ROCK OF AGES

Syd barrett of pink floyd. john frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. These are just some of the legendary names to have had their fingers grace the strings of a Fender Stratocaster. And now you can be in the same league as some of the greatest musicians of all time with the Fender Custom Shop Dennis Galuszka Masterbuilt Private Collection HAR Stratocaster. One of the defining guitars of the 1960s, this Masterbuilt model is a replica of one of the earliest known black Stratocasters to exist in history. Before that, all Stratocasters were made with a two-toned sunburst finish, until Texan musician Howard Reed Jr, the guitarist of rockabilly group Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, made the first-ever request to have the Stratocaster in black, starting a custom colour tradition that continues at Fender to this day. While the original guitar resides in a private collection, the replica has been reproduced in the exact same detail down to the scratches the original acquired during its stage life as well as the unique stick-on letters forming the musician’s initials. And to ensure the replica will sound as great as the original, one of the key features of the instrument is three hand-wound Custom Shop 1955 single-coil Stratocaster pickups that are vintage-accurate. The guitar will also include a hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity. Local fans can get their hands on one at music instrument retailer and distributor Swee Lee.