Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Roasted "Big Head" Stratocaster Relic Rosewood Fingerboard Aged Candy Apple Red

New for 2023, the Fender Custom Shop introduces the Limited Roasted Big Head Stratocaster Relic, with a two-piece select roasted alder body and roasted maple neck for midrange punch that cuts through onstage. The name also encompasses the larger headstock, which was introduced in the mid 1960s and has been a classic Stratocaster design element ever since, and a ravishing Relic finish in Aged Black, Aged Vintage White, Aged Candy Apple Red and Faded Aged Sherwood Metallic. With spidery finish checking all over the body and scars, dings and dents from bridge to headstock, the Relic treatment tells a story of an authentically worn-in guitar that has seen more than its share of action throughout many years of club and bar gigs.

Special pickups and wiring deliver amazingly versatile tone. Three Custom Shop hand-wound Fat '60s pickups (reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup for hum cancellation in switch positions 2 and 4) produce lots of power with the sweetness of alnico 2 magnets. POMO Strat® Fat '50s wiring delivers stronger overall tone with more transparent bloom, also minimizing the typical treble loss that occurs when rolling back the volume. The volume and tone controls consequently react more smoothly and more evenly, without the typical hot spots, making it easier to clean up an overdriven amp simply by slightly rolling back the guitar's volume knob. Further, the Greasebucket™ II bridge-pickup tone control minimizes gain/mid loss when turned down.

Other premium features include a roasted quartersawn maple neck with '63-style "C" profile, a 9.5"-radius round-lam rosewood fingerboard with 21 jumbo (6100) frets and a bone nut, five-way pickup switch, 11-hole gold anodized aluminum pickguard, Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, vintage-style tuners, wing string tree with nylon spacer, deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.

PRODUCT SPECS
General
SERIES: Limited Edition
ORIENTATION: Right-Hand
COLOR: Aged Candy Apple Red
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US
Neck
HEADSTOCK: Stratocaster® Large
NECK MATERIAL: Roasted Quartersawn Maple
NECK FINISH: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
NECK SHAPE: 1963 Strat® "C"
NECK THICKNESS: .810"
NECK BUTT WIDTH: 2.200"
NECK THICKNESS 12TH FRET: .970"
FINGERBOARD RADIUS: 9.5" (241 mm)
FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Round-Laminated Rosewood
POSITION INLAYS: Mother of Pearl Dot, 0.28" (7 mm)
SIDE DOTS: Mother of Pearl
NUMBER OF FRETS: 21
TRUSS ROD: Early '60s
STRING NUT: Bone
NUT WIDTH: 1.650" (42 mm)
NUT MATERIAL: Bone
Body
BODY: 2-Piece Select Roasted Alder
BODY FINISH: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
BODY SHAPE: Stratocaster®
BODY MATERIAL: 2-Piece Select Roasted Alder
Hardware
BRIDGE: Custom Shop Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
PICKGUARD: 1-Ply Gold Anodized Aluminum
PICKUP COVERS: Vintage White
CONTROL KNOBS: Vintage White
SWITCH TIP: Vintage White
HARDWARE FINISH: Nickel/Chrome
TUNING MACHINES: Vintage-Style with Fender® Logo
STRING TREES: Dual-Wing with Nylon Spacer
STRINGS: Fender® USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250406
TREMOLO ARM: Vintage Upgraded '60s
NECK PLATE: 4-Bolt with Custom Shop "V" Logo
Electronics
BRIDGE PICKUP: Custom Shop Hand-Wound Fat '60s Single-Coil Strat®
MIDDLE PICKUP: Custom Shop Hand-Wound RWRP Fat '60s Single-Coil Strat®
NECK PICKUP: Custom Shop Hand-Wound Fat '60s Single-Coil Strat®
PICKUP CONFIGURATION: SSS
CONTROLS: Master Volume, Master Tone, Neck and Bridge Pickup Blender
SWITCHING: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
POTENTIOMETERS: 250K 10% Taper Split