An NOS Todd Krause Masterbuilt Taos Turquoise '59 Stratocaster…

2010 Fender Custom Shop Todd Krause Masterbuilt '59 Stratocaster NOS.

This Custom Color Taos Turquoise, Brazilian Rosewood Fretboard "1959" Stratocaster was specially built by master luthier Todd Krause at the Fender Custom Shop in April 2010. This very beautiful guitar weighs just 7.70 lbs. and has a contoured 'select' solid alder body. Quartersawn maple neck with a nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches and a wonderful medium-to-thick profile. Brazilian Rosewood fretboard, with 21 medium '6015' frets and inlaid white composite dot position and side dot markers. Headstock with 1954-60 style 'Spaghetti' logo with "Fender" in gold with black trim, "Stratocaster" in black and "With Synchronized Tremolo" in black beneath. Single "butterfly" string tree. Individual 'no-name' Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons. On the back of the headstock there is a black 'Custom Shop' decal with "Todd Krause" in black. Four-bolt neck-plate with serial number "R 55406" stamped between the top two screws. Three-ply (white/black/white) plastic pickguard with eleven screws. Three Fender Custom-Shop 'Fat 50s' Stratocaster pickups with outputs of 6.48k, 6.59k, and 6.72k. Three controls (one volume, two tone) plus five-way pickup selector switch. Stratocaster white plastic knobs with ribbed sides and gold lettering. Fender combined bridge/tailpiece with six saddles and through-body stringing. The underneath of the neck is marked in pencil "04 - 10 / Todd Krause" and the end of the neck is also marked in pencil "10688617-30". The neck pickup cavity is stamped in blind "TK". This guitar is in mint as new (9.50) condition. Complete with the original bridge cover, tremolo arm, Fender Custom Shop Certificate of Authenticity signed by Todd Krause (dated "7/28/10") and all the original case candy including black leather strap, guitar cord, polishing cloth and instruction manual.   Housed in the original Fender 'Custom-Shop' black hardshell case with black plush lining and black leather ends (9.50).

We have no idea how many Taos Turquoise guitars have been made by the Fender Custom Shop - but as this is the only one we have ever seen we assume that the number is certainly on the small side. What we do know is that Fender are not producing any more guitars with Brazilian Rosewood fretboards. (DJB)

This Custom Shop creation is based on a late '59 Stratocaster with some modern modifications. As an NOS (new old stock), it has the totally unblemished look as if the guitar was purchased new in 1959 and that had been recently discovered tucked away 'under-the-bed. It has a select alder body with a truly beautiful finish of Taos Turquoise. The  maple neck has typical '59 "C" back-shape. The 10" radius Brazilian Rosewood fretboard has tall, narrow 6105 jumbo frets. The pickup used are a trio of Fender Custom Shop 'Fat 50s' Stratocaster  single-coils that give you all the classic Strat tones including "in between" without the hum.

To call Todd Krause the “Builder to the Stars” would be a vast understatement. He maintains and builds guitars for Fender signature artists Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Stu Hamm and Roscoe Beck. Further, he has built custom instruments for Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Roger Waters and Gene Simmons, to name only a few.
Krause’s guitar-building apprenticeship began in March 1981 at Jackson/Charvel guitars. He started working at Fender in 1991 and quickly donned many hats, including that of a one-off builder, R&D model maker, woodworking machinist, and, eventually, master builder.