Fender Custom Shop Vintage Custom ’55 Hardtail Stratocaster | Aged White Blonde

There’s something particularly cool about a great ’50s Strat when you strip the formula down to its essentials, and this 2023 Fender Custom Shop Vintage Custom ’55 does exactly that. Finished in Aged White Blonde over a sorted two-piece ash body, the translucent finish lets the grain remain visible underneath and gives the guitar that unmistakable early-Fender look. What really separates this one is the hardtail configuration. Instead of the traditional synchronized tremolo, Fender paired the ash body with a vintage-style hardtail bridge and patent-pending saddles. It makes for a relatively uncommon take on the ’55 Strat formula, while the trio of Hand-Wound ’55 Strat pickups keeps the voice firmly rooted in vintage Fender territory. The neck is a particularly great spec: rift-sawn maple with a substantial 1954 “U” profile measuring .900" at the first fret and .970" at the 12th. A 7.25"–9.5" compound radius and 21 Medium Vintage frets retain the vintage character while adding a little more practicality up the neck. The finish treatment ties the whole thing together. Fender used its Flash Coat lacquer with no buff on both the body and neck, with a medium tint on the maple. Combined with the Aged White Blonde, single-ply-style eggshell guard, black dots and vintage hardware, it looks exactly like the kind of beautifully preserved mid-’50s Strat that inspired the build in the first place. Serial: R130019 Weight: 7 lbs Year: 2023 Model: Fender Custom Shop Vintage Custom ’55 Hardtail Stratocaster Finish: Aged White Blonde Finish Type: Flash Coat Lacquer Body: 2-Piece Sorted Ash Body Style: ’56 Strat Bridge: Hardtail w/ Patent Pending Saddles Neck: Rift-Sawn Maple Neck Finish: Flash Coat Lacquer, Medium Tint Neck Shape: 1954 “U” Neck Thickness: .900" 1st Fret / .970" 12th Fret Fingerboard: Maple Radius: 7.25"–9.5" Compound Radius Frets: 21 Medium Vintage / 47095 Nut Width: 1.650" Face Dots: .250" Black Micarta, Wide Spacing Pickups: Hand-Wound ’55 Strat Custom Shop – Neck, Middle & Bridge Controls: Vintage Strat ’54/’58 Pickup Selector: 5-Way CRL Pickguard: ’54–’58 Strat, Eggshell Hardware: Chrome/Nickel Tuners: Vintage w/ Fender Logo Included: Original Hardshell Case, COA & Accessories Notes: Mint Condition