Fender 61 Strat SFA3CS Heavy Relic

Fender 61 Strat SFA3CS Heavy Relic: A Technical Review

The Fender 61 Strat SFA3CS Heavy Relic is a U.S.-made Custom Shop guitar based on a 1961 model. Its specification combines a selected alder body, a quartersawn maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with three hand-wound Custom Shop Texas Special single-coil pickups. The listed finish is Super Faded Aged 3-Color Sunburst, with a Heavy Relic treatment. These details define the instrument's construction and intended vintage-style presentation; they do not, on their own, establish how a particular guitar will sound or feel.

The model has been available since March 2022 and is listed as a 2022 limited run. Its item number is 533049. The stated price is 5699, with no currency specified in the supplied information. The package includes a case and certificate. A bag is not included.

Body, Neck, and Fingerboard

The body is made from selected alder, with no separate top listed. The neck is quartersawn maple, a specific wood-cut orientation called out in the Custom Shop specification. Fender describes the neck profile as a mid-'60s oval C. The fingerboard is rosewood, with a 9.5-inch radius and 21 jumbo frets in size 6100.

The scale length is 648 mm, approximately 25.5 inches. Together, these measurements provide a useful outline of the playing surface, though measurements alone cannot confirm individual setup, fret leveling, or neck relief. The specification does not state the nut width, neck finish, or fret material, so those details should not be assumed.

The 21-fret layout is a defining practical point for buyers comparing this guitar with instruments that have a longer fretboard. Fender lists the frets as jumbo size 6100, rather than simply describing them as large. That designation gives a more specific reference for the fret format, but no fret height or width measurements are provided here.

Pickups and Wiring

The pickup layout is SSS, meaning three single-coil pickups. All three are identified as hand-wound Custom Shop Texas Special units. The supplied data does not include output readings, magnet type, or a pickup-by-pickup winding specification. As a result, the model name and construction description are the available basis for assessing the electronics on paper.

The guitar uses Vintage Modified #2 wiring with Tone Saver Bleed. This is a more specific circuit description than a basic three-pickup listing, but the provided details do not explain the control layout or switching options. Buyers who need an exact wiring diagram should confirm it with Fender or the seller before purchase. There are no customer reviews available for this product, so there is no user feedback to add to the technical assessment.

Tremolo, Hardware, and Finish

Fender specifies a C/S Vintage tremolo, alongside vintage-style tuners and nickel hardware. The general product data also identifies the tremolo as vintage. No further information is given about the bridge's adjustment range, saddle design, or setup, so those points cannot be evaluated from the specification alone.

The finish is listed as Super Faded Aged 3-Color Sunburst, with a Heavy Relic treatment. The pickguard is three-ply mint green. These are concrete visual details, but the supplied data does not describe the wear pattern or the finish process. The Heavy Relic label should therefore be understood as the stated finish treatment, not as a precise account of the individual marks on a particular instrument.

What the Specification Establishes

• Construction: Selected alder body, quartersawn maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard.
• Playing dimensions: 648 mm scale, 9.5-inch fingerboard radius, and 21 jumbo frets in size 6100.
• Electronics: Three hand-wound Custom Shop Texas Special single-coil pickups, with Vintage Modified #2 wiring and Tone Saver Bleed.
• Hardware and appearance: C/S Vintage tremolo, vintage tuners, nickel hardware, mint-green pickguard, and Super Faded Aged 3-Color Sunburst Heavy Relic finish.
• Origin and package: Made in the USA, with a case and certificate included.

Assessment

The Fender 61 Strat SFA3CS Heavy Relic is clearly specified in several areas that matter when comparing a Custom Shop Strat-style guitar: its neck profile, fingerboard radius, fret size, pickup model, wiring designation, and finish treatment are all identified. Its 1961-inspired configuration is paired with contemporary listed measurements, including a 9.5-inch radius and 21 jumbo frets.

There are also meaningful gaps in the supplied information. It does not provide a weight, control description, pickup measurements, detailed setup data, or a breakdown of the relic finish. No customer reviews are available, so this review is limited to the stated specifications rather than user experience. For a buyer considering the listed price of 5699, confirming those omitted details and the exact condition of the individual instrument would be sensible. The included case and certificate are confirmed; a bag is not included.