Fender 65 Strat 3CS Relic

Fender 65 Strat 3CS Relic review

The Fender 65 Strat 3CS Relic is a U.S.-made, 1965 Stratocaster-style electric guitar with a three-color sunburst finish. Its listed price is 4333, and it has been available since November 2024. This assessment is based solely on the supplied specifications. No customer reviews are available, so claims about playing feel, sound quality, reliability, or the appearance of individual examples would be unsubstantiated.

The model's core construction follows a familiar Stratocaster format: a two-piece body made from selected alder, a bolt-on maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. Fender identifies the finish as Relic, but the specifications do not explain the degree or placement of the finish wear. That means buyers should consult current product images or the seller for details about the specific instrument being offered.

Body, neck, and fingerboard

The two-piece alder body is finished in 3-Color Sunburst, with no separate top listed. The neck is described as "Plain-Grain" maple and uses a 65 Strat "C" profile. Those names identify the stated neck shape and wood description, but the data provides no neck thickness measurements. The profile label alone cannot establish how it will feel in a particular player's hands.

The rosewood fingerboard is specified as 9 mm thick, with an AAA grade designation. Its radius is 241 mm, or 9.5 inches, and it carries 21 Narrow Tall frets, identified as 6105. The narrow-tall fret specification describes the fret type, while the fret count and radius provide more concrete reference points for comparing the guitar with other instruments. A bone nut is also specified.

The scale length is 648 mm, equivalent to 25.5 inches. That measurement places the instrument in the standard long-scale category used by many Stratocaster models. The available data does not provide string gauges, setup measurements, or action, so it cannot establish how the guitar will respond straight out of its case.

Pickups and controls

The pickup layout is SSS, meaning three single-coil pickups. Fender specifies three hand-wound Custom Shop '65 Stratocaster pickups. The control arrangement consists of one volume control, two tone controls, and a five-way pickup selector. These details confirm the traditional three-pickup configuration and switching format, but they do not give output readings, magnet type, or other electrical measurements.

As a result, the specifications support a useful description of the electronics without providing enough information to predict a precise tonal response. Words such as bright, warm, or vintage-voiced would be listening judgments, not facts established by the supplied data. Buyers comparing pickup sets should seek further manufacturer information if winding details or measured output are important to their decision.

Tremolo, hardware, and included case

The guitar is fitted with a Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo and vintage-style tuning machines. The hardware is nickel, and the pickguard is three-ply parchment. The product listing also uses the broader label "Vintage" for the tremolo. No bridge setup details, tuning-machine ratio, or hardware dimensions are provided, so these cannot be assessed from the specifications alone.

A Deluxe hardshell case is included. The listing explicitly says that a bag is not included, which is consistent with the case being the supplied carrying option. The stated sales unit is one piece. The product's item number is 599053, a useful identifier when confirming that a quote or listing refers to this exact model.

What the specifications establish

The documented configuration is specific: selected alder in a two-piece body, a bolt-on maple neck with a 65 Strat "C" profile, a 9 mm AAA rosewood fingerboard, 21 Narrow Tall frets, three hand-wound Custom Shop '65 Stratocaster single-coil pickups, and a vintage synchronized tremolo. It is made in the USA and supplied with a Deluxe hardshell case.

The specifications do not settle several practical buying questions. They provide no weight, neck measurements beyond the profile name, finish-wear description, setup information, or independent assessment of workmanship. They also do not state a currency for the listed price of 4333. Buyers should confirm the final price, the exact finish condition, and the specific instrument's setup with the retailer before ordering.

On the available evidence, the Fender 65 Strat 3CS Relic is best evaluated as a premium, historically styled Stratocaster specification with named Custom Shop pickups and a defined materials list. Whether its price is justified depends on details not established here, including the buyer's priorities and the condition of the individual guitar. This is a specification-based review, not a report of customer experience or a hands-on playing test.