Fender 59 Strat Hardtail C3CSB NOS

Fender 59 Strat Hardtail C3CSB NOS review

The Fender 59 Strat Hardtail C3CSB NOS is a U.S.-made Custom Shop model from the 2022 Vintage Custom Collection. Its specifications center on a 1959 Stratocaster model, with a selected alder body, a one-piece rift-sawn maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. The finish is listed as NOS, or New Old Stock, in Chocolate 3-Color Sunburst. Fender identifies the instrument as a limited 2022 run.

This is a specifications-based assessment. No customer reviews are available for this product, so there is no buyer feedback to report on setup, reliability, or playing feel. The details below describe the documented construction and hardware, rather than claimed performance.

Body, neck, and fingerboard

The body is alder, with no separate top listed. Fender describes it as selected alder but does not provide a body weight, body thickness, or details about the selection criteria. The sunburst finish and eggshell pickguard give the instrument a period-oriented specification, while the NOS finish designation indicates the chosen finish type. It does not, by itself, provide further detail about wear or aging.

The one-piece, rift-sawn maple neck has a '59 "D" profile. That shape name provides a useful reference, though Fender's supplied data does not include neck measurements at the first and twelfth frets. The rosewood fingerboard has a compound radius that transitions from 7.25 inches to 9.5 inches. It is paired with 21 medium vintage frets and a bone nut. These are concrete construction details, but they do not establish the instrument's setup or fret condition on arrival.

The scale length is 648 mm, equivalent to the familiar 25.5-inch scale used on many Stratocaster-style guitars. The product is described as an ST-style model. No information is supplied about the neck finish, fretboard inlay material, or string gauge.

Pickups and controls

The pickup layout is SSS: three single-coil pickups in the standard bridge, middle, and neck positions. More specifically, Fender lists three handwound Custom Shop '59 Strat single-coil pickups. The controls consist of one volume control and two tone controls, with a five-way pickup selector. Vintage wiring is also specified.

The listing does not provide pickup resistance, magnet type, output measurements, or a wiring diagram. As a result, the pickup names and control layout offer a clear outline of the electronics, but not enough information to make precise claims about output level or tonal response. Players comparing this model with another guitar should treat those details as unknown unless Fender supplies them separately.

Hardtail bridge and hardware

The detailed specification names a vintage hardtail bridge, along with vintage machine heads and nickel hardware. A hardtail bridge is a fixed bridge design, so the documented configuration differs from a Stratocaster fitted with a movable tremolo bridge. The general specification table also lists "Vintage" under tremolo, creating a discrepancy with the more specific hardtail description. The supplied information does not explain the mismatch. Buyers who need confirmation of the exact bridge should check with the seller before ordering.

No tremolo arm is listed among the included items. Fender does specify a case and certificate, while the general listing says that no bag is included. Those details are consistent with the case being the supplied storage option rather than a gig bag.

Price and buying considerations

The listed price is 4699, with no currency stated in the supplied data. The item number is 532449, and the product has been available since November 2022. The sales unit is one piece. The combination of Custom Shop construction, handwound pickups, and a limited 2022 designation places this model in a more specialized part of Fender's range, but the data does not include a comparison with other models or a statement about current availability.

The strongest reasons to consider this guitar on paper are its specific 1959-inspired neck and fretboard details, its three handwound Custom Shop pickups, and its fixed vintage-style bridge. The important checks are equally specific: confirm the bridge configuration because of the listing conflict, verify the sale currency, and ask about the delivered setup if that matters to your purchase. There are no customer ratings or ownership reports available here to fill in those gaps.

Verdict

The Fender 59 Strat Hardtail C3CSB NOS is a U.S.-made Custom Shop Stratocaster-style guitar with clearly stated materials, neck dimensions by profile and radius, and a detailed pickup and control layout. Its hardtail specification is a defining point, although the conflicting tremolo field warrants confirmation. With no customer reviews provided, an honest assessment can cover the listed design and included case, but not real-world feel, sound, or long-term reliability.