New for 2024, the Fender Custom Shop introduces the 1959 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic. We chose to do this one in a classic Shell Pink finish, with the Faded Aged treatment to tone it down and give it the vibe of a vintage guitar. With the Journeyman Relic finish package, vibe is completed with some wear, but not a lot – think of a guitar that was used and not abused, worn in and handed down over the years.
The two-piece select alder body is lightweight and resonant. Classic appointments from the end of the decade are featured up and down the guitar: quartersawn maple neck with ’59-style “D” back-shape and flat-laminated rosewood fingerboard (modern 9.5″ radius and narrow tall 6105 frets) bring out the best in tone and playability.
For the pickups, when we want classic golden era tone with a little more punch, we’re going with the ever-popular Custom Shop Fat 50’s Strat set. This gives you calibrated pickups constructed with hand-beveled, staggered Alnico V magnets and Formvar magnet wire and they deliver enhanced bass response without the harsh midrange. The middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity for hum canceling in positions 2 and 4. The balanced output and enhanced dynamics are what make this Fender’s most requested pickup set. We also dig the Vintage Modified 2 wiring setup. This features a master volume, tone 1 (neck & middle pickups), and tone 2 (bridge) with treble bleed (for keeping mids and rolling off highs without adding bass). This guitar sounds downright amazing.
Other features include a 5-way switch, 3-ply mint green pickguard, Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut, and a wing string tree with tall metal spacerr.
The guitar comes complete with a deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity. For anyone looking for the authentic sound and look of a ’59 Strat, with a touch of modern playability, in a super cool and rarely seen color, this is it.
