Fender Custom Shop Guitars

Since 1987, the Fender Custom Shop has been a "dream factory" producing guitars that are to playing what Ferraris are to driving. The skilled craftsmen in Fender's Corona, Calif., Custom Shop are known worldwide for their artistry in making guitars that range from the fine to the fantastic. Whether it's building a new custom instrument from the ground up or modifying an existing one, their best is the best. Fender Custom Shop instruments have been crafted for and with the input of the world's finest players; names like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, James Burton, Robert Cray, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend and Jimmy Vaughan, to name just a few. One could be yours. The Music Zoo is one of the top independent Fender Custom Shop dealers in the world All the guitars pictured here are in stock and individually photographed. Please note: we will ship Fender® Custom Shop products within the United States only.

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Fender Custom 60th Anniversary Limited "Snake Head" Telecaster Prototype Electric Guitar View

In summer of 1949, Leo Fender built a pre-production "field test" prototype solidbody electric guitar that was taken around to different clubs for guitarists to try out. This guitar featured a laminated two-piece pine body, short pickguard, and famous "Snake-Head" headstock. It was from this model that the Telecaster was born.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Telecaster, the Fender Custom Shop has produced a limited run of 60 replica 1949 "Snake-Head" prototypes. These instruments feature a body made from 100 year old pine, nitro finish, 1-piece hard rock maple neck with no truss rod, vintage wiring, and Limited Edition neck plate and decal. Each one is custom reliced, so no two are exactly alike. You are looking at #43.

Fender®, Telecaster®, and the distinctive headstock and body designs commonly found on the Tele® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Fender®, Telecaster®, and Tele® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Masterbuilt ’63 Rosewood Neck Telecaster NOS Electric Guitar Seafoam Green View

The 1963 Telecaster is built with an "oval C" shaped neck, a shape that feels exactly like it sounds. The "C" shape always fits itself right into your fretting hand and never hinders anyone's playing style. We put a spin on this '63 Tele by giving it a one-piece rosewood neck. The guitar, which has been crafted by Fender Master Builder Dennis Galuszka, has a unique look to it and an even more out-of-the-ordinary tone. Rosewood emphasizes the low end, giving it a "boomier" and looser bottom end. Speaking of tone, this guitar is loaded with Abby Ybarra handwound '63 Tele pickups, the cream of the crop when it comes to Fender electronics.

Fender®, Telecaster®, and Tele® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop '53 Humbucker Telecaster Heavy Relic Nocaster Blonde View

This is a fantastic '53 Humbucker Telecaster teambuilt at the Custom Shop with a heavy relic Nocaster blonde finish to give the guitar the appearance of an instrument that's seen every dive bar stage it's come across in its life. The guitar has that super chunky '51 "U" Nocaster neck profile, a shape which we're huge fans of at the Zoo. The guitar has a Custom Deluxe 6-saddle bridge which is very helpful in adjusting the intonation of the Tele. The Telecaster has a handwound Broadcaster pickup in the bridge, a Duncan Antiquity '59 humbucker in the neck, and set up with vintage wiring that runs the bridge pickup in the first position, the neck pickup in the second, and the neck pickup with a high-end rolloff in the third for a wide variety of vintage tones in one beautiful Telecaster.

Fender®, Telecaster®, Nocaster®, and Tele® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop 1951 Relic Nocaster Electric Guitar Blonde View

The Fender Nocaster is a true piece of history in the world of electric guitars. The product of some last minute ingenuity on Leo Fender's part to avoid being sued by the Gretsch company over the use of the word "Broadcaster," Fender simply had his employees cut the word off of the headstock decal. The guitars were then only identifiable by the lone Fender logo, and thus the "Nocaster" was born. This 2012 Custom Shop version of the Nocaster takes the guitar for a modern spin, giving it 21 6105 frets with a modern 9.5" radius for smooth playability, and loading it with a pair of Twisted Tele pickups for that classic spanky twang.

