Fender Custom Shop '60 Reissue Stratocaster Relic 3TSB 2000

2000 Fender Custom Shop ’60s Relic Stratocaster

A lovely example of a 2000 Fender Custom Shop ’60s Relic Stratocaster, from the early years of what has gone on to become one of the most highly regarded guitar workshops in the world.

These early Custom Shop instruments have a certain something about them. They were being built by a relatively small team of highly skilled Fender craftsmen, and this particular guitar is a fine example of that period. It feels like a proper player’s instrument from the moment you pick it up and is an absolute joy to play.

This one has had a professional re-fret with medium jumbo frets, which in our opinion makes a significant difference to the playing experience. They offer a little more substance under the fingers than the original vintage-style frets, making bends, vibrato and general playing feel much easier whilst still retaining the character of a ’60s Strat. The setup is excellent and the guitar plays beautifully.

It has also been fitted with a 5-way selector switch. The original 3-way switch is included in the case along with the Fender Custom Shop Certificate of Authenticity and original paperwork.

At just 7.80 lb, it’s a very sensible weight for a Stratocaster and has a lovely acoustic ring when played unplugged. The alder body and maple neck have a lively, resonant quality, with the dark rosewood fingerboard adding a little warmth and roundness to the overall character.

Plugged in, this is classic early-’60s Strat territory. The bridge pickup has the familiar Fender bite and snap without becoming harsh, the middle position has that woody, hollow quality that works so well for rhythm parts, and the neck pickup is round, sweet and expressive. Positions two and four give you that unmistakable Strat ‘cluck’ — glassy, slightly scooped and wonderfully percussive. There’s plenty of attack and note separation, but the tone has enough body to avoid sounding thin.

It’s a very responsive guitar. Dig in and it will bark and push back, play lightly and it cleans up beautifully. The combination of the lightweight alder body, maple neck and rosewood fingerboard gives it a particularly nice balance between sparkle, warmth and sustain.

The factory Relic finish is, of course, part of the appeal of these early Custom Shop guitars. It has the look and feel of a well-played vintage Strat without having to wait another sixty years to get there.

2000 Fender Custom Shop Factory Specification

Model: ’60 Stratocaster Relic
Series: Time Machine
Year: 2000
Made in: Fender Custom Shop, USA
Body: Select Alder
Neck: Maple, Early ’60s “C” shape
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard radius: 7.25"
Frets: 21 vintage-style frets (professionally re-fretted with medium jumbo frets)
Scale length: 25.5"
Nut width: 1.650" / 42mm
Finish: Nitrocellulose lacquer Relic
Pickups: 3 x Custom ’60s Stratocaster single-coils
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1, Tone 2
Switching: 5-way selector currently fitted; original 3-way included
Bridge: American Vintage synchronised tremolo
Machine heads: Fender/Gotoh vintage-style
Hardware: Nickel/chrome
Pickguard: 3-ply mint green
Weight: 7.80 lb
Accessories: Original 3-way switch, Fender Custom Shop COA and paperwork

This is a proper player’s Custom Shop Strat from the early days — light, resonant, great sounding and exceptionally easy to play.

The sort of guitar that makes you pick it up for five minutes and, rather inconveniently, find yourself still playing it an hour later.

A real player’s dream.