Fender Custom Shop Wildwood 10 1964 Stratocaster – Heavy Relic

The Perfect 10

Years ago, we approached our friends at the Fender Custom Shop with a proposal: would they build us guitars that combined the mojo of a true-to-vintage reissue with modern handfeel and comfy modern ergonomics? They were enthused about the idea, and the Wildwood 10 was born. Thanks to the Custom Shop’s incredible craftsmanship and artistry, these guitars look gorgeous, sound killer, and play like butter.

Each of these Custom Shop creations features a thin fifties-style nitrocellulose finish, which allows the voice of the resonant hand-selected tonewoods to shine through. They also have hand-wound Custom Shop pickups that are sure to inspire you to reach new heights on your sonic journey. Wildwood 10s feel great in your hands, too. Their modern 10” radius is suitable for a wide variety of styles and techniques, and their 6105 narrow-tall frets allow you to expend less energy with your left hand, especially when bending strings. To top it all off, they come with a limited edition Dealer Select Wildwood 10 hardshell case and a certificate of authenticity.

Roasted and Ready to Rock

Now, for something completely different! Let's talk about the effects of roasting tonewoods. When you subject a piece of wood to lots of heat, it saps the wood of moisture, and drier wood has lots of alluring qualities for guitarists! For one, less water equals less weight, so these roasted rockers are easy on the back and the eyes. Also, roasted wood is more stable.

The coolest part of using roasted tonewoods, though, is the way they impart a bit of vintage-style resonance to the guitar's overall timbre. When a guitar lives a long life, its wood dries out, and drier wood gives you a warmer, more focused, clearer tonality that we Guitar Scribes often term "woody" for lack of a better term. So, while these Roasted Wildwood 10s may not sound exactly like a sixties Fender, they do have a fair amount of vintage mojo thanks to their wood chemistry!

Pickup Rundown

We believe that the Wildwood 10 Strat pickups our friends at Fender wind for us are some of the finest single-coils in the world. Here's a quick rundown of what makes them tick. They're slightly underwound, which gives them exceptional dynamic response and touch sensitivity. You can really alter your sound based on how hard you're hitting, which makes for a wonderfully expressive playing experience. However, they are wound with thicker wire like Fender did in the sixties, which gives them a little more power and guts despite being underwound. As a result, their voice is similar to vintage Strat pickups we love with lots of bell-like chime and vocal response, but with a little extra warmth and muscle.

Although they are not exactly the same as a real vintage example, we think they capture the magic sound of a great vintage Strat, giving you access to the iconic sound that shaped countless classic records. We have no doubt they will make your heartstrings resonate!