Fender®, Nocaster ® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop 1961 Relic Telecaster Custom Electric Guitar 3-Tone Sunburst View

The Telecaster Custom was first introduced by Fender in the early 1960's. With its upgraded double-bound body, the guitar was a high-class looker of an instrument which is highly sought after by vintage collectors today. The Custom Shop has now reintroduced the double-bound Tele with this excellent '61 Tele Custom Relic. Upgraded with modern specs such as a 9.5" radius, 6105 frets, and a Master Builder-designed Twisted Tele pickup set, the guitar has everything a player could want in a Tele, and more.

Fender®, Telecaster®, and Tele ® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop 1961 Relic Telecaster Custom Electric Guitar Black View

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Fender Custom Shop 2011 Road Show Limited Edition Custom Telecaster Thinline Electric Guitar View

We look forward to the Fender Road Show every year; they fly in a few of their top guys from the Custom Shop Team (who we have a blast hanging out with and just can't say enough positive things about), and send us a Masterbuilder to talk guitar building and answers every question we throw at them. On top of that, they roll out a very special group of Limited Edition instruments built exclusively for this event.

This Roadshow instrument is a Custom Telecaster Thinline with a white blonde finish that has gone through Fender's Closet Classic treatment. The treatment gives the guitar some finish checking and surface swirling throughout the body. This one has some of our favorite features all packed into one killer instrument; a white finish/gold hardware combo, an AA flamed maple neck, and Twisted Tele pickups...amazing!

Fender®, Telecaster®,and Tele® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop 2012 Telecaster Pro Closet Classic Electric Guitar Nocaster Blonde View

This is the 2012 Custom Shop Telecaster Pro with a great looking Nocaster Blonde finish which is just transparent enough to let you see the grain in the ash body. This Tele Pro is loaded with features both cosmetic as well as "behind the scenes" to make it a wonderful looker as well as a player. One of the most prominent features is the access heel on the back of the body, which your fretting hand rests on naturally as you play up high. This Tele Pro is also loaded with Twisted Tele pickups, and a Greasebucket tone circuit which allows you to roll down your tone knob without muddying up your tone with too much bass.

Fender®, Telecaster®, and Tele® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop 50's Relic Telecaster Electric Guitar Vintage Blonde View

While many of us here at the Zoo aren't even old enough to have first-hand accounts of the decade, the 1950s were a pivotal era for Fender and we're fond of anything that represents their rich history. This Telecaster puts a twist on the '50s Tele by giving it a classic appearance with a few unique twists.

The neck on this '50s Relic Tele has a full '58 "V" shape. If you've always felt like you would dig the feel of a '57 soft "V" more if the shoulders were a bit fatter, this is the neck for you. It still has that angle in the middle that fits into your palm, with more girth on the edges for an excellent grip. The 7.25" radius is also combined with medium jumbo frets so that your bends still have a vintage feel, without notes choking out as quickly.

We dig the aging details around the horn and bottom bout that give it a real "worn-in" vibe and the aged-looking gold hardware. The tuners even have a bit of relic wear to them for seriously authentic looks. The maple neck plays nice and smooth, and the options for those classic twangy Tele bends are endless.

Fender®, Telecaster® and Tele® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop 60th Anniversary Limited Nocaster Electric Guitar Blonde View

This instrument is a reproduction of one of the most collectible Fender guitars ever made, the Broadcaster. The Broadcaster was introduced to the public by Fall of 1950, with a price tag of $169.95 plus $39.95 for the case. This new model featured the addition of an adjustable truss rod and was the first Fender guitar officially released with 2 pickups (although some transitional 2-pickup Esquires exist). There are estimates that anywhere from 50 to 500 Broadcasters were built, though experts agree there were probably no more than 200 instruments produced in the six months or so during which the Broadcaster name was used. In early 1951, Fender received a letter from the New York-based Fred Gretsch company asking them to change the name, as they already owned the trademark for the term “Broadkaster.” This is the first time the guitar has been reproduced with the original logo since then.

Original Broadcaster neck profiles range from deep and soft V’s to smaller, more rounded shapes. This Custom Shop run has medium rounded necks, making these instruments very comfortable to play at both the high and low frets. Plug one into an amp you'll instantly hear that classic Tele tone. Our favorite sound comes from the middle position, a beautiful blend of the neck and bridge pickup that is incredibly warm with thick midrange.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Telecaster, these guitars are limited to 60 total for worldwide sale. This instrument is number 36 (according to the Custom Shop, serial numbers are non-sequential, chosen at random).

