.

We're a Fender Showcase Dealer, Collings' largest dealer worldwide, and a Martin Custom Shop Expert Dealer. Our showroom is at 165 Massachusetts Ave in Lexington, MA.

Questions about any instrument are always welcome. We're happy to talk gear.