Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt David Brown 1963 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic Brazilian Rosewood Super Faded Sage Green Metallic

 A True Masterpiece from a Masterbuilder

Truetone Music is proud to have a long and close relationship with Fender, especially with the Custom Shop.  Every so often, we make a pilgrimage there to sit down with Masterbuilders to cook up a batch of amazing guitars.  Sometimes we go for vintage-styled recreations, sometimes we go for modernized tweaks.  Sometimes it's a classic color, sometimes it's a totally new color or even reclaimed wood.  No matter what, they always knock it out of the park!

This amazing 1963 Stratocaster is a result of this partnership.  When a new Masterbuilder is announced, we jump on it and immediately reach out to start working together.  In this case, it was easy - the newest Masterbuilder was our old friend David Brown, who had been at Fender previously.  It was a lot of fun to reconnect and start dreaming up a batch of amazing guitars.  We specifically asked him what he was interested in doing and worked on the design together.  That was the genesis of this unbelievably awesome guitar.

One of the first things you'll notice, from the title alone, is that this guitar has a Brazilian Rosewood fretboard.  Rarely seen and highly desirable, this upgrade is only available through the Custom Shop on Masterbuilt instruments. David picked out a beautiful piece for this one.  It has all of the feel & comfort you would expect from a masterbuilt instrument.  David really does amazing work with the fine details on a neck, from the perfectly seated frets, rolled edges and overall playability.  We went period correct with the 60's Style C neck carve, which has become the most popular for Custom Shop guitars over the years.  A unique feature is the compound radius (7.25 - 9.5").  This gives you the best of both worlds, for easy chording in the first position and a real vintage feel, but with a flattening out as you progress up the fretboard, for a touch of modern.  We went with Narrow Tall (6105) frets, making it easy to play, even up high on the neck when bending notes.

Of course, another you'll notice is the color - this is a Super Faded Sage Green Metallic, something that is rarely seen.  It looks amazing, and David picked out the perfect tortoise shell pickguard for it.  Honestly, this is one of the coolest Strats we've seen here....and we've seen a ton! 

For the finish, we decided on the Journeyman Relic package, with a heavier Relic back of the neck to give it that true broken-in feel.  So, when first looking at the guitar, it has aging, but no significant wear - this one has the look of a guitar that was played for years but cared for, not abused.  Upon closer inspection, you'll see the aging of the hardware, and extremely well done finish checking.  There will be a few chips and dings, but nothing significant.  However, the real treat is when you pick it up and feel how comfortable the neck is.  You'll never want to put it down.

When it came time to choose the pickups, we discussed it with David and settled on the Custom Shop Fat 60's Strat set.   There are a ton of options out there, but these are some of our favorite pickups.  They deliver sweet 1960s single-coil Stratocaster sound with plenty of crisp articulation. The overwound design gives these pickups added low-end punch for an extra shot of modern attitude.  At David's suggestion, we also went for a special wiring, called the "1/2 Blender Strat" to give it a twist that many players will recognize as a popular modification.  The ½ blender wiring turns the second tone control into a blend pot while the pickup switch is in Position 1 and 2, allowing you to mix the neck pickup in, shaping your tone to precisely match your taste.  It's a nifty feature, and this sort of tweak is exactly why we love collaborating with Masterbuilders like this.

Other features include vintage tuners, American Vintage bridge/tremolo, a bone nut and as an added bonus, a tweed case.  The official Certificate of Authenticity is included.  Please note that the guitar is stamped as "USA Only".  Due to international restrictions on Brazilian Rosewood, we can only ship the guitar within the United States.

David Brown’s music adventure began in the late `70s while he was in middle school. By the time he was in high school, he was playing in bands and working at a local store in Anaheim where he learned guitar repair and construction. In 2000, David got the opportunity to work at Fender and thus began his career with the company. By 2006, he received a degree in marketing from California State University at Fullerton and was now working in the Fender Custom Shop building new models as well as making instruments for various artists.

“I hope to bring a perspective that takes into account all of my previous experiences in guitar building and construction. I hope to create these instruments that are the industry standard when it comes to accuracy and feel for the musician. Becoming a Master Builder for the Fender Custom Shop means that you’ve arrived. There is no higher pinnacle than this.”

Apart from electric guitars being his passion, David enjoys designing and building tube amplifiers and playing original music with his classic rock band. He and his wife enjoy traveling abroad as well as rescuing and fostering dogs and cats. He also enjoys black and white landscape photography.

This guitar has all of the mojo of a vintage instrument, with a few twists and modernizations for playability.  It comes with a period correct hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.  A Masterbuilt instrument is like no other, and this is truly a one of a kind.  Come to at Truetone Music to experience it today, or make it yours right here.

• Serial # R138978
• Weight: 7.6 lbs
• Model# 9211003232
• Finish Package: Journeyman Relic
• Note: Heavy Relic Back of Neck
• Finish: Nitro Lacquer
• Color: Super Faded Sage Green Metallic
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Rift Sawn Maple
• Fretboard: Brazilian Rosewood
• Tint: Medium
• Note: Remove finish from back of neck
• Neck Shape: 60's Style Oval "C"
• Neck Nut Width: 1.650"
• Neck Thickness at 1st Fret:  .790"
  
• Neck Thickness at 12th Fret:  .930"
  
• Neck Butt Width: 2.200"
• Frets: 21
• Fretwire: 6105 Narrow Tall
• Radius: Compound 7.25 - 9.5"
• Dots: Clay
• Pickguard: Faded 4-ply Tortoise Shell
• Neck Pickup:  Custom Shop Fat 60's Strat
• Middle Pickup:  Custom Shop Fat 60's Strat RWRP
• Bridge Pickup:   Custom Shop Fat 60's Strat
• Wiring:  1/2 Strat Blender
• Switch: 5 way
• Bone Nut
• Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
• Tuners: Vintage
• String Guide: Vintage
• Bridge: American Vintage
• Neck Plate: Vintage
• Case: Custom Shop Tweed