2003 Fender® Custom Shop Todd Krause Masterbuilt Showmaster™ Natural, Very Good, Original Hard, $2,899.00
Here is another very cool piece, just in on consignment. Offered is this very unique model, a Fender Custom Shop Showmaster by Master Builder Todd Krause which was completed on June 3, 2003.
The Showmaster was first designed by John Suhr in the late 90's and further modified to the configuration seen here by Gene Baker, both former Fender Master Builders. Shaped like a Strat but with rear routed electronics, various Custom Shop and regular production variations on this design were tried. Despite various efforts, the Showmaster never really caught on as a volume model for the FMIC. That hasn't kept many other builders from copying this beautiful "super Strat" design over the years and right up to the current day.
While it has the same perimeter shape as a Stratocaster, the Showmaster is much more expensive to make with it's separate back, it's arched top and a neck that is glued into rather than being bolted on to the body. This high-end example by Todd Krause is made from lightweight, straight-grained Mahogany for the back, ribbon-flamed Maple for the top and gorgeous birdseye Maple for the neck. This guitar has a total weight of just 7.6 pounds (7 pounds, 9 ounces). Other specs include: a contemporary Fender C-shaped neck with a depth of .85" at the first fret; a nice dark Indian Rosewood fretboard with 9.5" radius, a 1-11/16" bone nut, Abalone dot inlays and medium/jumbo fret wire; a fully-adjustable locking wrap-around bridge; and for electronics, two Seymour Duncan humbuckers with volume, tone and a three-way pickup selector. The volume and tone knobs are equipped with Fenders' S1 coil splitting electronics, but mercifully, the S1 wiring is currently deactivated.
After you play this guitar for a few minutes, it is easy to see why this is such a heavily-copied design. It feels immediately familiar with it's Strat shape, but has a distinctly premium feel. The humbuckers and the set neck give it a much more substantial tone, as though some Gibson genes had been inserted into a high-end Strat's DNA. If you have ever played a Suhr Standard with humbuckers, then you have played a very similar guitar.
I would rate the condition of this guitar as very good. It has a few tiny impressions on the top that can only be seen upon close inspection. The medium/jumbo frets do show some shallow divots on the first few frets, but have years of life left in them. As mentioned above, the S1 wiring is currently deactivated, but could be put back into use with minimal wiring work. These issues aside, this is one beautiful looking, playing and sounding instrument.
This guitar comes to you in a well-traveled, but clean and fully-functional brown G&G case, along with the recently reissued certificate of authenticity and a bit of the case candy. Get yourself a beautiful and quite rare Fender Masterbuilt instrument at a great price with this Todd Krause Showmaster. Very special indeed!
Capital Guitars
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Refunds of the original purchase price less shipping and a 10% restocking fee may be requested within 48 hours of delivery. Exchanges within one (1) week of the original date of purchase may be made for an item of equal or greater value at the discretion of Capital Guitars. Where permitted herein, items must be promptly returned at the buyer's expense, in the same condition as received with all accessories and paperwork included. Sale items, purchases that are made via layaway, those involving trades and/or international shipping are considered final except upon an error by and at the discretion of Capital Guitars. All deposits are non-returnable. Our apologies, but we are a very small operation and returns are extremely time consuming and costly.