SOLD - Fender Custom Shop 1954 Strat 50th Anniversary Yuriy Shishkov Masterbuilt NOS – USA 2004

SOLD 

In celebration of the 50th birthday of its famous Stratocaster model, in 2004 Fender took the reissue concept to new heights.

“We knew we could do it,” said Head of Fender Custom Shop, Mike Eldred. “But the problem with a Fender from 1954 is that if you laid out four of them in front of you, no two would be alike. There would be small variations. So we took one apart and based the 50th Anniversary model on it.” That one was #0100, belonging to Richard Smith, renowned Fender expert and author of Fender: The Sound Heard ’Round the World.

Because the guitar is a Master Built model, each carries subtle differences determined by the individual builder. This lends each a unique element that in a way harkens back to the variations in the originals – perhaps a slightly different body contour or different blend on the neck etc. But other parts are just like they were in ’54.

This is a 50th Anniversary Stratocaster, Masterbuilt by Yuriy Shishkov. The Limited Edition 1954 Strat® guitars were built from January 15th to December 31st of 2004, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stratocaster guitar. They are faithful replications made with the same exacting detail as the original instruments, using many of the same machines and manufacturing methods used 50 years beforehand.

Every deep body contour, pickup magnet and screw is a replica of a 1954 Strat. Fender even went as far as to have pre-CBS Fender® employee, Roger Centeno, stamp each tremolo cover plate with the original die.

This guitar features a nitro-cellulose lacquered, two-piece ash body with offset glue seam, and one-piece “U”-shape maple neck. This limited release guitar also includes three new Custom Shop Vintage 1954 Stratocaster pickups - custom reproductions of the original 1954 pickups.

This guitar has some beautiful light finish checking on the top and back. Other than that, this guitar looks and feels like it’s been locked in a cupboard since 1954 – hence the NOS (new old stock) moniker. No heavy relicing on this one.

The finish and body contours also match the original exactly. There are also features and details that at the time, had yet to be seen on a reproduction, using the exact formulas and materials that were used on the original parts. The Custom Shop produced chemically accurate and lab-tested plastics for the short skirt knobs, rounded-edge pickup covers, and period correct "football" switch tip. The bent-steel Fender-stamped bridge saddles (at that time "Patent Pending") are painstaking reproductions of the originals from 1954. The stunning grain of the Ash body shines through under the accurately mixed and applied Two-Tone Sunburst nitro finish.

The guitar is fitted with an original synchronized tremolo with “Ash Tray” bridge cover, bone nut, and special documentation. We have seen and listed other Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt 50th Anniversary Stratocasters from this very limited run, and this Yuriy Shishkov model is right up there with the best of them.

This guitar presents as it did on the day it arrived in the showroom – NOS in mint condition. It had two owners since 2004, neither of whom took it out of the house. So this is an 18 year old, amazingly detailed replica of a 60 year old iconic guitar – a guitar that changed the music world.

Comes in its original form-fit Fender brown case with plush red lining in new condition along with its Fender Certificate of Authenticity personally signed by Yuriy Shishkov.

Even more detail in this review -  http://www.vintageguitar.com/18244/fenders-50th-anniversary-strat/

Video demo of same model - https://youtu.be/di-IcWGUygE