Some guitars look old. This one feels like it already has stories.
Finished in faded Dakota Red with a dark rosewood fingerboard, cream guard and parchment plastics, this Glas Customs build is our artistic riff on a rare custom-color 1961 Stratocaster. It is not intended as a forensic museum replica. It takes the proportions, textures and attitude of the pre-CBS originals and reshapes them into a boutique instrument made to be played hard.
The guitar uses genuine Fender parts or better, together with carefully selected boutique hardware and electronics. It was completed entirely by hand in Los Angeles over approximately four to six months, from the finish aging and checking through to the wiring, fretwork, final setup and play-testing.
At an exceptionally light 7.4 lbs, this Strat feels alive before it is even plugged in. It sits beautifully on the strap, responds immediately beneath the hands and has the open acoustic ring associated with the best lightweight vintage-style builds.
The Dakota Red nitro finish has been extensively UV bombed to promote natural checking, fading and subtle ambering. Rather than following a repeated relic pattern, the finish has developed its own wear and personality. It looks expressive, imperfect and individual, exactly as a piece of functional art should.
The genuine Fender neck features an aged rosewood fingerboard and a period-correct early-’60s decal. Its profile sits between a gentle U and a fuller C, giving it more substance than a thin modern neck without ever feeling oversized.
The fingerboard edges have been hand rolled, the nut hand finished, and the 21 vintage-style frets professionally dressed and polished. The result is a neck that feels worn-in and familiar from the first chord, with the low, loose playability we want from these builds.
Fender/Kluson pin-stripe tuners complete the headstock, keeping the period look intact while providing smooth and dependable operation.
At the heart of the guitar is an unusual low-output Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster pickup set. The closely matched winds create an exceptionally balanced response across all five positions, with open highs, woody attack and plenty of clean headroom.
The electronics follow the Glas specification:
- Fender Custom Shop low-output Stratocaster pickup set
- CTS matched 450G potentiometers
- Full vintage cloth wiring
- 5-way pickup selector switch
- Treble tone control modification
- Paper-in-oil capacitor
- TonePros output jack
- Genuine vintage solder
The 5-way selector opens up the familiar in-between Strat sounds, while the treble tone control modification brings the bridge pickup into the tone circuit. That small change provides far greater control over the sharpest position without disturbing the traditional three-knob layout.
Chrome hardware has been tastefully aged throughout. The vintage-spaced 56mm synchronized tremolo is set fully floating with three springs, giving it a light, expressive response for chords, shimmer and smooth pitch movement. The tremolo arm is included.
The cream pickguard is paired with parchment pickup covers, knobs and switch tip, giving the Dakota Red finish a softer and more naturally aged contrast than bright white plastics.
Set up with 9–42 strings, low action and accurate intonation, this guitar feels fast, loose and highly responsive. The floating tremolo moves smoothly, the neck feels naturally broken-in, and the whole thing plays like hot butter.
Now, relics aren’t for everyone. But these builds aren’t museum clones. They’re pieces of functional art made to riff on the golden era with purpose: vintage tone, old-school looks and high-performance reliability. Every part is assembled by hand, and every detail is reviewed and tested before it leaves our shop. From the UV-bombed finish and checking to the wiring, nut work and final play feel, this is a boutique-grade Strat made for serious stage and studio work.
Condition
This guitar is listed in Excellent condition. The checking, finish wear, hardware aging and cosmetic marks are intentional and form part of the Glas relic process.
Neck Specifications
- Genuine Fender Neck
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Profile: Gentle U to Full C
- Fingerboard Radius: 7.25"
- Frets: 21 Vintage-Style
- Nut Width: Approx. 42mm
- Bridge Spacing: 56mm Vintage Spec
- Hand-Rolled Fingerboard Edges
- Hand-Finished Nut
- Professionally Dressed and Polished Frets
- Fender/Kluson Pin-Stripe Tuners
- Period-Correct Early-’60s Decal
The guitar ships in the pictured black G&G hard case with orange lining, complete with the tremolo arm and ready to play straight out of the case.
If you would like to see more pictures, please check us out online, as we are limited to how many we can display on this platform.
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