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