Rudy spec'd this guitar out personally with the Fender Custom Shop to recreate the glory of the original 1956 "Mary Kaye" Strat, as well as a whole series of the vintage Fender guitars we know and love. His aim was to combine modern playability with vintage vibe, and to recreate these guitars in almost exactly the same fashion as they would have left the factory in their original production year.
The 1956 Strat in White Blonde with gold hardware became synonymous with Mary Kaye, the calypso-swing Vegas lounge guitarist and singer who is often hailed as the "First Lady of Rock 'n' Roll." Her association with the guitar was thanks to a promotional photo from 1956 that featured Kaye holding the white Strat alongside her bandmates. (Funnily enough, Kaye never owned a white Strat; she actually preferred custom D'Angelico archtops, much like Rudy does today.) The model is beloved by vintage enthusiasts but wasn't reproduced for almost 50 years after its last original production offering in 1958. Rudy has always found it to be such a beautiful and elegant look, he thought it fitting to include in our roster of period-correct Fender Custom Shop models.
SPECS:
- 9.5" radius, 5-way switch, and 6105 Narrow Tall wire → modern features for more versatility for today’s player
- 1.65" nut width
- Ash body
- One-piece maple neck with skunk stripe
- Vintage Kluson style tuners
- Vintage style tremolo
- ‘50s Style Custom Shop hand-wound pickups
- The neck is a '50s style soft V shape, incredibly playable, and makes for a great vintage feel
Weight: 7.45 lbs
Serial #R133946 comes with a deluxe Custom Shop hardshell tweed case.
