A marvelous mix of mahogany and vintage Strat specs.
The Fender Custom Shop Flame Mahogany Stratocaster Closet Classic Master Built by Dale Wilson will please any Strat fan fortunate enough to strap it on. Close inspection reveals the remarkable workmanship and attention to detail for which Dale of Fender Custom Shop is known. It's available in a vintage combination of Strat specs. It has a contoured mahogany body with a 56 maple neck sporting a soft "V" back shape. The fingerboard is maple with 21 vintage frets, leading to Vintage Fender logo tuners. Perfectly incorporating a Vintage Strat tremolo bridge, the 56-style pickguard houses three Fat '50s pickups for classic Strat tone.
Dale Wilson Master Builder
Dale Wilson arrived at Fender in 2003, joined the Custom Shop in 2005 and became a Master Builder in 2011. Building guitars has been a driving passion for the California native since childhood.
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve always loved guitars,” he said. “I didn’t dream of being a rock star; I dreamed of building the ultimate guitar. I was equally enthralled with the guitars just as much as I was with the players.”
Wilson comes from a long line of expert woodworkers, and the requisite Custom Shop zeal for outstanding craftsmanship has long been part of his DNA. He did repair work and mods in a small guitar shop right out of high school in the late 1980s; subsequently moving on to stints at Dobro and Rickenbacker before arriving at Fender, where he worked on Guild, Gretsch and Benedetto guitars before beginning his apprenticeship with various Custom Shop Master Builders.
