In 1997 Rory Gallagher's brother Donal handed the guitarist's heavily worn 1961 Stratocaster to Custom Shop designers in Los Angeles, and this is the replica built from it. The 3-Color Sunburst Relic finish follows the wear pattern of Rory's original, and the odd details are copied too: five Sperzel tuners with one mismatched Gotoh, and a white plastic dot at the 12th fret among the clay dots.
Under the wear it is an early sixties Strat. The early '60s "C" maple neck has a 9.5" radius rosewood board and medium jumbo frets, flatter and bigger than a factory 1961 would have left with. Three Custom '60s single-coils run through a 3-position blade, as on Rory's guitar: bridge, middle or neck, with no in-between settings.
For a sixties Strat without the artist history, look at the 1960 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic or the 1962 Stratocaster Relic. The Gallagher is offered in one finish, 3-Color Sunburst, with a rosewood board.
The photos show one example. Wood grain and aging vary from guitar to guitar, so the one built for you will differ in the details.
SPECIFICATIONS
BODY
Country of Origin: USA
Body Material: Select Alder
Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Shape: Stratocaster
Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
Aging: Relic
NECK
Neck Material: Maple
Neck Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Shape: Early '60s "C"
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)
Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
Position Inlays: Clay Dots with One Mis-matched White Plastic Dot at the 12th Fret
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
ELECTRONICS
Bridge Pickup: Custom '60s Single-Coil Strat
Middle Pickup: Custom '60s Single-Coil Strat
Neck Pickup: Custom '60s Single-Coil Strat
Pickup Configuration: SSS
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Switching: 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Middle Pickup, Position 3. Neck Pickup
HARDWARE
Bridge: 6-Saddle American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
Tuning Machines: 5 Sperzel Die-Cast Machine Heads with 1 Mis-Matched Gotoh
Tremolo Arm: Vintage-Style Tremolo Arm
Control Knobs: Parchment Plastic
Strings: Fender USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250406
CASE
Case: Deluxe Brown Hardshell (Gold Interior)