1963 strat vs lake placid Blue Custom shop relic strat
build & finish
our lake placid Blue ’63, which used to belong to nev, has a chunkier neck and thicker headstock than some of the other vintage strats. again, the nitro clear coat over the lucite acrylic finish has yellowed, turning the underlying blue more of a sherwood green‑ish hue. the custom shop relic, by contrast, is a smart pristine blue that positively glows. It has a certain daintiness that evokes the svelte vintage fender vibe very well. In fact, the two lake placid Blues are the closest match of all our vintage/modern pairs, a feeling that’s emphasised by an extra touch of finesse about this relic’s build. “the edges of the fingerboard are really nicely rolled‑in,” nev says. “It gives you that feeling that it’s not a great big thick slab of rosewood, because the edges have been softened.”
sounds
as nev forewarns us, the ’63 is quite hot and edgy, borne out by pickup resistance readings in the 6k range rather than the weaker 5k‑ish of the other vintage strats. we’ve noticed that the customs have slightly hotter pickups than our vintage originals; here, it’s more equal. the ’63 sounds glorious, with more of a hot snarl and a sweet, wiry treble. the relic is no slouch and is our favourite‑sounding of the customs, with a great balance of fatness, clarity and cutting edge.
usability
nev has used the ’63 for over 500 gigs, and it looks like it could do a second lap without too much trouble. But if you did, there’d always be that bitter‑sweet feeling that using it for its intended purpose was steadily eroding that rare original custom colour finish. the relic, meanwhile, is all you’d expect from a high‑end, beautifully set‑up custom. It’s got zero miles on the clock and is ready for six decades of service and more.
VeRdict
here, it doesn’t feel like we’re comparing apples with pears but two apples from the same tree. the ’63 has a hot, wiry edge that’s very characterful and its strongest claim to vintage uniqueness. and yet we wouldn’t feel sad to ‘settle’ for the relic – a cracking guitar that’s impressively close to achieving that quintessential vintage 60s strat voice.