Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Signature 1961 Heavy Relic in 3 Colour Sunburst 2005. Excellent used condition 9.5/10 (obviously excluding the relic finish).

 

These guitars are re-known amongst players and collectors as being some of the nicest playing and sounding Strats to leave the custom shop. They truly feel played in, comfortable and have fantastic tonal versatility on tap.

 

The guitar is nice and resonant and weighs in around the 8lb mark. Its beautifully heavy relic roasted Alder body and stunning 60 C shape quartersawn maple neck with dark SLAB board have a lovely worn in feel to them. Without a doubt one of the nicest feeling neck and body combinations to leave the Fender Custom Shop.

 

Being an early Custom Shop Rory Gallagher guitar it has been wired from the factory with 5 way switching for more tonal versatility. The newer versions of these guitars come equipped with a 3 way switch fitted from the factory. The 3 way switch is also present as shown. The sale includes the case and all candy in the images. Including the strap, ashtray, lead, tremolo, 3 way switch, custom shop certificate, tags and documentation. The ageing and attention to detail on this one is sublime.

 

Tonally the guitar features 3 x handwound 1960 custom shop pickups. Being handwound the pickups add a huge tonal difference as the copper wire is spread more irregularly with an air gap (scattered) onto the bobbin, resulting in less electrical capacitance which results in a more open sound, just like they were made back in the day. Plugged in it really does sound like Rory!

 

The quality and finish of the guitar is incredible, it is heavily reliced just like Rorys with a very thin finish. The guitar is very resonant, has fantastic response and superb performance across the board. A real delight to play as you would expect.

 

Heres what Fender say:

 

Fender Custom Shop designers met Donal Gallagher, brother of late great guitarist Rory Gallagher, in Los Angeles in 1997 and received one of the most coveted guitars of all time – Gallagher’s heavily worn 1961 Stratocaster® guitar. Fender initially built 40 replicas for European sale, but was subsequently besieged with requests for more. The Rory Gallagher Tribute Stratocaster guitar is an exact replica of that revered instrument, down to the extremely worn Three-color Sunburst alder body, maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. It even has five Sperzel® tuners and one Gotoh® tuner, and the 12th-fret dot marker is white plastic rather than the original clay. It also features three custom-wound ’60s single-coil pickups, aged chrome hardware, 21 medium jumbo frets and a synthetic bone nut. Our homage to a true and truly missed master.

 

Specs:

Model Name: Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster® Relic®, Rosewood Fingerboard, 3-Color Sunburst

Series: Custom Artist

Color: 3-Color Sunburst

Body

Body Shape: Stratocaster®

Body Material: Select Alder

Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Neck

Neck Material: Maple

Neck Shape: Early ’60s “C”

Scale Length: 25.5″ (64.77 cm)

Fingerboard Radius: 9.5″ (241 mm)

Number of Frets: 21

Fret Size: Medium Jumbo

String Nut: Synthetic Bone

Nut Width: 1.650″ (42 mm)

Neck Plate: 4-Bolt Serialized

Neck Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Fingerboard: Rosewood (Slab)

Position Inlays: Clay Dots with One Mis-matched White Plastic Dot at the 12th Fret

Electronics

Bridge Pickup: Custom ’60s Single-Coil Strat®

Middle Pickup: Custom ’60s Single-Coil Strat®

Neck Pickup: Custom ’60s Single-Coil Strat®

Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup), 5 way switch.

Pickup Configuration: SSS

Hardware

Bridge: 6-Saddle American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo

Tuning Machines: 5 Sperzel® Die-Cast Machine Heads with 1 Mis-Matched Gotoh®

Orientation: Right-Hand

Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome, Aged.

Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green, Aged

Control Knobs: Parchment Plastic, Aged.

Switch Tips: Aged White

Unique Features: Aged White Plastic Parts, Original Dot Spacing, One Mis-matched Sperzel®; Tuning Machine, Clay Dots with One Mis-matched White Plastic Dot at the 12th Fret, Slot-Head Mounting Screws in Selector Switch, Heavily Worn and Distressed with Most of the Paint Missing, Replicates the Wear Patterns of Rory’s Original Guitar

Included Accessories: Deluxe Hardshell Case, Strap, Certificate of Authenticity

 

Guitar will be well packed and sent fully insured with UPS.

 

Thanks for viewing!