Custom Shop 56 NOS

[keithmantle]

Hi Keith,on my 56 i use Newtone 12-52 wound third strings and tone on all strings is spot on , adjust pup height to suit approx 2-2.5mm regards Keith

[Tab]

Keith,

You don't say what guage strings are on your guitar. The NOS fitted with Vintage Noiseless I played had 10s fitted (as bought) and yes, the top strings did sound a little thin. However, when we fitted 11s (DRs) and re- set up the guitar the sound was much more robust and improved.

Kind regards

[BrianD]

Terry,

You are right, my guitar is fitted with a set of Elixir 010 to 046s which are really tool light for Shads stuff, but, as I think you know, I play a mix of stuff and therefore prefer to keep light bendable strings on. If I was going to set the guitar up purely for Shads material I woudl probably go for a set of 012s with the wound third.

Brian

[MagicOurMorris]

Hi Tab - Hi Keith, thank you both for your replies. The strings fitted to my guitar are gauge 10s. I did try changing the 1st E string for a slightly higher gauge just to see if it made any difference, but the sound was still very thin and very treble when the 1st E string was played above the 12th fret.
I would be interested to know if the bridge pick-up pole pieces on your guitar are aligned to allow the appropriate string to pass centrally over the magnet etc. especially the pole piece for the 1st E string.
Best Regards
Keith.

[keithmantle]

Hi Keith, I have 7 usa strats and none of the E strings run through the middle of the 'E' magnet on the bridge pup, the angle of the pup causes this ,maybe Leo did this to alter the tone on the B/pup, regards Keith

[Martyn]

Hi Keith, I have 7 usa strats . . .

Now then - that's just plain greedy . . .

[keithmantle]

Sorry Martyn, I can't play but i look good !!!

[nevstrum]

I have a Custom Shop 56 NOS and your posting made me examine it closely for the first time.
I was very surprised to find that my first E string was also not aligned properly over the centre of the magnet.
Unfortunately I do not know which pick ups are fitted to the guitar - is there anyway of telling without dismantling?
I've been very happy with the sound it produces over the last few years but have noticed that on some occasions the
E string has sounded weak in comparison to the others. Maybe the echo setting has some effect but I agree you would
have thought that the string should pass over the centre of the magnet! - but I'm not a technical guy.
I'm sure someone knows the reason why!

Nev

[OLDEREK]

May I point out that Fender produce two Custom Shop 56 NOS Stratocasters
One has 21 frets / normal vintage tuners / boat shape neck / vintage 50's Pick up's,the pick up's cannot be bought from fender, they are made only for that guitar, and you find the strings go over the magnets spot on.

The other model has 22 frets / locking sperzels / C shape neck (satin finish) / vintage noisless pick up's, these pick up's can be bought from fender, it seems on this model that the first string is slightly to one side of the magnet.
Both guitars come with Birds Eye maple neck/ Gold Hard Ware / Fiesta Red......
So when looking at these guitars just count the frets and it will help knowing what model your viewing ... Hope this is some help.....
Non Shads Models ! (Fender make the 56 nos chrome h/ware/ standard maple neck / relic/ closet )

[ScouserJoe]

.

Hi Derek,

You say in your post

"May I point out that Fender produce two Custom Shop 56 NOS Stratocasters One has 21 frets / normal vintage tuners / boat shape neck / vintage 50's Pick up's,the pick up's cannot be bought from fender, they are made only for that guitar, and you find the strings go over the magnets spot on. "

Interesting but I have doubts about that theory. I have a standard issue, unmodified, straight out of the box 56 NOS and the strings do NOT pass directly over the pole pieces; indeed none of my Custom Shop guitars (including the new Masterbuilt 50th Anniversary) have pick-up pole pieces which lie directly beneath the strings. Yet the sound is fine on all of them (indeed a sound to die for on the Shadows 50th Anniversary !). I would suggest MagicourMorris get another opinion from another luthier about his problem; my hunch is that it might be in the way the string passes through the nut, or perhaps is bottoming on a higher fret.

I'm also interested the in the comment that a 56 NOS Strat is produced with 22 frets. By its very definition a 56 NOS should be, and I quote Fender, "built .. as if bought new in its respective model year and just found today". As they didn't produce Strats in 1956 with 22 frets - they cannot describe one with 22 frets build today as a ' 56 NOS'. Could you please point me to this instrument on the Fender website? I might suggest that if you look carefully they use the term 'based on' for such models with 22 frets which are probably produced specially for dealers such as the one currently advertised at Guitarmania which, although described as a 56 NOS is, technically, a hybrid and probably explained away by the use of the words "with Custom Shop upgrades".

Cheers,

Ian