Fender®, Telecaster®, Broadcaster®,and Tele® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Bass VI Relic Electric Guitar Shell Pink View

From a small batch run here at The Music Zoo. The Bass VI gives you the lower bass register in a comfortable guitar-like setup. The specs of the Bass VI are dead on, so we gave it a custom color and an aged finish to kick it up a notch.

Fender® and Bass VI® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Dick Dale Signature Stratocaster Electric Guitar Chartreuse Sparkle View

The Custom Shop Dick Dale signature Strat looks and sounds like no other Strat, which is appropriate for the player who sounds like no other; the king of surf-rock Dick Dale. With it's eye-catching chartreuse sparkle finish, reverse-style Strat headstock, and lightly figured maple neck, the looks are all up to par on this one. The tone sounds like 50's single coil heaven. Thanks to the reversed bridge pickup, and special toggle switch bypassing the switch to combine the neck and bridge pickups, the guitar can do some awesome surf-guitar tones when you add a reverb in there.

Fender®, Stratocaster®, and Strat® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster Electric Guitar Midnight Blue View

Built to Slowhand’s exacting specifications, the Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster guitar—among the “Cream” of the Fender crop, so to speak—is powered by three Vintage Noiseless™ pickups and features a special soft V-shaped maple neck, blocked tremolo and Clapton’s signature on the headstock.

This Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster is finished in a cool, stealthy midnight blue. The soft "V" shape of the neck paired with a 9.5" radius and vintage style frets feels great for rhythm playing, and the bridge tone knob serves as a control for an active mid-boost circuit. Turned up slightly it gives your tone a slight kick, and turned to ten will make your leads and solos stand out in any tune.

Fender®, Stratocaster®, and Strat® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Exclusive Masterbuilt '55 Stratocaster Ultimate Relic Electric Guitar 2-Tone Sunburst View

In 2007 we approached the Fender Custom Shop with an idea. We wanted the most beat-up, played-in Stratocaster we'd ever seen, and we wanted it to feel like it had been played every night for 40 years. Soon we realized that we would have to take the aging processes developed in the Custom Shop to their limits to produce what would end up being not a tribute to any famous guitarist, but a tribute to the instrument itself. The Ultimate Relic Stratocaster® was born.

We really wanted something that had that special vibe, that particular feeling that so many vintage, well-played instruments have. We had our doubts that guitars aged to this degree wouldn't be done right unless it was a tribute model or some such limited edition. But we shouldn't have doubted Fender's Masterbuilders. Custom Shop veteran John Cruz and guitar building phenom Jason Smith immediately "got it" and met our challenge with an extraordinary attention to detail and skill.

We can order your Ultimate Relic based on Stratocaster® models from 1954 through 1969, in original colors and custom hues. All Ulimate Relics have a extremely worn (and thin) lacquer finish and a very soft neck feel, with the neck profile determined by the model year. We add a special players touch by outfitting most of the guitars with a slightly flatter 9.5" fingerboard radius, and slight larger 6105 medium jumbo frets. Is it a player's guitar? Or is it a collector's guitar? It's both.

Music Zoo manager Tim Reynolds:
"I worked with John [Cruz] to establish the concept of what the guitars should look like, being careful to create our own style that wouldn’t be replicating any signature guitar or famous Strat that already exists, but rather create a stand-alone, been to hell and back player guitar. I have to admit though, it’s really John’s vision and skill that makes these guitars what they are. …The guitars feel so broken in and ”at home“ in your hands. They look and feel like a vintage piece right out of the case. Tonally, with a minimal amount of finish left, you’ll find the instrument resonates extremely well, and you tend to get more openness and sustain by allowing the wood to ring freely, much in the same way a vintage player guitar comes alive from the first note you play. Bottom line, we just wanted to make the most badass Relic around."

