Fender '59 Special Strat JRN

Fender '59 Special Strat JRN review

The Fender '59 Special Strat JRN is a limited-edition, U.S.-made electric guitar based on the 1959 Stratocaster. Its specification sheet points to a traditional Strat-style format with selected alder for the body, a flamed maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard, three single-coil pickups, and a synchronized vintage-style tremolo. It has been available since December 2023, and its item number is 573907. The listed price is 5333; no currency is specified in the supplied information.

This is a specifications-based assessment. No customer reviews or independent measurements were provided, so there is no basis for claims about sound quality, setup, playability, or long-term reliability. The details below describe what the listed components and design choices establish, while separating those facts from qualities that would require hands-on testing.

Body, neck, and fingerboard

The body is made from two selected pieces of alder, with no separate top listed. Fender specifies a Journeyman Relic finish in Super Faded Sonic Blue. The general color field also says Sonic Blue, so the more detailed finish description provides the clearest indication of the intended appearance. "Journeyman Relic" identifies the finish treatment, but the supplied specifications do not describe the amount or placement of wear.

The neck is listed as 3A flamed maple, paired with a flat-laminated rosewood fingerboard. Its "59 Style C" profile connects the neck shape to the model's historical reference, although the name alone does not provide measurements such as thickness at the first or twelfth fret. The fingerboard radius is 9.5 inches. That figure describes the curvature of the playing surface, but it cannot by itself establish whether a particular player will prefer the feel.

The guitar has 21 jumbo frets and a bone nut. Jumbo fret wire is a clearly specified departure from a setup described only by fret count: its size can affect fretting contact and string bending technique. Actual fret height, crown shape, and setup condition are not included, so those details would need inspection on the instrument itself. The scale length is 648 mm, the conventional long scale associated with this model format.

Pickups and controls

The pickup layout is SSS, meaning three single-coil pickups. Fender identifies them as Custom Shop hand-wound Ancho Poblano Strat pickups, with reverse-wound, reverse-polarity configuration (RWRP). The listing does not state the output, magnet type, or measured frequency response. Those omissions make it inappropriate to predict a precise tonal balance or noise performance from the pickup name alone.

The circuit combines Strat Blender wiring with Greasebucket tone circuitry and a Tone-Saver Bleed. These are named features of the control system, rather than a complete wiring diagram. The specifications do not explain the control positions, which pickup combinations the blender makes available, or the precise circuit values. A buyer who needs a specific switching arrangement should confirm it with Fender or inspect the instrument's documentation.

The three-ply pickguard is Mint Green. That provides a defined visual contrast with the Super Faded Sonic Blue finish, but the listing gives no further detail about the guard material or its dimensions. Together, the pickup arrangement and blender circuit make the electronics a more distinctive part of this version than a simple three-pickup description would suggest. The exact range of sounds still cannot be established from the supplied data.

Tremolo, hardware, and package

The bridge is an American Vintage synchronized tremolo, and the machine heads are described as vintage style. These labels establish the intended hardware category, but the sheet does not provide details such as saddle material, gear ratio, arm design, or the tremolo's setup. Stability and return to pitch depend on setup and use, so neither can be verified from the component names alone.

A deluxe hard-shell case and certificate of authenticity are included. The general specification field says a case is included, while the detailed list identifies it as a deluxe hard-shell case. No gig bag is included. The sales unit is one piece, and the guitar is made in the United States.

Technical verdict

The Fender '59 Special Strat JRN has a coherent vintage-inspired specification, with selected alder, a flamed maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard, vintage-style tremolo hardware, and a 1959 Stratocaster model reference. Its more specific points are the jumbo frets, 9.5-inch fingerboard radius, hand-wound Ancho Poblano pickups, and blender-based control circuit. The finish designation and included hard-shell case are also clearly stated.

The specification sheet is detailed enough to identify the construction and principal electronics, but it leaves practical questions unanswered. There are no measurements for neck depth, pickup output, weight, or setup, and no customer feedback is available. A prospective buyer should treat the listed features as a useful comparison checklist, then verify the neck feel, finish details, control operation, and instrument condition directly. On the supplied information alone, this is a limited-edition Strat-style guitar with a defined feature set, not a product whose performance can be responsibly rated beyond those facts.