Here's the same guitar with Lace Sensors and the Ultra wiring:



This stunning example features a gold anodized pickguard and gold-plated hardware.

I think these Set-Neck Strats were made at the Fender Custom Shop in 1993.

Here's a genuine USA Contemporary Stratocaster made at the Fender Custom Shop in 1993. This guitar has two Texas Special single-coils in the neck and the middle and a Seymour Duncan Trembucker in the bridge. Fender Deluxe Locking tremolo bridge, LSR roller nut, graded tuning machines. Bookmatched flame maple top over an ash body. Note that this is a guitar with a rosewood fretboard and a skunk stripe. John Suhr was in charge of this model while he was at the Fender Custom Shop.

Here is the sculpted heel of the Contemporary Strat. Note the skunk stripe despite the rosewood fretboard. According to John Suhr, this is to accomodate the two-way truss rod. Under one of the fret markers (dots) there is a mounting bracket for this truss rod, and so according to John you will never see this two-way truss rod unless the fretboard has markers. You can also see that there are no holes in the tremolo cover, since the Deluxe Locking bridge is 'top-loading'.

Here is a close up of the fretboard edge showing damage to the satin finish caused by the wood shrinking away from the frets (also known as fret sprout). We're trying to find out what finish this is, whether it can be repaired, or whether the neck (or maybe just the fretboard) should be refinished.



The damage is the white portion near the tang of each fretwire. There is no problem with the finish on the maple neck.

Another Custom Shop beauty, the "078" Telecaster. This guitar was handcrafted by Gene Baker, founder and actual owner of Baker Guitars. The "078" Tele uses Bill Lawrence pickups in an HSS configuration, 5-way switching and a Fender Deluxe Locking tremolo assembly.

Gene was chiefly responsible for the Showmaster series, introduced in 1998 and discontinued in 2009.



Beautifully figured maple neck. The gloss finish is not for everyone. Note the LSR nut and string tree. Some people say that LSR nuts are not used with string trees because graded tuners are used with the LSR nut. But not here:



Those tuning machines are all the same height. The other side of the headstock shows the locking tuners, and Gene's signature:



Here's a close up of the front:



You expected the Fender Deluxe locking tremolo from the LSR nut? OK, folks. But no pickguard on this baby. Those are all Bill Lawrence pickups in an HSS arrangement, and they are very hot pickups. It's a standard 5-way Strat-style HSS switching, and that means you don't get any bridge+neck combination. But you have the traditional Tele style master volume and TBX tone.

It's got Strat-style elbow and waist contours, too!

Stunning example indeed, that thing looks amazing! Man I'm a sucker for a natural finish. Especially when theres that kind of figure underneath.

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

Wow! Chromeface you have some excellent taste in guitars! I love, love, love that Gene Baker Tele! Wow!

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI

Here's Gene's another creation: the "051" Telecaster, aka the "Scottish" Thinline:

'64 Strat

Sorry to ask this question on the strat forum, but is that "tortoise shell" binding on the Scottish tele there? if so, that is a wicked idea

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

Chromeface, I love that Suhr strat- that would be an ideal for me-

How about you show us your guitars? I bet you have many people would love to see!!

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These pictures were not mine. They're taken from different sources.

How bout you show us your guitars anyway

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.