Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
  • Guitars
  • Amps
  • Pedals
  • Drums
  • Synths
  • Software
  • Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Recording
  • Buyer’s guides
  • Live
  • DJ
  • Advice
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
  • About us
  • More
    • Reviews
Magazines
  • Computer Music
  • Electronic Musician
  • Future Music
  • Keyboard Magazine
  • Guitarist
  • Guitar Techniques
  • Total Guitar
  • Bass Player
More
  • How to make an AI cover song
  • 84000+ free music samples
  • Foo Fighters' new drummer
  • Ken Scott on recording The Beatles
  • First EVH Jump synth recording

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. News

Fender Custom Shop unveils Gary Moore Stratocaster electric guitar

By Michael Astley-Brown
published 23 May 2016

Limited-edition replica based on Moore's 1961 model

Introduction

Introduction

Gary Moore was famed for playing guitars from all kinds of brands, from Gibson to Charvel and Ibanez, but during the 80s, his pride and joy was a 1961 Fiesta Red Stratocaster, which Fender Custom Shop has now got hold of and reproduced down to the last detail.

Custom Shop Master Builder and huge Gary Moore fan John Cruz is the man behind the instrument, and intends it as “the ultimate tribute to the man and his fans”.

Head on through the gallery for a closer look at the exhaustive treatment this Custom Shop model has received - there's no word on price or availability yet, but suffice to say, very few of these will be available.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Body

Body

Moore's original '61 wasn't much different to stock Strats of the day - the pickups were low-output originals, and the pickup selector was a three-way, as opposed to the five-way, which was introduced in 1977.

The only mods were the addition of copper shielding in the cavity, and jumbo frets, which are present on this Custom Shop version.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Pickups

Pickups

Cruz designed these Bonetone pickups to replicate Moore's low-output originals, with plenty of dynamic range and bell-like clarity. They're hand-wound by Josefina Campos.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Rear

Rear

Fender knows what it's doing when it comes to relic'ing, and the Gary Moore Strat's Fiesta Red finish is expertly imitated, with every scratch and ding in place, as well as buckle rash and hand wear.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Headstock

Headstock

The headstock has seen its fair share of wear and tear - again, it's replicated to a T.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Headstock rear

Headstock rear

John Cruz's signature adorns the rear of the headstock, complete with rusted tuning pegs and neck wear - it's worth noting that the fretboard has a 10” radius to replicate the effect of years of playing and refrets, too.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Hardcase

Hardcase

The attention to detail doesn't stop there: GM's Strat comes in a custom Cruz-designed Anvil case stencilled with Moore's logo, as well as recreations of the two straps Moore used with the guitar.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown
Social Links Navigation

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.

More about guitars
Epiphone Emily Wolfe Sheraton Stealth

Emily Wolfe and Epiphone team up for the classy 'White Wolfe' signature Sheraton, finished in Aged Bone White

Bernth

What’s wrong with modern metal guitar? This guitarist explains all in a two-and-a-half-minute song

Latest
PRS SE Silver Sky Maple

PRS expands its John Mayer signature SE Silver Sky lineup with new maple fretboard options and fresh finishes

See more latest ►
Most Popular
Should musicians be goggle-eyed for Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro?

By Ben Rogerson6 June 2023

Best Fender amps 2023: From all-tube classics to cutting edge modelling options

By Richard Blenkinsop6 June 2023

5 of the best free guitar amp simulator plugins

By "OSC" Steve6 June 2023

Watch a teenage Josh Freese appear in a promo video for Simmons electronic drums

By Stuart Williams5 June 2023

Danny Carey reveals the Tool songs he finds most difficult to play live

By Stuart Williams5 June 2023

How Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out Of My Head was written in a couple of hours and took most of its sounds from the Korg Triton

By Ben Rogerson5 June 2023

Score significant savings on Strats, Teles, Jaguars and Mustangs as Thomann slashes the price of popular Squier models

By Daryl Robertson5 June 2023

10 of the best new free plugins we discovered this month

By Matt Mullen5 June 2023

Choose a genre and BPM and this online DAW will use AI to make a complete track for you

By Ben Rogerson5 June 2023

Watch Noel Gallagher use a Fender Strat for High Flying Birds’ “blasphemous” cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart

By Jonathan Horsley2 June 2023

Ben Folds names the only album on which Elton John is “represented as a piano player”

By Ben Rogerson2 June 2023

  1. plugins
    1
    10 of the best new free plugins we discovered this month
  2. 2
    Is Dave Grohl’s new Epiphone DG-335… Gold?
  3. 3
    Score significant savings on Strats, Teles, Jaguars and Mustangs as Thomann slashes the price of popular Squier models
  4. 4
    How to make an AI cover song with any artist's voice
  5. 5
    Behringer launches the Moog-esque Edge and Spice synths and hits back at “all the critics who claim that we’re driven by profit”
  1. jon hopkins
    1
    Jon Hopkins spent 4 months perfecting the synth riff for Open Eye Signal on a 1979 Korg MS-20: “So much effort into trying to make something sound effortless”
  2. 2
    10 of the best new free plugins we discovered this month
  3. 3
    Watch Noel Gallagher use a Fender Strat for High Flying Birds’ “blasphemous” cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart
  4. 4
    Score significant savings on Strats, Teles, Jaguars and Mustangs as Thomann slashes the price of popular Squier models
  5. 5
    Propellerhead’s ReBirth is reborn as a hands-on hardware synth, and it’s all thanks to Look Mum No Computer

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.