Fender's Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster is the latest luxury build from the Rarities series

(Image credit: Fender)

The latest release in Fender’s strictly limited Rarities series is the stunning Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster.

And it is unquestionably another worthy addition to a series that has already delivered the immaculately figured Red Mahogany Top Telecaster, Flame Ash Top Stratocaster and Flame Maple Top Stratocaster.

Like the latter, the Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster has a solid one-piece rosewood neck in a soft 1960s C shape with a 9.5-inch radius fretboard and narrow-tall frets for a contemporary feel. The eponymous quilted maple cap sits atop a two-piece roasted alder body and is protected by a single-ply gold anodised aluminium pickguard. 

(Image credit: Fender)

The pickup configuration sees three Vintage 65 single-coil Stratocaster pickups in neck, middle and bridge positions that are controlled by a five-way blade selector switch with a master volume and two tone knobs – one for the neck pickup, the other for the bridge and middle. 

Other vintage details include a bone nut, a six-point synchronised tremolo and deluxe hardshell case. The controls are aged plastic. The whole thing is exquisite.

The Rarities Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster is available now for $2,499/£2,249/€2,599. See Fender for more info. 

Jonathan Horsley

Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.

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