1999 Fender Custom Shop ’51 Nocaster John Cruz Relic
1999 Fender '51 Nocaster Reissue from renowned Custom Shop builder John Cruz. A killer guitar fitted with a pair of fantastic-sounding Lollar Special single-coil PUs with updated modern wiring for classic Telecaster tones! The neck features a partial refin from PNW legend Mike Lull and plays great with a medium full-U '51 neck profile. Other upgrades include compensated brass saddles and a bone nut. In great overall shape with minimal play wear and an authentic relic job for that "Road-Worn" aesthetic.
Check out the feature from our luthier Tyler in the ECG Newsletter:
"It’s funny (depressingly dating) that the early Fender “relic” guitars are now aging into the first wave of vintage collectability. A tale as old as the guitar itself, the lowly and affordable used instrument has transformed before our very eyes into a premium retro collectable with a price to match. “$4,000?! I sold one of these in 2002 for $350!” Sure ya did, pal. We’re all turning into the sad-ass old guys we grew up laughing at. Time is a flat circle. Aaaaaanyway.
This particular Nocaster was built by the legendary former master builder (and current cautionary tale regarding drunk Facebooking) John Cruz. Until his surprise mandatory retirement in 2020, John was Fender’s most tenured and popular builder. His waiting list was years long, and his prices skyrocketed accordingly. The quality of his instruments is absolutely undeniable, and this ’51 is a shining example of that. Nearly 25 years of honest play wear has transformed this tastefully-executed subtle relic job into a surprisingly believable vintage finish, legitimizing some of the less realistic aging techniques employed in the early days. A pair of Lollar pickups and compensated saddles will be a welcome change for the player, making this a gig-ready vintage Fender. All the tone and quality of a real Blackguard at 5% the cost? Not much wrong with that."
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As Emerald City Guitars continues to do more and more worldwide shipping our goal is to make sure your instrument or amplifier arrives intact. We take pride in our packing procedures using high grade packing materials and great care in assuring that our customers get their order quickly and safely. We make a point of forwarding all tracking information to our customers so they can stay informed on its progress pending arrival. We ship via UPS, Fedex and UPS. All shipments are fully insured through our private insurance carrier.
We offer a 72 hr approval on all guitar & amps (unless otherwise noted). Customer pays all shipping & insurance costs both ways unless otherwise negotiated by sales staff. Before returning any item, customers must call for a return authorization. Returned items must be in the same condition as when they left the store. Unauthorized returns will be refused & returned at customer expense. Returned items are subject to a 20% restocking fee.