Fender®, Stratocaster® and Strat® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Exclusive Masterbuilt '56 Stratocaster Ultimate Relic Electric Guitar Desert Sand View

In 2007 we approached the Fender Custom Shop with an idea. We wanted the most beat-up, played-in Stratocaster we'd ever seen, and we wanted it to feel like it had been played every night for 40 years. Soon we realized that we would have to take the aging processes developed in the Custom Shop to their limits to produce what would end up being not a tribute to any famous guitarist, but a tribute to the instrument itself. The Ultimate Relic Stratocaster® was born.

We really wanted something that had that special vibe, that particular feeling that so many vintage, well-played instruments have. We had our doubts that guitars aged to this degree wouldn't be done right unless it was a tribute model or some such limited edition. But we shouldn't have doubted Fender's Masterbuilders. Custom Shop veteran John Cruz and guitar building phenom Jason Smith immediately "got it" and met our challenge with an extraordinary attention to detail and skill.

We can order your Ultimate Relic based on Stratocaster® models from 1954 through 1969, in original colors and custom hues. All Ulimate Relics have a extremely worn (and thin) lacquer finish and a very soft neck feel, with the neck profile determined by the model year. We add a special players touch by outfitting most of the guitars with a slightly flatter 9.5" fingerboard radius, and slight larger 6105 medium jumbo frets. Is it a player's guitar? Or is it a collector's guitar? It's both.

Music Zoo manager Tim Reynolds:
"I worked with John [Cruz] to establish the concept of what the guitars should look like, being careful to create our own style that wouldn’t be replicating any signature guitar or famous Strat that already exists, but rather create a stand-alone, been to hell and back player guitar. I have to admit though, it’s really John’s vision and skill that makes these guitars what they are. …The guitars feel so broken in and ”at home“ in your hands. They look and feel like a vintage piece right out of the case. Tonally, with a minimal amount of finish left, you’ll find the instrument resonates extremely well, and you tend to get more openness and sustain by allowing the wood to ring freely, much in the same way a vintage player guitar comes alive from the first note you play. Bottom line, we just wanted to make the most badass Relic around."

Fender®, Stratocaster®, and Strat® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Exclusive Masterbuilt '57 Stratocaster Ultimate Relic Electric Guitar White Blonde View

In 2007 we approached the Fender Custom Shop with an idea. We wanted the most beat-up, played-in Stratocaster we'd ever seen, and we wanted it to feel like it had been played every night for 40 years. Soon we realized that we would have to take the aging processes developed in the Custom Shop to their limits to produce what would end up being not a tribute to any famous guitarist, but a tribute to the instrument itself. The Ultimate Relic Stratocaster® was born.

We really wanted something that had that special vibe, that particular feeling that so many vintage, well-played instruments have. We had our doubts that guitars aged to this degree wouldn't be done right unless it was a tribute model or some such limited edition. But we shouldn't have doubted Fender's Masterbuilders. Custom Shop veteran John Cruz and guitar building phenom Jason Smith immediately "got it" and met our challenge with an extraordinary attention to detail and skill.

We can order your Ultimate Relic based on Stratocaster® models from 1954 through 1969, in original colors and custom hues. All Ulimate Relics have a extremely worn (and thin) lacquer finish and a very soft neck feel, with the neck profile determined by the model year. We add a special players touch by outfitting most of the guitars with a slightly flatter 9.5" fingerboard radius, and slight larger 6105 medium jumbo frets. Is it a player's guitar? Or is it a collector's guitar? It's both.

Music Zoo manager Tim Reynolds:
"I worked with John [Cruz] to establish the concept of what the guitars should look like, being careful to create our own style that wouldn’t be replicating any signature guitar or famous Strat that already exists, but rather create a stand-alone, been to hell and back player guitar. I have to admit though, it’s really John’s vision and skill that makes these guitars what they are. …The guitars feel so broken in and ”at home“ in your hands. They look and feel like a vintage piece right out of the case. Tonally, with a minimal amount of finish left, you’ll find the instrument resonates extremely well, and you tend to get more openness and sustain by allowing the wood to ring freely, much in the same way a vintage player guitar comes alive from the first note you play. Bottom line, we just wanted to make the most badass Relic around."

