Possibly the most iconic Fender Stratocaster player of the 90s, the recently-rejoined Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante has been near inseparable from his well-loved 1962 Strat for three decades, his faithful six-string by his side whether he's selling out stadiums or exploring his many various solo projects and sonic explorations.
It seems like an absolute no-brainer then for Frusciante and Fender to (finally) team up and pay tribute to an iconic instrument with the Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt John Frusciante Stratocaster. Helmed by the Fender Custom Shop's Senior Masterbuilder Paul Waller, everything has been meticulously recreated from the original '62 Strat; from the aged lacquer and worn body - to each individual ding and dent; it's as close to the real thing as humanly possible.
Masterbuilder Waller himself states:
“Frusciantes’ Strat® is right up there with the most iconic Fenders of all time; being able to work on his first-ever Signature model was a true privilege. Recreating this instrument’s many beautiful imperfections was no easy feat, but behind every ding and dent is a story and it’s our job to make sure that this guitar’s narrative is told in full, stunning detail. For an instrument this heavily reliced, it still retains so much of its original beauty. A ton of work went into this one, and while much of that can be reflected in its visual components, the whole team is tremendously proud of how this thing plays. The neck has that singular worn in quality that is usually only attainable with a pre-owned vintage guitar and the Abby hand-wound pickups really speak to Fruscinate’s expressive, crystalline tone.”
A true labour of love, to say this guitar is the crème de la crème of Stratocasters would be pretty on the money - speaking of which, the instrument's $20k (USD) price tag will understandably put this out of the reach of most players (though a real '62 Strat will set you back about triple the cost) - so let's hope the success of this model will give Fender motivation for a production run in the near future.
For those with the budget and lusting after an American-made, hand-crafted, top-of-the-line Strat without a shred of compromise - or just bloody love RHCP - the Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt John Frusciante Stratocaster is the ultimate instrument.
Words by Andrew Kapper
Learn more about the Limited Edition Masterbuilt John Frusciante Stratocaster here.
Specs:
- 2-Piece Select Alder Body
- Early-60s style “C” shape rift-sawn Maple Neck
- Slab Rosewood Fingerboard
- Bone Nut
- Narrow Tall Frets
- Vintage Strat wiring
- Abigail Ybarra Hand-Wound Stratocaster® pickups with an Ilitch Electronics Hum-Canceling system
