NAMM 2015: 9 new Fender Custom Shop guitars and basses

NAMM 2015: A new year, a new NAMM and a new batch of high-end, highly desirable Fender Custom Shop guitars and basses.

Among this year's highlights is the 2015 Limited Edition 1955 Esquire, which evokes the beginnings of Fender's electric guitar adventure and comes with a neck pickup conversion kit, giving the option of a dual-pickup setup.

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Also catching our eye is the 1970 Relic Stratocaster, with its “U” profile neck, large headstock and Fat ’60s single-coil pickups and the 1960 Journeyman Jazz Relic Bass, which harks back to the J-style's earliest incarnation.

Browse the gallery to check out each of the nine new models and read the full press release.

PRESS RELEASE: The 2015 Limited Edition 1955 Esquire is a peerlessly crafted take on the single-pickup classic that preceded even the Telecaster in Fender history.

Everything about the instrument takes you back to that original era, with a lightweight ash body in Dirty White Blonde or Two-Color Sunburst lacquer Relic body finishes that evoke long years of wear and tear.

Authentic Esquire snap comes from its hand-wound ’55 Telecaster single-coil bridge pickup with staggered/beveled polepieces, and, in a special touch, the guitar comes with a neck pickup conversion kit containing a ’55 Telecaster single-coil neck pickup, pickguard and control assembly should you prefer dual-pickup tone and performance.

Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with “soft V” profile and highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three-way tone/pickup switch with black “top hat” tip, single-ply five-hole white pickguard, ’55 Telecaster bridge with ¼” steel saddles, American Vintage tuning machines and a Custom Shop Limited Edition neck plate. Includes blonde LTD case containing a 1955 Fender Downbeat catalog insert reproduction.

PRESS RELEASE: The 2015 Limited Edition 1955 Precision Bass gives you a magnificently crafted original-era version of the bass that started it all.

Its lightweight ash body is sculpted with comfortable body and forearm contours, and comes in Dirty White Blonde or Two-Color Sunburst lacquer Relic body finishes that evoke the wear and aging of decades of frequent use (and occasional abuse).

Its muscular blunt-force tone comes from a hand-wound ’55 Precision Bass single-coil pickup with a classic chrome cover.

Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, 7.25”-radius maple fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets, single-ply seven-hole white pickguard, authentic reproduction bridge with chrome cover, American Vintage tuning machines and Custom Shop Limited Edition neck plate. Includes blonde LTD case containing a 1955 Fender Downbeat catalog insert reproduction.

PRESS RELEASE: The Custom Shop 1959 Journeyman Relic Precision Bass takes you straight back to the original era of the bass that started it all.

Its two-piece ash body comes in Vintage Blonde or Faded Three-Color Sunburst “Journeyman” Relic lacquer finishes, which impart the appearance of years of aging and light use without heavy wear and tear. The quartersawn maple neck has a carefully sculpted ’60s “oval C” profile and a highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, topped by a 7.25”-radius rosewood fingerboard with 20 vintage frets.

Other premium features include a ’59-’62 Precision Bass split single-coil pickup with chrome cover, gold anodized aluminum pickguard, authentic reproduction bridge with chrome cover, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes brown textured vinyl hard-shell case with gold interior.

PRESS RELEASE: The Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Jazz Bass transports you to the debut year of Fender’s most popular bass guitar model.

Its two-piece alder body comes in Aged Olympic White or Three-Color Sunburst “Journeyman” Relic lacquer finishes, which impart the appearance of years of aging and light use without heavy wear and tear.

The quartersawn maple neck has a carefully sculpted ’60s “U” profile and a highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, topped by a 7.25”-radius rosewood “slab” fingerboard with 20 vintage frets.

The two single-coil Jazz Bass pickups are designed for era-specific authenticity, with chrome covers and, in a special period-correct touch, dual “stacked” concentric control knobs (volume and tone for each pickup).

Other premium features include a four-ply tortoiseshell pickguard, authentic reproduction bridge with “F” logo chrome cover, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes brown textured vinyl hard-shell case with gold interior.

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Custom Shop 1970 Relic Stratocaster delivers the authentic style and sound of the era when the Strat ascended to world dominance on the charts and concert stages everywhere.

Features include an alder body, quartersawn maple neck with 1969 “U” profile and large headstock, 9.5”-radius maple or rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three Fat ’60s single-coil pickups (reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup) with five-way switching, three-ply parchment pickguard, vintage white control knobs and an American Vintage bridge.

Available in Black, Lake Placid Blue, Three-Color Sunburst and Olympic White (maple fingerboard model only) worn Relic finishes. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case with red interior.

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Custom Shop 1957 Relic Stratocaster takes you straight back to the pivotal year when the instrument was largely perfected into the form known worldwide today.

Its deep-contoured alder body comes in Two-Color Sunburst, Black and HLE Gold lacquer Relic finishes, while an ash-body model is available in a White Blonde lacquer Relic finish. Sparkling tone comes from three hand-wound ’50s Stratocaster single-coil pickups (reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup) with modern five-way switching.

Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a ’57 “soft V” profile and small headstock, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, single-ply parchment pickguard, vintage white control knobs, American Vintage bridge, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes hard-shell tweed case with gold interior.

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Relic Stratocaster takes you back to a pivotal period in the instrument’s history, when surf music was riding high and the Strat underwent some notable design mods.

Its deep-contoured alder body comes in Three-Color Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red and Olympic White lacquer Relic finishes. Sparkling tone comes from three hand-wound ’60s Stratocaster single-coil pickups (reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup) with modern five-way switching.

Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a comfortable ’60s “oval C” profile and small headstock, 9.5”-radius “round-laminated” rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three-ply mint green pickguard, vintage white control knobs, American Vintage bridge, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes brown textured vinyl hard-shell case with red interior.

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Custom Shop 1952 Heavy Relic Telecaster is an authentic evocation of Fender’s first workhorse guitar, along with some upgraded features for modern playability.

Its ash body comes in Two-Color Sunburst, Black or Nocaster Blonde Heavy Relic lacquer finishes. Time-honored Telecaster snap comes from dual Nocaster pickups with three-way switching and Fender’s Greasebucket tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain.

Other premium features include a maple neck with a Nocaster “U” profile, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, single-ply parchment pickguard (black pickguard on Nocaster Blonde model), ’52 Telecaster bridge with brass saddles, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes hard-shell tweed case with center pocket.

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Relic Telecaster takes you back to the early years of one of modern music’s most electrifying decades.

Its alder body comes in Three-Color Sunburst, Olympic White and Blue Ice Metallic lacquer Relic finishes, with signature Telecaster snap and sparkle coming from dual American Vintage Telecaster pickups with three-way switching and Fender’s Greasebucket tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain.

Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a comfortable mid-’60s “oval C” profile, 9.5”-radius “round-laminated” rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three-ply mint green pickguard, American Vintage Telecaster bridge with threaded saddles, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case with red interior.