2024 marks the platinum anniversary of the Stratocaster®—that’s seven decades of the world’s greatest electric guitar. To mark this auspicious milestone, the Fender Custom Shop introduces the Limited Edition ’54 Hardtail Stratocaster® Deluxe Closet Classic with Gold Hardware. Its two-piece select ash body (with offset seam on the treble side) produces lively resonance with singing highs, sweet midrange and tight lows, with sparkling gold hardware and wrapped in a gorgeous Deluxe Closet Classic lacquer finish in Two-Color Sunburst, Dirty White Blonde, Super/Super Faded Aged Shell Pink, India Ivory and Faded Aged Canary Yellow.

Its one-piece quartersawn maple neck is fashioned with a special 70th anniversary Soft “V” profile based on an incredible Strat® neck from July 1954, topped by a vintage compound-radius fingerboard (7.25” to 9.5”) with 21 medium vintage (47095) frets and a 1.625” bone nut. Three Custom Shop hand-wound ’54 Strat® pickups deliver that classic Strat voice with clear, bell-like highs, routed through vintage '54 Strat® wiring with wax paper cap and five-way switching.

All together it spotlights an ultra-rare set of period-correct Stratocaster® appointments, with other premium features including a single-ply white pickguard, vintage-style hardtail bridge, vintage-style tuners, disc string tree, deluxe embroidered hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.