The Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition 1960 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic is as close as you're going to get to a true 1960 this side of eBay. This 1960 reproduction Strat has been meticulously crafted by master luthiers at Fender's California Custom Shop to serve up the legendary spank, sparkle, and vibe of the original — without an exorbitant investment and endless visits to your luthier. Though this axe may look a half-century old, thanks to its Journeyman Relic finish, it sports a supremely playable '60s Oval "C"-profile maple neck and jumbo frets on its modern 9.5-inch-radius rosewood fingerboard. Spec'd with genre-defining Texas Special single-coils and classic 5-way switching, the Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition 1960 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic has what it takes to slake your thirst for impeccable tone and addictive playability.

Real-deal visuals: the Journeyman Relic treatment

Fender Custom Shop creates instruments that are spittin' images of the originals. Without sneaking a look at the neck heel stamps, you'd be hard-pressed to distinguish the Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition 1960 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic from the real deal! A period-correct nitrocellulose lacquer finish gives the guitar a timeless, classic look, while the relic process gives you a guitar that looks like it's spent time on the road. Nitro finishes — standard back in the '60s — are significantly thinner than today's polyurethane finishes, allowing the guitar to "breathe".

The pickups that defined the Texas blues sound

This '60s Strat's Texas Special pickups are overwound, calibrated, vintage-style Strat pickups. You'll love the midrange chirp, bell-like highs, and tight bass that they add to your Strat! Alnico V magnets and enamel coated magnet wire create the increased output that you want from a Texas Special. Each pickup is hand built using cloth lead wires and fiber bobbins. Texas Special pickups are wax potted to give you microphonic free operation, which is ideal for players who love to pack on the gain.

AAA rosewood fingerboard

The Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition 1960 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic remains true to a real-deal '60 while taking full advantage of the tweaks modern players love. Its AAA rosewood fingerboard inset with Vintage Clay Dot inlays is flattened to a modern-playing 9.5-inch radius and topped with jumbo frets for a more comfortable playing experience overall. This is advantageous for players who really like to get under the string for wide bends and vibrato.

It's all about the feel

If you savor the feel of a played-in guitar with a just-right neck and perfect fretwork with spot-on intonation, Music Experience has your axe right here! The '60 Relic Strat sports jumbo frets and a 9.5-inch radius so you can bend up high without fretting out. It's the best of old and new!