A superb 2019 Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Loaded Thinline Nocaster Relic, finished in Aged Amber Natural and complete with its Fender Custom Shop certificate, floor traveller and tweed hard case.

Built as part of Fender’s 2019 Summer Event Limited run, it brings together a few interesting vintage Fender elements with its lightweight, semi-hollow Type 1 body, with tortoiseshell binding  and early, stripped-back Nocaster-style appointments.

The Ash body has an attractive grain and looks great with a single F-hole, finished in Aged Amber Flash Coat lacquer. The matching single-ply tortoiseshell Thinline pickguard is a nice touch too and the relic work is tastefully done, giving the guitar the character of a well-played instrument without being over the top.

The neck is quartersawn maple, finished in medium tint Flash Coat lacquer and shaped to Fender’s ’57 Soft “V” profile. It has a 9.5” radius, 21 narrow tall / 6105 frets, black dot markers and a bone nut. Measurements from the traveller list a 41.9mm nut width, with a neck depth of 21.6mm at the 1st fret and 25.1mm at the 12th, so it has plenty in the hand while remaining very comfortable and easy to play.

Electronics are based around Fender’s hand-wound Loaded ’51 Nocaster pickup set. Tonally, it gives you all the attack, twang and midrange you would hope for, while the Thinline construction adds an extra bloom around the note. It has the immediacy and punch of a great Tele, with a nice resonance

A fantastic Limited Edition Custom Shop model, complete with its certificate, floor traveller and original tweed Custom Shop hard case.