1959 brought the Strat a slab rosewood fingerboard with clay dots and a 3-ply mint green pickguard, and a hardtail from that year would have been a rare order. The Vintage Custom '59 Hardtail Strat recreates one on a two-piece select alder body, with three Custom Shop Hand-Wound '59 Single-Coil Strat pickups and a 6-saddle hardtail bridge with "Pat. Pend." saddles.
The flat-laminated rosewood board has a 7.25" to 9.5" compound radius, rounder near the nut for chords and flatter up the neck, so bends are less likely to fret out, with Jescar Medium Vintage (47095) frets. With no tremolo there are no springs to balance, so string changes and alternate tunings are simpler. Tone controls work on the neck and middle pickups.
For the same year with a tremolo, look at the Vintage Custom 1959 Stratocaster Rosewood. The Vintage Custom '55 Hardtail Strat is the earlier hardtail in ash with a maple neck.
It comes in Chocolate 3-Color Sunburst and Faded Aged Sonic Blue.
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: 2-Piece Select Alder
Body Finish: Lacquer
Body Shape: Stratocaster
Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
Aging: Time Capsule
NECK
Neck Material: Rift Sawn Maple
Neck Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Fingerboard Radius: 7.25" to 9.5" Vintage Compound Radius (184 mm to 241 mm)
Fingerboard Material: Flat-Laminated Rosewood
Position Inlays: Vintage Clay Dot
Side Dots: Vintage Clay
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Jescar Medium Vintage (47095)
Nut Material: Bone
Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
ELECTRONICS
Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound '59 Single-Coil Strat
Middle Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound '59 Single-Coil Strat
Neck Pickup: Custom Shop Hand-Wound '59 Single-Coil Strat
Pickup Configuration: SSS
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
HARDWARE
Bridge: 6-Saddle Hardtail with "Pat. Pend." Saddles
Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
Tuning Machines: Vintage-Style
Control Knobs: Vintage White
Strings: Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges)
CASE
Case: Deluxe Hardshell