The Fender Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster is April’s entry in their Rarities Series, and it’s an eye-popping visual feast. Everything is centered around an alder Strat body — the mainstay for Fender bodies. But scope out this guitar’s quilt maple top and you’ll quickly realize that this isn’t your typical Stratocaster. It doesn’t sound like an off-the-shelf Strat, either. The alder is roasted, first of all. Beyond that, the maple injects it with a healthy dose of bite and sustain. Plug this bad boy in, and you’ll bask in a blues-ish, mid-‘60s-flavored tone with loads of bell-like top end via a trio of Pure Vintage ’65 gray-bottom single-coil pickups. And it plays like a dream — its solid rosewood neck and fingerboard feature a comfortable ‘60s C shape and easy-playing 9.5” radius. A striking gloss polyurethane finish and Pure Vintage hardware round out the Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster’s exciting features.

Fender Rarities Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster at a Glance:

• Two-piece roasted alder body with quilt maple top
• Three Pure Vintage 65 single-coil Stratocaster pickups
• "60s C”-shaped solid rosewood neck; 9.5”-radius fingerboard
• Vintage-style hardware; six-point synchronized tremolo
• Includes vintage-style hardshell case

Top-shelf woods offer premium tone and looks

The Fender Rarities Series Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster is built from premium woods. Its roasted alder body is topped with eye-popping quilt maple, yielding an inviting, balanced blend of brightness, bite, and sustain. Its solid rosewood maple neck and fingerboard, besides offering exquisite playability, add extra warmth and smoothness to this guitar’s beautiful tonal cocktail. The Quilt Maple Top Strat’s gloss polyurethane finish adds a dazzling shine to its visually stunning finish.

Pure Vintage '65 pickups dish out truckloads of legendary tone

The Quilt Maple Top Strat's Pure Vintage '65 gray-bottom single-coils are as period correct as they come, from the fiber bobbins and Alnico V magnets right down to the enamel-coated coil wire and cloth-covered output wires. Wax potting keeps feedback and icepicks to a minimum, while contemporary 5-way switching unlocks in-between tones that are impossible on a true '65. Want an infectious, blues-ish tone with bell-like highs? Then, this is the Strat to get.

Fender Rarities Series — a new boutique-style guitar every month

Starting in April of 2019, Fender will release a new boutique-style guitar each month. Dubbed the Fender Rarities Series, these guitars feature premium woods, quilted maple tops, f-holes, high-end electronics, and all kinds of eye-popping finishes. The Rarities Series includes various Telecasters, Stratocasters, and a Jazz Bass — a total of nine instruments in all. The guitarists here at Music Experience are digging the uniqueness of these guitars, and we know our customers will, too.

What Fender Says...

Combining exotic tonewoods with premium pickups and appointments, the limited-edition Rarities Collection creates a truly unique musical experience. The Rarities Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster features a two-piece roasted alder body with a quilt maple top and a solid rosewood neck. The Pure Vintage 65 single-coil Stratocaster pickups deliver a sweet, articulate voice.

Quilted Maple Top

The roasted alder body sports a quilt maple cap—a high-end appointment that adds elegance to this guitar.

Premium Pickups

We outfitted this guitar with our Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster pickups for a sweet and articulate tone.

Solid Rosewood Neck

The one-piece rosewood neck adds warmth to the instrument’s voice and looks great.

"60s C" Neck Shape

The "60s C"-shaped neck profile is sculpted for a vintage-style playing feel, while the 9.5”-radius fingerboard and narrow-tall frets offer modern playability.

Gold Anodized Pickguard

This Stratocaster features a single-ply gold anodized aluminum pickguard.

Deluxe Hardshell Case

The Rarities Quilt Maple Stratocaster includes a vintage-style deluxe brown hardshell case.