Fender®, Stratocaster® and Strat® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Exclusive Masterbuilt '62 Stratocaster Ultimate Relic Electric Guitar Daphne Blue View

In 2007 we approached the Fender Custom Shop with an idea. We wanted the most beat-up, played-in Stratocaster we'd ever seen, and we wanted it to feel like it had been played every night for 40 years. Soon we realized that we would have to take the aging processes developed in the Custom Shop to their limits to produce what would end up being not a tribute to any famous guitarist, but a tribute to the instrument itself. The Ultimate Relic Stratocaster® was born.

We really wanted something that had that special vibe, that particular feeling that so many vintage, well-played instruments have. We had our doubts that guitars aged to this degree wouldn't be done right unless it was a tribute model or some such limited edition. But we shouldn't have doubted Fender's Masterbuilders. Custom Shop veteran John Cruz and guitar building phenom Jason Smith immediately "got it" and met our challenge with an extraordinary attention to detail and skill.

We can order your Ultimate Relic based on Stratocaster® models from 1954 through 1969, in original colors and custom hues. All Ulimate Relics have a extremely worn (and thin) lacquer finish and a very soft neck feel, with the neck profile determined by the model year. We add a special players touch by outfitting most of the guitars with a slightly flatter 9.5" fingerboard radius, and slight larger 6105 medium jumbo frets. Is it a player's guitar? Or is it a collector's guitar? It's both.

Music Zoo manager Tim Reynolds:
"I worked with John [Cruz] to establish the concept of what the guitars should look like, being careful to create our own style that wouldn’t be replicating any signature guitar or famous Strat that already exists, but rather create a stand-alone, been to hell and back player guitar. I have to admit though, it’s really John’s vision and skill that makes these guitars what they are. …The guitars feel so broken in and ”at home“ in your hands. They look and feel like a vintage piece right out of the case. Tonally, with a minimal amount of finish left, you’ll find the instrument resonates extremely well, and you tend to get more openness and sustain by allowing the wood to ring freely, much in the same way a vintage player guitar comes alive from the first note you play. Bottom line, we just wanted to make the most badass Relic around."

Fender®, Stratocaster® and Strat® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender Custom Shop Exclusive Masterbuilt '62 Stratocaster Ultimate Relic Electric Guitar Surf Green View

In 2007 we approached the Fender Custom Shop with an idea. We wanted the most beat-up, played-in Stratocaster we'd ever seen, and we wanted it to feel like it had been played every night for 40 years. Soon we realized that we would have to take the aging processes developed in the Custom Shop to their limits to produce what would end up being not a tribute to any famous guitarist, but a tribute to the instrument itself. The Ultimate Relic Stratocaster® was born.

We really wanted something that had that special vibe, that particular feeling that so many vintage, well-played instruments have. We had our doubts that guitars aged to this degree wouldn't be done right unless it was a tribute model or some such limited edition. But we shouldn't have doubted Fender's Masterbuilders. Custom Shop veteran John Cruz and guitar building phenom Jason Smith immediately "got it" and met our challenge with an extraordinary attention to detail and skill.

We can order your Ultimate Relic based on Stratocaster® models from 1954 through 1969, in original colors and custom hues. All Ulimate Relics have a extremely worn (and thin) lacquer finish and a very soft neck feel, with the neck profile determined by the model year. We add a special players touch by outfitting most of the guitars with a slightly flatter 9.5" fingerboard radius, and slight larger 6105 medium jumbo frets. Is it a player's guitar? Or is it a collector's guitar? It's both.

Music Zoo manager Tim Reynolds:
"I worked with John [Cruz] to establish the concept of what the guitars should look like, being careful to create our own style that wouldn’t be replicating any signature guitar or famous Strat that already exists, but rather create a stand-alone, been to hell and back player guitar. I have to admit though, it’s really John’s vision and skill that makes these guitars what they are. …The guitars feel so broken in and ”at home“ in your hands. They look and feel like a vintage piece right out of the case. Tonally, with a minimal amount of finish left, you’ll find the instrument resonates extremely well, and you tend to get more openness and sustain by allowing the wood to ring freely, much in the same way a vintage player guitar comes alive from the first note you play. Bottom line, we just wanted to make the most badass Relic around."

Fender®, Stratocaster® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

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Fender®, Stratocaster®, Telecaster®, Precision Bass®, Jazz Bass® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation