In terms of the many Stratocasters we've seen come out of the Custom Shop over the years, this 40th Anniversary example ranks right at the top of the list. It is obvious from first glance that every inch of this instrument was thought out and constructed at the highest level of dedication to craft and it's fairly rare to own a guitar that's so beautiful, you are afraid to play it. It is special for a couple of reasons and we'll lay them out for you.

First, of the three examples currently available, this is the most complete package to be offered. It contains every stick of case candy, paperwork, COAs, and accessories to be included with one of these guitars from the Custom Shop and we have clearly pictured these for you. And, as our seller told us when we took possession of the guitar, "It's got the ring. The ring's the thing," and he was indeed correct. The ring is present and accounted for.

Perhaps the most spectacular feature of this Strat is the serial number. It's like finding a silver dollar that's been misstruck and you instantly realize that you have the only one ever found. This run of instruments was limited to 150 pieces- everybody knows that and both certificates accompanying this guitar bear that out, but the fascinating thing about this particular number is that, on the back of the headstock, it reads "DE3-106 of 106." We've never seen a misprint like this on any other guitar in this run and how it got out of the Custom Shop is beyond belief, but here it is. This 40th Anniversary Strat has been verified with Fender, so we are 100% certain of its authenticity. Now, we can have that talk about being the "one off" of this run!

Please take a look at the pictures- this guitar shows no signs of playwear and has been taken care of in an exceptional manner. There are a couple of very slight surface scratches on the very tip of the headstock, but we've seen this occurrence before on guitars that come in the leather gigbag from Fender. If you have any questions, we urge you to please call, email, or PM with them and they will be promptly addressed. As always, we thank you for stopping by and please check out our other cool and unique listings!