Inarguably one of the most influential guitarists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, John Frusciante’s work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers has made him omnipresent on the airwaves for as long as I can remember. Now, Fender is celebrating his contribution to music (along with his willingness to put up with Anthony Kiedis’ utter buffoonery) via the Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt John Frusciante Stratocaster.
Created by the Fender Custom Shop’s senior masterbuilder Paul Waller, this meticulously crafted instrument recreates the road-worn aesthetic of Frusciante’s own Strat. Replicating its aged lacquer, worn body, and all the dings and dents that come with life on the road, Fender’s latest effort offers players the chance to enjoy a piece of rock history without having to put up with the discomfort that comes with hours spent in the back of a tour van.
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“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,” said Waller. “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.”
In addition to the fruits of the labour-intensive ageing process, the guitar boasts an early-’60s style “C” shape rift-sawn maple neck and slab rosewood fingerboard, which are designed to recall the Stratocaster’s golden era. A set of three ’60s-style Strat pickups hand-wound by legendary pickup-wirer Abigail Ybarra are included to ensure a broad dynamic range, versatile frequency response, and unquestionable sonic power. Plus, an Ilitch Electronics Hum-Canceling system is included to empower players to experiment as wildly as they like with gain effects pedals—much like the man himself—without having to be concerned about excessive noise.
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According to Waller, one final key feature of the new Frusciante Strat is that it’s designed to offer the very height of playability, feeling like a highly played instrument right out of the box: “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.”
Being the first signature guitar for one of the world’s most renowned guitarists, we can’t imagine the Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt John Frusciante Stratocaster will stick around for long, even if it does have an asking price of USD$20,000. I guess that’s Californication.
