Fender 59 Strat Black JM Relic

Fender 59 Strat Black JM Relic: Technical Review

The Fender 59 Strat Black JM Relic is a U.S.-made Custom Shop electric guitar based on a 1959 model. Its listed specifications center on an alder body, a maple neck and fingerboard, three hand-wound single-coil pickups, and vintage-style hardware. The finish is black with a Journeyman Relic treatment. The instrument has been available since July 2025, with item number 611676, and is listed at $4,775.

This review is limited to the supplied specifications. No customer reviews are available, so there is no basis for claims about its sound, playability, setup, or finish quality in use. The details below explain what the listed construction and components establish, and what they leave open for a hands-on assessment.

Body, Neck, and Fingerboard

The body is alder, with no separate top listed. The neck is plain-grain maple and attaches to the body with a bolt-on joint. Both the neck and fingerboard are maple. Black dot inlays mark the fingerboard, whose stated radius is 190.5 mm, or 7.5 inches. That relatively curved radius is a defining measurement to consider when assessing the guitar's feel, but the number alone does not establish how it will suit a particular player or setup.

The neck uses a 1959 "D" profile. Fender lists its thickness as 22 mm at the first fret and 25 mm at the 12th fret. Those measurements offer a more useful reference than the profile label alone, though they do not describe every aspect of the neck's shape. The nut measures 41.9 mm wide, or 1.650 inches. The scale length is 648 mm, or 25.51 inches, a standard long-scale measurement for this style of guitar.

There are 21 vintage frets. The supplied information does not specify fret material, fret dimensions, or individual fretwork tolerances. Those points would need to be checked on the instrument itself. The combination of a maple fingerboard, vintage fret count, and curved radius places the neck design firmly in a period-oriented format, rather than documenting any modernized changes.

Pickups and Controls

The guitar has three hand-wound Custom '50 Strat single-coil pickups, arranged in the familiar SSS layout. A five-way switch selects pickup combinations, and the control set consists of one master volume and two tone controls. These specifications identify the pickup type and switching arrangement, but they do not provide output readings, winding details, or measured frequency response. Any description of its exact tone would go beyond the available data.

The single-ply pickguard is described as a vintage white Strat pickguard from the 1954 to 1958 period. That detail, alongside the 1959 model designation and the Custom Shop pickup set, establishes a vintage-focused parts specification. It does not confirm that every component duplicates a particular original guitar.

Tremolo, Hardware, and Finish

Fender lists an American Vintage Strat tremolo and Fender vintage tuning machines. The hardware is nickel. The provided details do not state the tremolo's setup, whether the arm is included, or how the bridge is adjusted from the factory. Those are practical inspection points for a buyer, especially when evaluating tuning stability and the condition of a specific example.

The black finish uses nitrocellulose lacquer and a Journeyman Relic treatment. The listing names the finish style but does not describe the extent or placement of the aging marks. Buyers should refer to photographs or inspect the exact guitar to understand its appearance. The supplied specifications also do not establish how the finish will wear over time.

Included Items and Buying Considerations

• Included: A vintage case is specified.
• Not included: The listing says no bag is included.
• Factory strings:.010 to.046 gauge.
• Origin: Made in the United States.
• Sales unit: One piece.

At $4,775, this is a high-priced, U.S.-made Custom Shop instrument with a clearly vintage-oriented specification sheet. The strongest documented selling points are its hand-wound pickup set, 1959 "D" neck profile, nitrocellulose finish, and included vintage case. The listing does not provide a weight, setup measurements, electronics component details, or an independent inspection report. Those omissions matter when comparing individual guitars at this price.

Verdict

The Fender 59 Strat Black JM Relic is specified as a 1959-inspired Strat-style guitar with traditional materials, a three-single-coil layout, and vintage hardware. Its dimensions and components are described in useful detail, but the available information cannot verify how a particular instrument sounds or feels. A prospective buyer should confirm its condition, setup, weight, and finish appearance before purchase, and should treat the absence of customer feedback as a limit on what can be concluded from the listing.