Fender Custom Shop 1959 Stratocaster Heavy Relic
Masterbuilt by Dale Wilson
This Fender Custom Shop 1959 Stratocaster Masterbuilt by Dale Wilson is not a standard Custom Shop guitar — it is a highly refined instrument where craftsmanship, history and feel come together. Everything about this guitar is built to respond like a well-played vintage Strat from the golden era of blues.
Manufacturer and Model Background
The Fender Stratocaster was introduced in 1954 and quickly became one of the most important instruments in electric blues. By 1959, the model evolved with the introduction of a rosewood fingerboard, giving the guitar a slightly warmer and rounder tonal character compared to earlier maple neck versions.
Within Fender's production hierarchy, the Custom Shop represents the highest level of craftsmanship. Above that sits the Masterbuilt program, where each guitar is built entirely by one luthier. In this case, Dale Wilson — known for his extremely realistic relic work and deep focus on vintage accuracy. Dale Wilson arrived at Fender in 2003, joined the Custom Shop in 2005 and became a Master Builder in 2011. His path included stints at Dobro and Rickenbacker before arriving at Fender, and his work spans Guild, Gretsch and Benedetto guitars before beginning his apprenticeship with various Custom Shop Master Builders.
According to the shop floor certificate, this guitar is a 1959 Stratocaster Heavy Relic with an alder body, 3-color sunburst finish, AAA flame maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and hand-wound pickups. Built in the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, California.
Why This Guitar Matters in Blues
The late 1950s Stratocaster is one of the defining instruments of modern blues. It is not just about tone, but about response. This type of guitar translates every nuance of your playing directly into sound. Blues relies heavily on dynamics and touch, and this Strat delivers exactly that — it allows a player to move from clean, glassy tones to raw breakup purely through picking attack.
What Respected Blues Guitarists Did With It
Stevie Ray Vaughan used heavily worn Stratocasters to create his aggressive yet expressive Texas blues tone, relying on the guitar's dynamic response as much as the amplifier. Buddy Guy used Strat-style guitars for their vocal-like expressiveness and wide dynamic range. Jimmie Vaughan is known for his pure Strat tone with minimal effects, letting the guitar and hands do the work. Modern players like John Mayer continue this tradition, building their sound around touch sensitivity and tonal nuance.
Sound Profile
This guitar delivers a true vintage Strat sound — with depth and character that goes beyond specification.
Dale Wilson — Fender Custom Shop Master Builder since 2011.
What Makes It Special
What sets this guitar apart is the combination of craftsmanship, feel and detail. Being Masterbuilt means every aspect of the instrument is handled by a single builder, ensuring consistency and intention throughout. The heavy relic finish is not only visual — it contributes to the broken-in feel of the guitar from the first moment you pick it up.
The hand-wound pickups provide a unique balance and response that cannot be replicated in mass production. The AAA flame maple neck combined with the rosewood fingerboard offers both vintage feel and modern playability. This is not just a visually aged instrument — it is designed to behave like a great vintage guitar in every way that matters.
For Gerbman, this guitar fits perfectly into his approach to tone — where feel and dynamics are more important than technical perfection. This is an instrument that reacts to every nuance in playing. It supports his blues phrasing and allows him to shape his tone directly with his hands.
Paired with Fender tube amps, it delivers the core of his sound. Attack, sustain and touch sensitivity in a single instrument. Not about perfection — about expression. Every note responds, every phrase has weight, and every imperfection adds character.
Rarity and Availability
This is a Masterbuilt instrument and therefore extremely limited. Availability is low, usually restricted to high-end dealers or the secondary market. Prices are significantly higher than standard Custom Shop models. Rarity classification: highly collectible.
Variants and Alternatives
- Other Dale Wilson Masterbuilt Stratocasters — each unique, built to individual spec
- Fender Custom Shop 1959 Stratocaster Relic (non-Masterbuilt) — more accessible, still exceptional
- Fender Custom Shop 1959 Stratocaster NOS — unaged version of the same specification
- Fender American Vintage II 1959 Stratocaster — the most accessible version of this era
- Suhr Classic S / Nash S63 — boutique alternatives in the same tonal territory
